The Farewell (2019)

Billi is a Chinese American living in California when she learns that her grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer and that her immediate family, also living in California, is planning to travel to China to say goodbye. Since, however, the grandmother has not been informed of her diagnosis, they do not want Billi to come since everyone assumes Billi will be unable to keep the secret. Billi shows up anyway -- keeps the secret -- and enjoys her last days with her beloved Nai Nai.

Sounds like a pretty great movie, right? Yeah, it did to me too. I'm not sure what went wrong here, but the result is a one-note, lifeless affair. There's some business about a wedding that's just an excuse to get everyone in town to see Nai Nai without her realizing it's because she's dying. Did the couple want to get married? Were they just pretending to get married? I don't really know & I didn't really care.

C