A romcom that's as romantic as it was funny. The fact that it's all based on a true story. It manages to make you laugh and smile even at the saddest moments and it all feels real. You get to see how difficult it can be for two people from different cultures and religion to get together may be. Haven't seen any rom com like it, how it centers around an event so bereaved for the main characters yet manages to put a smile on your face in the end. It's not mind blowingly good but I really like it.
425 Reviews
Hilarious & poignant, at the same time.
Anurag-Shetty5 July 2017
The Big Sick tells the true story of Kumail(Kumail Nanjiani). Kumail is an amateur stand-up comedian. He meets & falls in love with Emily(Zoe Kazan). Kumail & Emily become a couple. Now they have to decide whether their relationship has a future, due to the massive difference in their cultures. This makes things between Kumail & Emily, complicated.
The Big Sick is a fantastic movie. What is fascinating about this film is that, it's based on the real life love story of Kumail(who also wrote the film) & co-writer of the script, Emily V. Gordon. Director Michael Showalter has done a bang-up job, balancing the romantic, comedic & dramatic elements of the movie. This film is laugh-out- loud funny but, it can also make you feel emotional, from time to time. The performances are spot on. Kumail Nanjiani is brilliant as Kumail. Zoe Kazan is spectacular as Emily. Nanjiani & Kazan share an adorable & effortless chemistry, in all their scenes together. Holly Hunter is outstanding as Beth. Ray Romano is awesome as Terry. Anupam Kher is superb as Azmat. Zenobia Shroff is great as Sharmeen. Adeel Akhtar is excellent as Naveed. Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler & Shenaz Treasurywala are impressive as CJ, Mary, Chris & Fatima, respectively. The Big Sick is a must watch for romantic comedy fans. Go for it, as soon as you can.
The Big Sick is a fantastic movie. What is fascinating about this film is that, it's based on the real life love story of Kumail(who also wrote the film) & co-writer of the script, Emily V. Gordon. Director Michael Showalter has done a bang-up job, balancing the romantic, comedic & dramatic elements of the movie. This film is laugh-out- loud funny but, it can also make you feel emotional, from time to time. The performances are spot on. Kumail Nanjiani is brilliant as Kumail. Zoe Kazan is spectacular as Emily. Nanjiani & Kazan share an adorable & effortless chemistry, in all their scenes together. Holly Hunter is outstanding as Beth. Ray Romano is awesome as Terry. Anupam Kher is superb as Azmat. Zenobia Shroff is great as Sharmeen. Adeel Akhtar is excellent as Naveed. Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler & Shenaz Treasurywala are impressive as CJ, Mary, Chris & Fatima, respectively. The Big Sick is a must watch for romantic comedy fans. Go for it, as soon as you can.
A Beautiful Sweet Film about Complexities of Diversity and Relationships in Modern America
JustCuriosity17 March 2017
The Big Sick was very warmly-received at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. The Big Sick is a superbly original romantic comedy/drama based on a true story of Kumail Nanjiani and his now-wife Emily Gardner; they co-wrote the script together. Kumail stars as himself. It starts from the premise of the inherent difficulties of interracial, inter-religious relationship between a Pakistani- American comedian and white woman in Chicago who face both the normal difficulties of relationships combined with the pressures of Kumail's overbearing, but loving family who demand that he participate in an arranged marriage to a Pakistani girl. Kumail is caught between competing worlds. The situation spins out-of-control when Emily becomes extremely ill and Kumail has to deal with her parents.
The amazing part of this movie is that it deals with deeply serious complex issues, but does so with humor and grace. The screenplay is remarkable and nuanced, but is infused with a comedian's sense of humor that captures the real human comedy that exists in all personal relationships. You will die laughing when Emily's bewildered father turns to Kumail in a hospital cafeteria and asks him, "What do you think of 9/11?" and Kumail responds as a comedian should to such an outrageously stupid question. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are excellent in the roles of Emily's parents.
While based on a true story, I'm sure parts have been fictionalized to bring the drama and the humor of the events to the screen, but it appears that the basic Romeo & Juliet premise is based on the screen writers' real relationship. The film's ability to balance the deadly serious and the comedic reminds me of the wonderful film 50/50 (2011) which also dealt with a deadly illness with a similar light touch. This beautiful film which deals so well with the complexities of overcoming cultural differences serves as a good anecdote to our charged political climate and especially with the demonization of Islam that has become all too dangerous in this country. I hope it is the breakout comedy hit of the summer when it goes into wide release in July.
The amazing part of this movie is that it deals with deeply serious complex issues, but does so with humor and grace. The screenplay is remarkable and nuanced, but is infused with a comedian's sense of humor that captures the real human comedy that exists in all personal relationships. You will die laughing when Emily's bewildered father turns to Kumail in a hospital cafeteria and asks him, "What do you think of 9/11?" and Kumail responds as a comedian should to such an outrageously stupid question. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are excellent in the roles of Emily's parents.
While based on a true story, I'm sure parts have been fictionalized to bring the drama and the humor of the events to the screen, but it appears that the basic Romeo & Juliet premise is based on the screen writers' real relationship. The film's ability to balance the deadly serious and the comedic reminds me of the wonderful film 50/50 (2011) which also dealt with a deadly illness with a similar light touch. This beautiful film which deals so well with the complexities of overcoming cultural differences serves as a good anecdote to our charged political climate and especially with the demonization of Islam that has become all too dangerous in this country. I hope it is the breakout comedy hit of the summer when it goes into wide release in July.
The Best Comedy of the Summer
ThomasDrufke18 July 2017
One of my favorite things to do is go into a movie completely blind. Not watch a trailer, look at a poster, or even the cast list. It's incredibly difficult to do in today's age, especially because of how much I enjoy watching trailers, but when the chance comes along to see a movie with no prior knowledge, I take it.
The Big Sick is one of those rare movies that presents itself as 3 genres, in this case Drama, Comedy, and Romance, and it services each of those genres equally. So well that you have to mention all 3 if you're talking about the movie. It's not just a Rom-Com or a Rom- Dram, it's most certainly a Rom-Com-Dram. I haven't seen a film so effortlessly balance the 3 genres. This is all while seemingly reinvent the formula for a romantic comedy to beautifully fresh results. The Big Sick uses witty humor, charming leads, and socially important topics to give us the best film of the summer thus far.
A romance is only as good as its leads and their chemistry. Luckily, Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan grace the screen with a refreshingly awkward and charming presence. Being that I haven't really seen either of them in anything else, their relationship felt miraculously original. The Big Sick is based on Nanjiani's actual life, but this felt like a comedy unrestricted by real-life accounts while also honoring a serious subject matter that has its place. However, the two's chemistry isn't all this film has, its entire ensemble is something to behold. Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Anupam Kher, Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and the various comedians do a wonderful job of rounding out the fantastic cast.
It doesn't fall back into genre clichés or tropes, doesn't fall back into an overly physical comedy (like most comedies do now), and it most certainly doesn't go the direction you think it's going to go. The Big Sick benefits from having a diverse cast and story and an impeccably funny but also poignant script. Heck, it also doesn't hurt that it takes place and was filmed in my hometown of Chicago. But the important thing is, this film restores my faith (once again) in original romantic comedies. Go see it.
+Diverse
+Original
+Funny & heartwarming
+Balances its 3 genres impressively
10/10
The Big Sick is one of those rare movies that presents itself as 3 genres, in this case Drama, Comedy, and Romance, and it services each of those genres equally. So well that you have to mention all 3 if you're talking about the movie. It's not just a Rom-Com or a Rom- Dram, it's most certainly a Rom-Com-Dram. I haven't seen a film so effortlessly balance the 3 genres. This is all while seemingly reinvent the formula for a romantic comedy to beautifully fresh results. The Big Sick uses witty humor, charming leads, and socially important topics to give us the best film of the summer thus far.
A romance is only as good as its leads and their chemistry. Luckily, Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan grace the screen with a refreshingly awkward and charming presence. Being that I haven't really seen either of them in anything else, their relationship felt miraculously original. The Big Sick is based on Nanjiani's actual life, but this felt like a comedy unrestricted by real-life accounts while also honoring a serious subject matter that has its place. However, the two's chemistry isn't all this film has, its entire ensemble is something to behold. Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Anupam Kher, Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and the various comedians do a wonderful job of rounding out the fantastic cast.
It doesn't fall back into genre clichés or tropes, doesn't fall back into an overly physical comedy (like most comedies do now), and it most certainly doesn't go the direction you think it's going to go. The Big Sick benefits from having a diverse cast and story and an impeccably funny but also poignant script. Heck, it also doesn't hurt that it takes place and was filmed in my hometown of Chicago. But the important thing is, this film restores my faith (once again) in original romantic comedies. Go see it.
+Diverse
+Original
+Funny & heartwarming
+Balances its 3 genres impressively
10/10
So much more than a "romantic comedy"
bliss_s2 July 2017
Romance, cultural conflict, betrayal, compassion, and redemption. All neatly wrapped within the context of a comedic memoir. Michael Sholwater did a superb job directing and the writing collaboration between Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani gave the audience a wonderfully intimate sense of how the warmth, power, and growth of a couple relationship can expand and strengthen the bonds of family.
No story or movie becomes great without a superb cast. Again Kumail Nanjiani proved his versatility with an amazingly strong performance (in my opinion award winning). And this movie was not a one man show, Zoe Kazan gave just the right energy to her role, Holly Hunter should get an Academy Award for best supporting actress for hers, Ray Romano was excellent as were Zenobia Shroff and Anupam Kher. This was the best movie I've seen in a very long time and just may be the best romantic comedy I've ever seen.
No story or movie becomes great without a superb cast. Again Kumail Nanjiani proved his versatility with an amazingly strong performance (in my opinion award winning). And this movie was not a one man show, Zoe Kazan gave just the right energy to her role, Holly Hunter should get an Academy Award for best supporting actress for hers, Ray Romano was excellent as were Zenobia Shroff and Anupam Kher. This was the best movie I've seen in a very long time and just may be the best romantic comedy I've ever seen.
Fairly good but not great
bbewnylorac12 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
All the actors in The Big Sick are accomplished and fit their roles well. Kumail Nanjiani is sweet and relaxed as Kumail, the immigrant caught between his American and Pakistani lives. As his white girlfriend Emily, Zoe Kazan is great - genuinely intelligent and sparky. Holly Hunter steals all her scenes as Zoe's firecracker mother, who comes to stay while Emily is in hospital in a coma. Ray Romano as Zoe's father is interesting and thoughtful. Some big issues are explored, such as what obligations do we have to our parents, and should parents leave behind traditions like arranged marriage when they move to the US? It's sobering to think there are families who shun sons and daughters for marrying or dating outside their race. Or that some children feel they must have an arranged marriage - and must even reject their true love - or else their family will disown them. To Western audiences, it seems distasteful, but the film acknowledges that it's a complex and long held practice that many immigrant families believe is the best way to find their children a partner.
The trouble with the movie is that much of it feels like a sitcom. The editing is far too rapid. It hurt my eyes. Not much happens in the film. It's not at all a demanding movie. It's not that funny and it doesn't take any risks. Which makes it a pretty standard romantic comedy, but not an exceptional one..
The trouble with the movie is that much of it feels like a sitcom. The editing is far too rapid. It hurt my eyes. Not much happens in the film. It's not at all a demanding movie. It's not that funny and it doesn't take any risks. Which makes it a pretty standard romantic comedy, but not an exceptional one..
The Big Sick is a cute story about the sacrifices between family traditions and significant others
RforFilm18 July 2017
What's more important? Your significant other or your family? That can be a challenging question when it comes to your development as a human being. While it doesn't say much about you and how you react to people, it certainly says something about their personality. Should they side with their lover, then they are willing to dodge bullets and rarely care about the opinions of other people. If they chose family, then they have a lot of beliefs in classic values don't want to lose a possible safety net from their parents.
As a white guy from a middle class family, I already have to process my thoughts if I'm going to go against my parents. I can't imagine how much harder that has to be for those from backgrounds with thicker backgrounds. A good friend of mine is marrying into a Mexican-catholic family despite being nonreligious. He's told me that it's taken him a while to win over his brides family and to be accepted into their traditions. Another friend of mine married an African-American, despite some resistance from his family. Today, I know them as one of the most loving families around. The Big Sick examines love and conflicting with traditions.
Uber driver Kumail (played by Kumail Nanjiani) is an aspiring stand up comedian who is on the verge of acquiring his big break by possibly getting a spot in a popular Canadian comedy festival. He also does a one person play about his experience of growing up in Pakistan and the U.S.A. and how he's adopted the American way of living, despite his family staying safe within their Pakistan values. This includes weekly dinners where his parents keep trying to set him up with potential women from Pakistan to lead into an arraigned marriage. This changes during one of his shows when a heckler stops his show.
Aspiring therapist Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) talks to Kumail about his act and the two end up going home. Though they keep claiming they won't do it again, it leads them to date (without Kumail's parents knowing of course). After a fight and her walking out, Kumail gets a phone call about her in the hospital. He agrees with the doctor to put her in a medical induced coma and uses her phone to contact her parents. Her father Terry (played by Ray Romano) and mother Beth (played by Holly Hunter) arrive as the two and Kumail try to help them deal with their daughter. The Big Sick happens to not only be very cute, but this is a nice examination at these kinds of relationships. You usually don't see many interracial kinships (with the exception of this years Get Out), but this one examines a lot of the complications that arise from both families opinions to between the lovers. It even manages to subvert a lot of tropes you typically find in these romance comedies, like how the couple has their "blowout" much earlier, which only makes the situation even more complicated if she recovers.
The main star and scriptwriter, Kumail Nanjuani, clearly has based this off of his experiences (just wait for the end credits). He knows how to juggle the balance of what probably happened and which moments were exaggerated. He also understands just how much he can hurt his family and how high the consequences were. Though his performance as himself was good, the bigger surprise comes from both Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, both actors I haven't seen in a while. If you think Romano is just repeating his character from Everybody Loves Raymond, then you'll be in for a surprise by how sincere his character is. While I can't spoil the best parts, I can be sure he may have earned himself an Oscar nomination.
The Big Sick also dwells into stand up comedy, which is rarely done on film, into new territory I haven't seen. While most deal with trying to be funny, this one seems to care about how much storytelling is involved. As someone whose done some stand up, I can say that the film is accurate and honest about how hard it is to get noticed. While we're not all trying to get on Saturday Night Live, we at least have different perspectives that are worth addressing.
I'll give this ten stuffed giraffes out of ten. I was taken aback with how much I liked this and hope that a lot of people realize that all kinds of love are worth talking about. The biggest sacrifice you can make depends on what you value, and I hope that this movie can help. I can definitely recommend The Big Sick.
As a white guy from a middle class family, I already have to process my thoughts if I'm going to go against my parents. I can't imagine how much harder that has to be for those from backgrounds with thicker backgrounds. A good friend of mine is marrying into a Mexican-catholic family despite being nonreligious. He's told me that it's taken him a while to win over his brides family and to be accepted into their traditions. Another friend of mine married an African-American, despite some resistance from his family. Today, I know them as one of the most loving families around. The Big Sick examines love and conflicting with traditions.
Uber driver Kumail (played by Kumail Nanjiani) is an aspiring stand up comedian who is on the verge of acquiring his big break by possibly getting a spot in a popular Canadian comedy festival. He also does a one person play about his experience of growing up in Pakistan and the U.S.A. and how he's adopted the American way of living, despite his family staying safe within their Pakistan values. This includes weekly dinners where his parents keep trying to set him up with potential women from Pakistan to lead into an arraigned marriage. This changes during one of his shows when a heckler stops his show.
Aspiring therapist Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) talks to Kumail about his act and the two end up going home. Though they keep claiming they won't do it again, it leads them to date (without Kumail's parents knowing of course). After a fight and her walking out, Kumail gets a phone call about her in the hospital. He agrees with the doctor to put her in a medical induced coma and uses her phone to contact her parents. Her father Terry (played by Ray Romano) and mother Beth (played by Holly Hunter) arrive as the two and Kumail try to help them deal with their daughter. The Big Sick happens to not only be very cute, but this is a nice examination at these kinds of relationships. You usually don't see many interracial kinships (with the exception of this years Get Out), but this one examines a lot of the complications that arise from both families opinions to between the lovers. It even manages to subvert a lot of tropes you typically find in these romance comedies, like how the couple has their "blowout" much earlier, which only makes the situation even more complicated if she recovers.
The main star and scriptwriter, Kumail Nanjuani, clearly has based this off of his experiences (just wait for the end credits). He knows how to juggle the balance of what probably happened and which moments were exaggerated. He also understands just how much he can hurt his family and how high the consequences were. Though his performance as himself was good, the bigger surprise comes from both Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, both actors I haven't seen in a while. If you think Romano is just repeating his character from Everybody Loves Raymond, then you'll be in for a surprise by how sincere his character is. While I can't spoil the best parts, I can be sure he may have earned himself an Oscar nomination.
The Big Sick also dwells into stand up comedy, which is rarely done on film, into new territory I haven't seen. While most deal with trying to be funny, this one seems to care about how much storytelling is involved. As someone whose done some stand up, I can say that the film is accurate and honest about how hard it is to get noticed. While we're not all trying to get on Saturday Night Live, we at least have different perspectives that are worth addressing.
I'll give this ten stuffed giraffes out of ten. I was taken aback with how much I liked this and hope that a lot of people realize that all kinds of love are worth talking about. The biggest sacrifice you can make depends on what you value, and I hope that this movie can help. I can definitely recommend The Big Sick.
The best Judd-Apatow-produced rom-com ever.
JohnDeSando18 July 2017
Not every indie comedy can buffet jokes about The X-Files and ISIS in practically the same breath, but director Michael Showalter does it with understated ease in The Big Sick. Be prepared to chuckle a bit over the pop-cult references and weep a bit over the heroine's hospitalization. Also be prepared to laugh about arranged marriages, Pakistani style, and a meet-cute that doesn't always bring a smile.
The anchor of this layered comedy is Kumail Nanjiani, not only a subtly smooth stand-up comedian but also a handsome leading man, whose low-key approach to ambition and love puts him in the pantheon of heroes who are believable, self-effacing, and charming. The story is built around his courtship of Emily (Zoe Kazan) based on his wife, Emily V, Gordon, who is co-writer of this warm, sentimental and ultimately realistic screenplay.
Perhaps that realism is just what so endeared me to this dramedy because it fairly depicts the humor of competing cultures and the strains of everyday life in stand-up comedy Chicago and the world. Yet, it is lighthearted rather than grim, with comic toss-off lines that beg for a return to the film to enjoy the ones you may have missed.
You may also return to see the star turns of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents, Beth and Terry. The two pros can jump from flip to serious in a flash. They alone are a whole film experience wrapped in another film.
The Big Sick is more mood and tone than plot, a quiet reflection of the complicated lives that face more than decisions about sleeping around or telling your family all about your life. Although you may have experienced the cute lover suddenly rushed to hospital in countless other rom-coms, producer Judd Apatow has made sure you will laugh as you enjoy his iconic comedies, now in a higher form than ever, and wax philosophical at the slings and arrows of love in different cultures.
The anchor of this layered comedy is Kumail Nanjiani, not only a subtly smooth stand-up comedian but also a handsome leading man, whose low-key approach to ambition and love puts him in the pantheon of heroes who are believable, self-effacing, and charming. The story is built around his courtship of Emily (Zoe Kazan) based on his wife, Emily V, Gordon, who is co-writer of this warm, sentimental and ultimately realistic screenplay.
Perhaps that realism is just what so endeared me to this dramedy because it fairly depicts the humor of competing cultures and the strains of everyday life in stand-up comedy Chicago and the world. Yet, it is lighthearted rather than grim, with comic toss-off lines that beg for a return to the film to enjoy the ones you may have missed.
You may also return to see the star turns of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents, Beth and Terry. The two pros can jump from flip to serious in a flash. They alone are a whole film experience wrapped in another film.
The Big Sick is more mood and tone than plot, a quiet reflection of the complicated lives that face more than decisions about sleeping around or telling your family all about your life. Although you may have experienced the cute lover suddenly rushed to hospital in countless other rom-coms, producer Judd Apatow has made sure you will laugh as you enjoy his iconic comedies, now in a higher form than ever, and wax philosophical at the slings and arrows of love in different cultures.
Another boring and predictable love story, this time with a Pakistani person in it.
deathiscoming-18 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
To paraphrase the leading actress of the movie, "You know that yawning thing that happens when you watch a really boring film? That happened." A lot.
Like a sociopathic child dragging it's torn and half eaten teddy, I too was dragged along to see this movie by my significant other, whose depiction of the film was roughly of "a struggle for acceptance by an interracial couple in the west." Unfortunately, this film was only barely that.
Yes, he is Pakistani. Yes, he is in a not-so-hot interracial relationship. Yes, he seems to be rebelling against the stereotypical beard wearing, head bobbing, rice eating, Urdu speaking family he appears to be a member of, but the depiction seem to stop there.
Firstly, the acting, like watching Bruce Forsyth perv on the dancing on ice girls, was just barely tolerable through all the cringe worthiness and specifically the casting of Zoe Kazan was just plain wrong. I really didn't enjoy watching her; she can barely deliver dialogue, she looked awkward and gaunt the whole time (even when she was well) and there was no chemistry on screen with either Kumail or her on-screen parents. The argumentative scenes were poorly dialogued and seemed too hyperbolic and forced and just showed what an awful actor she is.
Coming onto the story itself, it's basically a story of a Pakistani stand-up comedian whose white girlfriend falls sick, gets better and then everyone is happy - with very little of interest in between. The pathetic little in-depth exploration of cultural differences and intra-customary variations were only ever skid marks on the undies of revelation and portrayed as quippy stereotypes and cheap gags. For example *Pakistani accent* "why don't you grow a beard like your brother" and "oh, Mrs 'whoever' was just driving by and dropped in" (don't forget to roll the R's). Additionally, every brown character in the movie seemed to have a Pakistani accent despite them telling us some were USA born and bred - again this points to the forced and farcical nature of the approach to humour in the movie.
Furthermore, if you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know I detest medical inconsistencies in movies. I'm sorry but one minute Emily has a chest infection (for which she would have received some anti-inflammatories at some point - I'll come onto why this is important in a minute) and the next minute she's so unwell she's materialised five jargon jabbering Jar Jar Binks style doctors and needs urgent surgery (for god knows what - she had no indication a second ago of empyema/pleural effusion etc and I'm sorry but I've not really heard of just cutting an infection out of someone's lung, even TB isn't managed like that these days!) Then hey presto, Dr House obviously came along and matched the swollen ankle tid-bit from earlier with her apparent "inconclusive biopsy" (again - Huh?) and came up with Adult Onset Still's Disease. Her condition then rapidly improved the minute they gave her some anti-inflammatories - which dare I say she would have got in the ER the minute she walked through the door for her apparent chest infection, so, none of this medical mumbo-jumbo would have happened anyway! Really, if they wanted me to care about her medical condition they should have focused and put some effort into getting the details accurate, because apparently it may actually have happened exactly like that, if this movie really was based on a true story.
However, regardless if the medicine was accurate or depicted well, like an impending meteor the rubbish that ensued whilst Emily was unconscious had already sealed this movie's fate. An obligatory 9-11 related scene could never go amiss here, the bombing out on stage (excuse the pun), the pointless screaming at a PA system over 4 slices of cheese and the overall boring conversations just left me feeling sleepy. I have no idea why the story then suddenly waffled on about Emily's parent's marital issues - what on earth did that have to do with the price of chips?
Overall, this movie picked a great topic to explore but failed miserably at exploring it. The focus here should have been on delving into Pakistani culture, how the second generation are adapting it into Western Culture and how both generations are dealing with this paradigm shift. This should have been a film about Kumail's and Emily's parents bonding and accepting each other's cultures through the eyes of their children, especially as Emily battles for her life. This could have been a movie about the younger American-Indian/Pakistani/whatever generation teaching the older generations of their identity struggle, how they strive to fit into both worlds and how the older generation need to change to be more accepting of this brave new world. Yet, instead this was a film about cheesy quips, borderline racist stereotypes and just the usual white people issues and pointless yelling, boiling down to just being another boring chick-flick type romance movie with some basic comedic moments.
Watch Bend It Like Beckham, East is East, Marigold Hotel or even Bride and Prejudice *sigh* if you expect more exploration of cultural differences. This is barely watchable. 6/10 as the funny bits are funny.
Like a sociopathic child dragging it's torn and half eaten teddy, I too was dragged along to see this movie by my significant other, whose depiction of the film was roughly of "a struggle for acceptance by an interracial couple in the west." Unfortunately, this film was only barely that.
Yes, he is Pakistani. Yes, he is in a not-so-hot interracial relationship. Yes, he seems to be rebelling against the stereotypical beard wearing, head bobbing, rice eating, Urdu speaking family he appears to be a member of, but the depiction seem to stop there.
Firstly, the acting, like watching Bruce Forsyth perv on the dancing on ice girls, was just barely tolerable through all the cringe worthiness and specifically the casting of Zoe Kazan was just plain wrong. I really didn't enjoy watching her; she can barely deliver dialogue, she looked awkward and gaunt the whole time (even when she was well) and there was no chemistry on screen with either Kumail or her on-screen parents. The argumentative scenes were poorly dialogued and seemed too hyperbolic and forced and just showed what an awful actor she is.
Coming onto the story itself, it's basically a story of a Pakistani stand-up comedian whose white girlfriend falls sick, gets better and then everyone is happy - with very little of interest in between. The pathetic little in-depth exploration of cultural differences and intra-customary variations were only ever skid marks on the undies of revelation and portrayed as quippy stereotypes and cheap gags. For example *Pakistani accent* "why don't you grow a beard like your brother" and "oh, Mrs 'whoever' was just driving by and dropped in" (don't forget to roll the R's). Additionally, every brown character in the movie seemed to have a Pakistani accent despite them telling us some were USA born and bred - again this points to the forced and farcical nature of the approach to humour in the movie.
Furthermore, if you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know I detest medical inconsistencies in movies. I'm sorry but one minute Emily has a chest infection (for which she would have received some anti-inflammatories at some point - I'll come onto why this is important in a minute) and the next minute she's so unwell she's materialised five jargon jabbering Jar Jar Binks style doctors and needs urgent surgery (for god knows what - she had no indication a second ago of empyema/pleural effusion etc and I'm sorry but I've not really heard of just cutting an infection out of someone's lung, even TB isn't managed like that these days!) Then hey presto, Dr House obviously came along and matched the swollen ankle tid-bit from earlier with her apparent "inconclusive biopsy" (again - Huh?) and came up with Adult Onset Still's Disease. Her condition then rapidly improved the minute they gave her some anti-inflammatories - which dare I say she would have got in the ER the minute she walked through the door for her apparent chest infection, so, none of this medical mumbo-jumbo would have happened anyway! Really, if they wanted me to care about her medical condition they should have focused and put some effort into getting the details accurate, because apparently it may actually have happened exactly like that, if this movie really was based on a true story.
However, regardless if the medicine was accurate or depicted well, like an impending meteor the rubbish that ensued whilst Emily was unconscious had already sealed this movie's fate. An obligatory 9-11 related scene could never go amiss here, the bombing out on stage (excuse the pun), the pointless screaming at a PA system over 4 slices of cheese and the overall boring conversations just left me feeling sleepy. I have no idea why the story then suddenly waffled on about Emily's parent's marital issues - what on earth did that have to do with the price of chips?
Overall, this movie picked a great topic to explore but failed miserably at exploring it. The focus here should have been on delving into Pakistani culture, how the second generation are adapting it into Western Culture and how both generations are dealing with this paradigm shift. This should have been a film about Kumail's and Emily's parents bonding and accepting each other's cultures through the eyes of their children, especially as Emily battles for her life. This could have been a movie about the younger American-Indian/Pakistani/whatever generation teaching the older generations of their identity struggle, how they strive to fit into both worlds and how the older generation need to change to be more accepting of this brave new world. Yet, instead this was a film about cheesy quips, borderline racist stereotypes and just the usual white people issues and pointless yelling, boiling down to just being another boring chick-flick type romance movie with some basic comedic moments.
Watch Bend It Like Beckham, East is East, Marigold Hotel or even Bride and Prejudice *sigh* if you expect more exploration of cultural differences. This is barely watchable. 6/10 as the funny bits are funny.
I thought it would be good....it was GREAT!
ejones122315 July 2017
I know, I know 10 out of 10 is A LOT. However I'm not sure how they could top what they have here. Perhaps make it a little longer?? I NEVER leave reviews but I just laughed so hard I started snorting and couldn't stop for a bit! So did a few others in my row! I think that means something. There were so many times were I was laughing hard enough to cry and where I was smiling from the joy on the screen. Don't get me wrong, it's not all roses and whiskey....but it's def a movie I think everyone should see for a myriad of reasons. I'm so glad this movie was made and that my friend suggested we see it yesterday! I know you'll enjoy it so...You're welcome!
"Help! My Ex Put Me in a Coma!"
Kamurai2523 July 2020
Good watch, probably won't watch again, but can recommend if you can handle a medical emergency adventure.
If you've seen "A Fault in Our Stars", this has a similar vibe for a lot of it.
I'm a fan of Kumail Nanjiani, and I like Emily Gordon more, I'm honestly a little disappointed she didn't star in her own story, but I understand her reasons. Zoe Kazan, Ray Ramono and Holly Hunter are great in this, they all felt very natural.
Now, I know Kumail is the lead, and a good portion of the story focuses on family nonsense, but (even though she's in a coma for a lot of it) Emily is equally a star in the story. That's what this is about, because it's (pretty much) a true story of two people coming together to form one life, and it is SO personal....so very personal. I almost think Kumail wanted to make the movie just so he could stop telling the (rather long) story in person, "Just go watch the movie."
I know that a lot of it is just truth, but the adaptive writing for this is excellent, the structure keeps a well balanced pace between all the events happening, we have (lots) of loss and (powerful) gains. There is even a good bit of comedy worked into the story, but it is hard to handle the heavy weight of Emily's medical story. It might be affecting more due to the timing of it in my life, but, regardless, it's there. It doesn't make for the most upbeat experience.
Emily, obviously, makes a recovery as it happened in real life, and now Kumail has a movie to remind her that he saved her life *eye roll*.
The end is very uplifting, and sometimes it is nice to see a piece of history on screen, but do be aware that is what this is, for the most part.
If you've seen "A Fault in Our Stars", this has a similar vibe for a lot of it.
I'm a fan of Kumail Nanjiani, and I like Emily Gordon more, I'm honestly a little disappointed she didn't star in her own story, but I understand her reasons. Zoe Kazan, Ray Ramono and Holly Hunter are great in this, they all felt very natural.
Now, I know Kumail is the lead, and a good portion of the story focuses on family nonsense, but (even though she's in a coma for a lot of it) Emily is equally a star in the story. That's what this is about, because it's (pretty much) a true story of two people coming together to form one life, and it is SO personal....so very personal. I almost think Kumail wanted to make the movie just so he could stop telling the (rather long) story in person, "Just go watch the movie."
I know that a lot of it is just truth, but the adaptive writing for this is excellent, the structure keeps a well balanced pace between all the events happening, we have (lots) of loss and (powerful) gains. There is even a good bit of comedy worked into the story, but it is hard to handle the heavy weight of Emily's medical story. It might be affecting more due to the timing of it in my life, but, regardless, it's there. It doesn't make for the most upbeat experience.
Emily, obviously, makes a recovery as it happened in real life, and now Kumail has a movie to remind her that he saved her life *eye roll*.
The end is very uplifting, and sometimes it is nice to see a piece of history on screen, but do be aware that is what this is, for the most part.
I loved it!
spencer-397897 July 2017
I just loved this movie. Its billed as a comedy and I did laugh out loud frequently but it is also a touching drama of relationship and illness and the quintessential American story of the immigrant family's son and the white bread girlfriend. It had a very sweet touch, mixing the comedy and drama. Ray Romano was fantastic as the father of the girlfriend and I also really liked the girl, Zoe Kazan. Sorry, this isn't much of a review except to say that it was really very good!
It Is Not A Comedy
dgjones-6225819 January 2021
A lot of recent reviews have slated this movie for not being funny, well, it's not a comedy or a romcom. It's a drama and a reasonably good one.
I did like how the cultural 'issues' were handled regarding a man of Pakistani heritage in America.
The production values are good, as is the acting. The script should have been a bit tighter but it did pack an emotional impact.
If you are looking for a comedy check out East Is East.
I did like how the cultural 'issues' were handled regarding a man of Pakistani heritage in America.
The production values are good, as is the acting. The script should have been a bit tighter but it did pack an emotional impact.
If you are looking for a comedy check out East Is East.
Predictable and not very funny
rubenm14 August 2017
Pakistani-born actor and stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani has made a film about his own experiences dating a non-Pakistani girl. His family members didn't accept the fact that he loved his girlfriend, and kept on setting up dates with Pakistani girls, as is the custom in that country.
Instead of a drama about the consequences of these culture clashes, Nanjiani made a lighthearted film, following the classic screenplay structure of the romantic comedy. Boy meets girl, falls in love, has to overcome all kinds of setbacks and problems, is rejected by the girl, but keeps on trying, and ultimately succeeds in winning her love. Everything is so predictable that the jokes must be really good to make up for the unimaginative screenplay.
Unfortunately, they're not. I counted one really good joke (about 9/11) and a handful in the category 'not bad'. But overall, this movie lacks the wit and humour that you'd expect from a film that was praised at Sundance. The jokes are flat and the running gags, like the endless parade of Pakistani marriage candidates, are boring.
So, the film is predictable and not very funny. That wouldn't have mattered if Nanjiani had turned his own experiences in a really heartfelt drama about how in some immigrant communities traditional parents try to arrange marriages for their unwilling offspring. And how this can lead to devastating consequences, like parents disowning their children. In 'The Big Sick', this fact is presented in the offhand manner which of course is typical for comedies.
The theme of arranged marriages in immigrant communities made me think of the excellent German/Turkish movie about this subject, 'When we leave'. That film was like a punch in the stomach. 'The Big Sick' is like listening to someone trying in vain to be funny.
There is only one thing I really liked in this film: Holly Hunter's part as the mother of Nanjiani's love interest. The way she completely played everyone else off the screen, for example with a wonderful and completely unexpected outburst of grief-induced anger, was absolutely great.
Instead of a drama about the consequences of these culture clashes, Nanjiani made a lighthearted film, following the classic screenplay structure of the romantic comedy. Boy meets girl, falls in love, has to overcome all kinds of setbacks and problems, is rejected by the girl, but keeps on trying, and ultimately succeeds in winning her love. Everything is so predictable that the jokes must be really good to make up for the unimaginative screenplay.
Unfortunately, they're not. I counted one really good joke (about 9/11) and a handful in the category 'not bad'. But overall, this movie lacks the wit and humour that you'd expect from a film that was praised at Sundance. The jokes are flat and the running gags, like the endless parade of Pakistani marriage candidates, are boring.
So, the film is predictable and not very funny. That wouldn't have mattered if Nanjiani had turned his own experiences in a really heartfelt drama about how in some immigrant communities traditional parents try to arrange marriages for their unwilling offspring. And how this can lead to devastating consequences, like parents disowning their children. In 'The Big Sick', this fact is presented in the offhand manner which of course is typical for comedies.
The theme of arranged marriages in immigrant communities made me think of the excellent German/Turkish movie about this subject, 'When we leave'. That film was like a punch in the stomach. 'The Big Sick' is like listening to someone trying in vain to be funny.
There is only one thing I really liked in this film: Holly Hunter's part as the mother of Nanjiani's love interest. The way she completely played everyone else off the screen, for example with a wonderful and completely unexpected outburst of grief-induced anger, was absolutely great.
A Big Winner!
namashi_12 July 2017
'The Big Sick' is pure cinematic bliss. This Heartwarming True-Story is told in a Unadultrated, Simple & Emotionally Empowering way, that leaves you wanting for more.
'The Big Sick' is based on the real courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and his now-wife, Emily Gordon. Kumail's traditional Pakistani Muslim family is unhappy with his relationship with Emily, a White American. When Emily is waylaid by a mysterious illness, Kumail must take charge of the crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry, whom he barely knows.
'The Big Sick' is an overwhelming experience, that left me with a big smile on my face. Its beautiful love-story, with the backdrop of two diverse families, from two extreme ends of the world. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon re-tell their heartwarming, albeit intense journey, with pure skill. The two successfully capture their real life experiences & nurture into a terrific cinematic experience. The Writing is top-notch & offers a realistic take on different religions, without ever taking sides. Such Writing deserves an Oscar Nomination. Michael Showalter's Direction is simplistic, yet wonderful. Cinematography & Editing are effectively done. Art & Costume Design are perfect.
Performance-Wise: Kumail Nanjiani is wonderfully restrained, delivering a performance driven by pure feeling. Zoe Kazan as Emily, is extraordinary. Although she gets limited screen time in comparison to the others, the actress leaves a solid mark. Ray Romano & Holly Hunter, as Emily's parents, are flawless. What Performers! Anupam Kher as Kumail's Father & Adeel Akhtar's as Kumail's brother, are excellent. Bo Burnham & Kurt Braunohler shine as Kumail's fellow stand-up mates. Others lend support.
On the whole, 'The Big Sick' is an Unmissable Gem. Two Big Thumbs Up!
'The Big Sick' is based on the real courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and his now-wife, Emily Gordon. Kumail's traditional Pakistani Muslim family is unhappy with his relationship with Emily, a White American. When Emily is waylaid by a mysterious illness, Kumail must take charge of the crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry, whom he barely knows.
'The Big Sick' is an overwhelming experience, that left me with a big smile on my face. Its beautiful love-story, with the backdrop of two diverse families, from two extreme ends of the world. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon re-tell their heartwarming, albeit intense journey, with pure skill. The two successfully capture their real life experiences & nurture into a terrific cinematic experience. The Writing is top-notch & offers a realistic take on different religions, without ever taking sides. Such Writing deserves an Oscar Nomination. Michael Showalter's Direction is simplistic, yet wonderful. Cinematography & Editing are effectively done. Art & Costume Design are perfect.
Performance-Wise: Kumail Nanjiani is wonderfully restrained, delivering a performance driven by pure feeling. Zoe Kazan as Emily, is extraordinary. Although she gets limited screen time in comparison to the others, the actress leaves a solid mark. Ray Romano & Holly Hunter, as Emily's parents, are flawless. What Performers! Anupam Kher as Kumail's Father & Adeel Akhtar's as Kumail's brother, are excellent. Bo Burnham & Kurt Braunohler shine as Kumail's fellow stand-up mates. Others lend support.
On the whole, 'The Big Sick' is an Unmissable Gem. Two Big Thumbs Up!
With the right PR and word-of-mouth, "The Big Sick" could be a big hit for all involved.
ccorral4192 June 2017
Director Michael Showalter ("Hello My Name is Doris" - 2014) has found a terrific collaborative relationship with writer/star Kumail Nanjiani ("Silicon Valley") and writer/wife/actor Emily V. Gordon. Based (at least somewhat) on the real life romance of Kumail and Emily, a couple from different cultural backgrounds and traditions, this 'little film that could" garnered one of the biggest deals in Sundance Film Festival history. And, everything is right in this film, from the realistic writing, a storyline filled with plausible surprises, to the terrific casting of the honest Zoe Kazan "Emily," Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents, Aidy Bryant (SNL), Bo Burnham ("Zack Stone is Gonna Be Famous") and Kurt Braunohler as Kumail's comedy buddies, to the equally great and ethnically packed cast featuring Anupam Kher ("Silver Lining Playbook"), Zenobia Sheriff, Adeel Akhtar ("The Dictator") and Shenaz Treasury as Kumail's lovable family, along with a slue of terrific female mates for Kumail to marry. David Alan Greir even appears for a few brief scenes as the comedy store MC. The feel of this film is right in line with "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Way Way Back," leaving the audience with a feel good feeling at the films conclusion. Films like this, much like Melissa McCarthy's "Nobodies" TV show, are filling the screen with a great group of stand- up/comedy actors that help cement the production in reliability and truth. With the right PR and word-of-mouth, "The Big Sick" could be a big hit for all involved.
I liked it
MauryMickelwhite22 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I really like Kumail Nanjiani so I'm happy to see his success. I'm even happier to see a funny, entertaining, and completely mainstream movie about a Muslim family. Their struggle to embrace their adopted country while maintaining a connection to their culture is presented with the same normalcy as the Greek family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding or as pretty much any movie dealing with Italian-American families.
(Note to the Merica crowd. It is not un-American to maintain the culture of your birth country. When my friend was naturalized, the judge encouraged all of the new citizens to maintain their culture.)
Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan are so charming that they make the dialog, which is writerly, believable. The arbitrary rules they place on their developing relationship offer humorous RomCom barriers but mask the underlying, more serious cultural barriers that separate them: religion, arranged marriages, and the actual choice between having a relationship or a family.
I have a major problem with this movie though. This is the somewhat true story of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's courtship, but in their story, they had not broken up when she became ill. I do like the idea that cultural barriers led to a midpoint breakup and I like the idea that Nanjiani processes and overcomes his personal issues while she is in a medically induced coma. This sets up a perfect climax (his conflict is resolved but she wakes up still angry) and dénouement (he proves his love so her anger subsided.) But this is all weakened by the fact that they hadn't simply had an argument; they had fully broken up and moved on. Had the movie not presented a time-goes-on montage, complete with a one-night stand, and let the illness arrive at a point in which their break-up might have only been temporary, then what follows might have been more powerful and believable.
The most interesting relationships are between Nanjiani and the two sets of parents. With his parents, we get the damaged relationship that will be healed. With her parents, we get an almost perfect RomCom relationship in which they start out disliking each other and, through actions and interactions, grow to love one another."
(Note to the Merica crowd. It is not un-American to maintain the culture of your birth country. When my friend was naturalized, the judge encouraged all of the new citizens to maintain their culture.)
Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan are so charming that they make the dialog, which is writerly, believable. The arbitrary rules they place on their developing relationship offer humorous RomCom barriers but mask the underlying, more serious cultural barriers that separate them: religion, arranged marriages, and the actual choice between having a relationship or a family.
I have a major problem with this movie though. This is the somewhat true story of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's courtship, but in their story, they had not broken up when she became ill. I do like the idea that cultural barriers led to a midpoint breakup and I like the idea that Nanjiani processes and overcomes his personal issues while she is in a medically induced coma. This sets up a perfect climax (his conflict is resolved but she wakes up still angry) and dénouement (he proves his love so her anger subsided.) But this is all weakened by the fact that they hadn't simply had an argument; they had fully broken up and moved on. Had the movie not presented a time-goes-on montage, complete with a one-night stand, and let the illness arrive at a point in which their break-up might have only been temporary, then what follows might have been more powerful and believable.
The most interesting relationships are between Nanjiani and the two sets of parents. With his parents, we get the damaged relationship that will be healed. With her parents, we get an almost perfect RomCom relationship in which they start out disliking each other and, through actions and interactions, grow to love one another."
Coma luv.
js-6613012 July 2017
Halfway through this syrupy, heartwarming gushfest, Pakistani boyfriend wannabe tells an edgy 9/11 joke to the very white American father of his comatose love interest: "tragic, we lost 19 of our best men". Silence. There's enough of these gloriously awkward moments in "The Big Sick", to bring much needed levity to the very tired romcom Hollywood game.
Maybe because it's based on the pretty crazy life experiences of comedian Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick" resonates better than most cookie cutter plots. Sure there's sparks, joy, conflict, and tears, but there's also religion, racism, and history. Best of all, there's great chemistry between the leads and the various convoluted familial web players.
Plus Holly Hunter. Yup, Holly Hunter is in this, and of course, she is fabulous. Almost steals the movie. Almost. In fact all the performances are great, including several juicy supporting roles.
Nothing can get in the way of Kumail and Emily's fabulous love story. Hilarious, charming, and sneaky smart.
Maybe because it's based on the pretty crazy life experiences of comedian Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick" resonates better than most cookie cutter plots. Sure there's sparks, joy, conflict, and tears, but there's also religion, racism, and history. Best of all, there's great chemistry between the leads and the various convoluted familial web players.
Plus Holly Hunter. Yup, Holly Hunter is in this, and of course, she is fabulous. Almost steals the movie. Almost. In fact all the performances are great, including several juicy supporting roles.
Nothing can get in the way of Kumail and Emily's fabulous love story. Hilarious, charming, and sneaky smart.
Neither Very Romantic Nor Very Funny
gmj-000165 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
My basic problem with this movie is that I was never convinced that the movie's Romeo was ever truly in love with his Juliet. He liked her and did not want her to die but, until she was on her deathbed, he easily found acceptable replacements. The cultural conflict with the hero's parents was only mildly interesting since it was obvious that the family had no choice but to accept whoever the son brought home. In my view, the film was okay to watch if one had nothing better to do on a rainy day.
Romantic comedy, hilarious but also deeply poignant
PotassiumMan1 July 2017
This film depicts a couple's challenge in grappling with the cultural differences of their Pakistani and white American families in this portrayal of the protagonist's real-life relationship. Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan are wonderful in their respective performances as the couple that gradually weaves together an amazing story. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are equally splendid as the parents of the girlfriend. In fact, there are no weak links in the cast.
It's a film that goes from being a diverting portrayal of the life of a stand-up comic to a romance story to an allegory on overcoming cultural barriers in the United States. The tonal shifts might seem extreme at first, but they gradually cement a powerful narrative that makes for a lot of laughs but also becomes bittersweet and endearing without resorting to a hint of sentimentality.
The film takes on a new form when the girlfriend is beset with a severe illness. From there, the comedy aspect gradually becomes something of a supporting part to a deeper character study and exploration of family and cultural pressures even in the face of unanticipated grave events. You will laugh, you will be close to tears and you might engage in your own introspection after watching this film. Brilliantly written and beautifully acted, this one is from the heart. Recommended to the highest degree.
It's a film that goes from being a diverting portrayal of the life of a stand-up comic to a romance story to an allegory on overcoming cultural barriers in the United States. The tonal shifts might seem extreme at first, but they gradually cement a powerful narrative that makes for a lot of laughs but also becomes bittersweet and endearing without resorting to a hint of sentimentality.
The film takes on a new form when the girlfriend is beset with a severe illness. From there, the comedy aspect gradually becomes something of a supporting part to a deeper character study and exploration of family and cultural pressures even in the face of unanticipated grave events. You will laugh, you will be close to tears and you might engage in your own introspection after watching this film. Brilliantly written and beautifully acted, this one is from the heart. Recommended to the highest degree.
It may be romantic, but not funny
WatchedAllMovies23 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is supposed to be a romantic comedy about a standup comedian.
None of the jokes in the movies are funny. There are plenty of materials in the movie itself to joke about, like how the mother tries to set him up with different women. But it was never exploited.
The first exchange between the two main characters is not funny. It was the comedian berating the woman. And this "joke" is repeated again near the end. Some comedians berate and insult the audience and think it's funny. It's like high school prank. Better comedians find humor without the insults, or they make fun of a distance 3rd party or themselves.
The successful part of the movie is the story about the emotion and relationship. The comedic part fell short.
None of the jokes in the movies are funny. There are plenty of materials in the movie itself to joke about, like how the mother tries to set him up with different women. But it was never exploited.
The first exchange between the two main characters is not funny. It was the comedian berating the woman. And this "joke" is repeated again near the end. Some comedians berate and insult the audience and think it's funny. It's like high school prank. Better comedians find humor without the insults, or they make fun of a distance 3rd party or themselves.
The successful part of the movie is the story about the emotion and relationship. The comedic part fell short.
The Big Sick
cultfilmfan18 July 2017
I think that it can be safely said that pulling off a great, or even a good comedy takes a lot of talent and a lot of hard work because you not only have to appeal to a small base, but in order to make a successful film work, usually it has to be fairly accessible and you have to have strengths within the film to propel it along such as great comedic delivery by your actors as well as having a razor sharp script, or a least a script that knows how to both tell a good story and yet be very humorous in the meantime. There have been many great comedic films over the decades and some would probably fall into my own brand of comedy that I personally favour which would tend to be a bit drier, or have a least some kind of observational, or even neurotic, or self deprecating humour involved in it. Unfortunately a lot of the comedies today, or at least what is considered to be on everybody's radar, or considered "the next big thing" usually escapes me as today's sitcoms on television I can't stand and it leaves me missing the great comedic legends such as the television productions of Norman Lear in the 1970's such as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times and One Day at a Time. These were shows that knew how to tell a good story, were downright hilarious at times and also what I think was really fascinating was how those shows captured both the mood and events of the times that they were portraying. Such as political opinions, racial attitudes, poverty and the list goes on and on. I wish today's shows and movies too would learn, or take a page from these old shows and make a biting yet fascinating look at today's world and the events going on instead of just endless jokes involving profanity, scatological humour, or things involving, or around perversity. This new film, The Big Sick proves to be the new reigning champion in today's comedy film because it works so successfully on a number of different levels. It accomplishes the task of being a comedy because it is at times very funny and there were several laugh out loud moments during the film and also some small moments where I laughed inwardly and probably had a big smile on my face. The film kept the crude jokes and language to a minimum (yes, they are still there, but not thankfully the main goal of the movie) and instead it uses these very witty jokes alongside telling a story that when you come right down to it is a story of great depth and a truly insightful and yet honest look at modern relationships and just love in general. The film tells a good comedic story and has lots of laughs, but yet it also pulls off the tricky balancing act of adding drama and even some sadness into the mix with this comedy and yet it all feels so natural and like these events could be going on in our very own lives (probably with a few variables here, or there), but the film successfully allows us not just to laugh at these characters, but also allows us to empathize and feel their sadness, joy, grief and a whole gamut of emotions throughout the course of the film's running time. The film is based on a true story of it's main star Kumail Nanjiani and he also co-wrote the film with his wife, Emily V. Gordon and we cheer for these two during the course of the film and even if we have a sneaking suspicion of how it will all turn out, it still allows for plenty of moments of both laughs and sometimes coming close to tears as well. The Big Sick also commendably shows relationships and finally gets the message across to audiences that today people truly do take relationships too flippantly where there really sometimes does need to be some effort involved and when we as people engage in one night stands, or brief affairs, is that really love, or does it just end up hurting us and making us all the more vulnerable in the end? We as people need to evaluate our relationships and what we think about love and what it truly means to have a healthy and functioning relationship. As with anything worthwhile this can take work and a fair bit of effort, but I think most people can tell you that the end result is worth it. The acting by the main stars and supporting are amongst the best if not the best performances by an ensemble cast I have seen so far this year and the writing by Gordon and Nanjiani has depth, laughs, sadness and true heart to it that not only makes it a true winner as a comedy, but in a range of different categories and one of the most perspective and yet also effective looks on relationships and love to come out in awhile. Truly one of this year's best films.
comedy + deep meaning of relationships of all kind
ayesh-malshika4 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The big sick is not the typical insert dick,cock,pussy, cocane in a random dialog
joke movie . it have some diffeernt vibe to it unlike typical comedy
it has this darkness attached to it it was more focused on
not how a person would feel when they are having a terible Disease its
about how it would effect the people who love the person and care for that person would
feel it grabs the general idea of how would a parent react and feel about his or her child's condition.
and the collision with Kumail and his family and tradition is very accurate for south Asians its the prime example
of the way they work .
at one point i didn't felt the comedy because the story line always contained this vibe of death to the girl
at the end no matter what happens now . however it turned out a fine movie that you can enjoyed very well .
it have good romance elements in it like it should have can rate 7.5/10 really liked it recommend you to watch it
Underwhelming
PeterSp128 July 2017
Went to see this with my wife and we both had the same impression - underwhelming particularly given the rave reviews this movie has received. At best, it was "cute" but it felt lightweight and as others have pointed out it was not particularly funny or romantic. I was disappointed in Kumail Nanjiani given how good his character (and portrayal) is in Silicon Valley. Here he came over as somewhat flat and in addition I found Zoe Kazan as Emily irritating. Not a horrible movie but kinda blah
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