The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick is mostly just like any other entertaining romantic comedy. It's shtick is that it's about the discomfort and complications arising from an interracial romance between a Pakistani-American man and a white American woman. While that is interesting in itself as a piece that feels of the moment, the film doesn't rely on that and instead builds a fairly charming if familiar rom-com vibe of it's own.

The movie's story hangs together mostly due to the personalities of its leads Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan. Each basically play themselves and the charm comes from their cutely awkward interactions. The film isn't laugh out loud funny, it's more awe-shucks funny, the kind of film which will make you smile pleasantly more than guffaw.

There is a tonal shift when the film's main plot point (not spoiling it if you've seen the trailers) happens and Kazan's character becomes sick. The interaction between Nanjiani and her parents, played (also charmingly) by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, is equally enjoyable. In fact, the awkwardness outlined in the trailer isn't really the focus. The enjoyable part is watching them bond, not watching them have conflict.

In fact by the end of the film I wasn't sure if I was more interested in the love story or the bond between the boyfriend and the parents. It's all quite lovely and touches all the right buttons to be a crowd-pleaser. But I'm not sure The Big Sick ever reaches beyond that. It's story remains overtly accessible and affirming, never exploring a theme too complicated, never becoming more than just charming. The film almost seems to be braving a more fascinating ending but then veers back towards comfortable rom-com territory. So it's pretty much what you would expect from this genre and will be satisfying that familiar way.

The Big Sick
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Roy Romano, Adeel Aktar
Director: Michael Showalter
Writers: Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon