YOU probably won’t see too many Hollywood movies with a Pakistani lead, but producers are constantly extending their search for new and original material, and in this case, we’re glad they did.Â
‘The Big Sick’ was written by, and stars, comedian Kumail Nanjiani, and tells the unlikely story of how he first encountered and fell in love with his wife, Emily.After they meet at one of Kumail’s comedy gigs, the couple grow steadily closer until one day Emily discovers a cigar box containing photographs of exotic women in Kumail’s apartment.Â
She logically presumes this to be his record of previous conquests, but we the audience know it’s simply the long list of Pakistani women Kumail’s mother has attempted to arrange for him to marry.Â
When the truth emerges that Kumail hasn’t told his parents about Emily, afraid of their reaction, this revelation leads to a break-up.Â
And when Kumail later learns that Emily is so sick she needs to be placed in an induced coma, he is forced to come to terms with his true feelings for her, and confront his family about their outdated beliefs and traditions.
Any film about a comedian offers plenty of opportunity for laughs as we watch them on stage and hopefully present their funniest material.Â
This, of course, is true here, but perhaps the funniest moments are reserved for the Nanjiani dinner table, when we get a glimpse into the life of arranged marriages.Â
Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) is charming and believable in a film that she sleeps through half of, and Nanjiani is so affable and witty as the lead, that it’s almost impossible not to fall for his dry sense of humour and appeal.Â
To complete a fine ensemble cast, Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are excellent as Emily’s concerned parents, as are Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff as Kumail’s interfering elders.Â
The comic elements are nicely balanced by the emotional depth, and with Judd Apatow in the mix as producer,
‘The Big Sick’ has all the ingredients needed to be a hit. We score it a fit and healthy, 4 out of 5 stars.
Paul O’Rourke  Â
