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****
Dir: Michael Showalter (15, 119 mins)
An initial culture clash romantic comedy turns into something far more resonant while not stinting on laughs in this excellent debut from writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V Gordon. It’s your classic Pakistani guy meets American girl who falls into a coma and based on Nanjiani and Gordon’s real-life relationship. Nanjiani stars as a stand-up comic who falls for a heckler played by Zoe Kazan who subsequently contracts a mysterious illness. She is induced into a coma and Nanjiani finds himself bonding with her parents, an excellent Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, as his own family try to force an arranged marriage on him. Sensitively played with some daring jokes about race, this has heart as well as humour with the film managing to balance the mawkish with mirth and subtle political statements. Michael Showalter’s direction allows the cast and script to shine with audience-pleasing results making The Big Sick not bleuurgh at all.
Out July 28