The Big Sick - DVD

Film: Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) dreams of a big career as a stand-up comedian. Yet he himself has quite little to laugh about at the moment. He still performs in small clubs without pay and earns a little money as an Uber driver. And when he's not worrying about money, his Pakistani family makes life difficult for him. They are so caught up in old traditions that they are desperate to arrange a marriage for Kumail and introduce him to a new marriageable candidate at every family dinner. But for the young comedian this is out of the question. He wants to fall in love normally - and that's exactly what happens to him one night after a performance when he meets Emily (Zoe Kazan). Although both are immediately attracted to each other, they still prefer to stay single. It's easier that way. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and so they become a couple after all. Too bad Emily is not at all what his family expects from a future wife.

It sounds a bit hackneyed by now, but The Big Sick makes it clear once again: life just writes the best stories. Because this great romantic comedy of a different kind is actually based on the true story of Kumail Nanjiani and - spoiler alert - his wife Emily. Admittedly, the family conflict was somewhat exaggerated for the cinematic treatment. But this works very well, as it adds an extra layer of conflict to the dramedy. As in real life, Emily became ill shortly after they met and fell into a coma. The fact that in the film, due to Kumail's family, they weren't actually a couple anymore at that moment, but he was still with her all the time, and thus also builds a special relationship with her parents - wonderfully played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter - adds an adorable, charming touch to the film.

In the US, The Big Sick quickly became an absolute critics' and audiences' favourite. The reason for this is quickly identified: this film simply makes you happy. The humor seems pleasantly fresh, the characters somehow very true to life, and the more dramatic moments come off without any form of kitsch or overused clichés. The script, written by Kumail and Emily themselves, is bursting with biting wordplay and heartwarming dialogue. The book, direction and actors bring characters to the screen that are incredibly fun to spend time with as an audience member and truly feel comfortable in their presence.

The Big Sick wraps itself around its audience like a comforting hug that you are reluctant to pull out of. It's a wonderful film that shows that you don't need big special effects, furious car stunts, or superheroes to deliver really great cinema. Sometimes a little story from real life is enough to give the audience the most beautiful romantic cinema tale of the year. Definitely worth seeing!

Image + Sound: There is nothing to complain about in the technical realization of the film. The very warm colouring as well as the good sharpness of detail ensure that the visual realisation leaves an all-round positive impression. Not unusual for a small comedy like this, the sound is rather restrained. Big surround moments shouldn't be expected. The dialogue and soundtrack are well-matched, however, so there's a satisfying good here as well.

Extras: A really good bonus package has been put together here. Things kick off with a very lively, entertaining and informative audio commentary by Kumal Nanjiani and his wife Emily, director Michael Showalter and producer Barry Mendel. The optional subtitled commentary is especially interesting whenever the couple reveals what really happened and what changes were made to the story for the film.

In addition to the commentary, there is a nice making of (approx. 14:10 min.), as well as a look at the Big Sick Comedy Tour (approx. 9:57 min.) with stand up performances by some of the cast. There could have been a bit more of that. Promo interviews with Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon (approx. 3:08 min.), Zoe Kazan (approx. 4:26 min.), Michael Showalter (approx. 2:25 min.) and Kumail Nanjiani alone (approx. 3:38 min.), 5 short promo featurettes (approx. 12 min. in total) and 8 cut scenes, which unfortunately cannot be viewed in one piece (approx. 10 min. in total), together with the trailer round out the additional offerings.

Conclusion: The Big Sick was an absolute surprise success in the USA. In Germany, unfortunately, not so many people have been lured into the cinemas by this unusual and true love story. Now, hopefully, this wonderful comedy will find the home cinema audience it deserves. The DVD is absolutely convincing in terms of picture and sound quality and also offers a lot of good extras. For this there is quite clearly a: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp