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Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians

Movie
Director(s): 
Genre: 
In Theatres: 
Aug 15, 2018
Grade:
A
Running Time: 
121 minutes

Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s novel by the same name, Crazy Rich Asians goes big with its theatrics but never over the top, resulting in a film that is abundantly entertaining on every level. It is a celebration of Asian culture and one of what will hopefully be many steps that shines the spotlight on the hugely underrepresented community in Hollywood.

 

Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) has been dating her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) for quite some time now so when he asks her to come to his hometown of Singapore with him for his best friend’s wedding and to meet his family it’s a big step forward in their relationship. What she doesn’t know is that Nick belongs to one of the richest families in the country, and while Nick isn’t bothered by the fact that Rachel doesn’t come from wealth, his mother believes she isn’t good enough for him and doesn’t bring anything to the table sort to speak, forcing Rachel to navigate the minefield that is the Young household name for true love.

 

Crazy Rich Asians breathes new life into the romantic comedy genre with its refreshingly down to earth story about love. One of the first things you’ll notice is just how wonderfully vibrant and upbeat everything looks. Filming was on location in both Singapore and Malaysia, and director Jon M. Chu captures the utter beauty of the countries. Every new place they visit is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Another cultural element the film showcases is the food. Scenes look like they’re taken directly from an episode of No Reservations, with the only thing missing being Anthony Bourdain’s narration (RIP). Crazy Rich Asians does a good job at actually incorporating Asian culture into the film and not just putting it in the film just because. At one point Rachel joins the Young family in making dumplings and is introduced to Nick’s grandmother (Lisa Lu), the matriarch of the family, where she learns about tradition and what it means to be a part of the family.

 

With a cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Nico Santo, Ronny Chieng, Awkwafina, and Ken Jeong, Crazy Rich Asians does a wonderful job at giving everyone their shining moment in the spotlight. One aspect I found interesting was that almost everyone felt like they didn’t belong in one way or another. Rachel, of course, didn’t come from a rich family, but there’s also Awkwafina, whose family has money but they’re not Young-level rich. She went to school overseas and feels out of place surrounded by all this wealth. Nick’s cousin Oliver (Nico Santos) is gay and always felt different than the rest of the family. There’s an outsider aspect to many of the characters, and they’re all on their own journey throughout the film looking for acceptance.

 

Crazy Rich Asians is a huge leap forward in bringing more representation to the big screen. It’s a wonderful film that celebrates Asian culture by telling a great story filled with interesting characters.There’s nothing else like it in theaters, but hopefully its success will tell the rest of Hollywood that there should be.

Matt Rodriguez
Review by Matt Rodriguez
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