Live Vicariously Through Rich Asians
Rachel lives a comfortable life with her boyfriend in the States. When the they go to attend his best friend’s wedding in Singapore, it opens up the opportunity to meet his family as well. Unknown to her, they’re one of the wealthiest families in the country. How will Rachel fit in with the family? Let’s find out in our review of Crazy Rich Asians.
The Romcom genre has been revived. Not a lot of movies in the genre have stuck out in the eye of the main stream in recent memory. The movie is filled with tropes that fans of the genre would love. From the loud and obnoxious best friend, the evil stepmother, all the way to the last ditch effort to win love at the airport, a lot of it’s here. The only thing is, it doesn’t do much to expand upon the genre. What separates this from others is all in the title, the Crazy Rich Asians.
This is the first major All-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club, which came out in 1993. Representation is a big issue that is taking baby steps forward. Asian culture is still rarely seen on screen. Although a majority of the movie’s audience may not identify with being rich, Asian family dynamics may recall some memories. With the main character being American as well, almost anyone can put themselves in Rachel’s situation.
Constance Wu plays the leading lady. Probably best known for her role in Fresh off the Boat, she brings her charming personality and comedic presence to big screen. The two traits naturally come in handy in a romcom, but it wasn’t perfect all the way through. I thought she did well in comedic scenes, but when it came to tension filled drama, her delivery didn’t match the atmosphere. At times it felt like she was narrating a scene in a television sitcom.
The supporting cast was a bit of a mixbag. Michelle Yeoh brought a powerful presence as the complex antagonist. Awkwafina practically stole the show as the constant source of comic relief. Henry Golding didn’t have much to do, ending up being mostly there as eye candy. Gemma Chan brought a dramatic role in a neglected storyline that could have been omitted altogether. Nico Santos was a fun audience surrogate lightened the mood. And Ken was able to pop in from time to time without stealing the show.
The visual style is interesting but inconsistent. In the beginning, we are introduced to Nick’s family in a stylish cold open that was set years ago, which oddly reminded me of the set design from Kung Fu Hustle’s opening. In present time, we get a baseline movie styling with some flourishes sprinkled throughout. Social Media Banter was shown through a flashy montage filled with superimposed graphics. Street food is shown as the most enticing food porn ad. The wedding you will never have was shot in a beautiful dream-like sequence. I wish these kind of styling choices showed up more often.
Although this movie hits several familiar beats attributed to others in the same genre, this was a nice highlight in cinematic history. This takes a step forward in representation in Hollywood. It has flaws, but fans of the genre will have a good time.