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| "There is no winning... You made sure of that." |
Summary:
Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) has been dating Nick (Henry Golding) for a year, and their relationship is getting serious. He invites her out East, to meet his family. Little does she know the world she is about to enter. It has its own rules and traditions, and it doesn't take kindly to outsiders. Will Rachel and Nick's relationship survive this holiday?Pros:
REPRESENTATION!: Look, this film is a fairly straightforward Rom Com. It features many of the same beats and character types standard to the genre. The film recontextualizes them, and remixes a few of them, but they remain largely the same. The main difference, though? Is how unabashedly Chinese this movie is. We see a few white people in New York in the first few minutes of the film, but, after that, in Singapore, the film never finds stupid ways to let white people intrude on this story. It isn't our story to tell. Constance Wu proves, once and for all, that she can carry a feature. She's been one of the best parts of Fresh Off the Boat for years, and finally has a feature vehicle to show off her talent. Michelle Yeoh has been a bad ass bitch her entire career, and she can kick ass with the best of them, but, here, she gets an opportunity to show that you don't need a Green Destiny Sword to cut someone to ribbons. Awkwafina steals every scene she is in, and I would gladly pay loads of money to see her and Nico Santos' (the self proclaimed rainbow sheep of the family, Oliver) spin off film. Jimmy O. Yang is delightfully insane. Every good Rom Com needs hunks, however, and Crazy Rich Asians delivers 100% beef: Henry Golding is a charming slab of pure man, but, honestly, I thought his best friend, Colin (played by Chris Pang), is way hunkier (I'd prefer to be swept off my feet by Colin, thank you much). This is important: Asian men have been relegated to cinematic impotence by Hollywood. To see such men as sexy romantic interests is a breath of fresh air. And any asshat that argues that "Asian men don't get romantic leads because there just aren't any sexy Asian actors" can fuck right off. Hollywood, this is what representation looks like. Let's not move backwards, 'k?Leads With Chemistry: While Rachel and Nick are written fairly thinly, as characters, Wu and Golding are charming as hell and work together. They anchor this film with what appears to be a genuinely sweet relationship. And, because of that, the largely rote Rom Com beats and twists reeled me in. We also get some lovely chemistry all around: Nick and Colin share a wonderful moment together and their friendship feels real and genuine; Awkwafina and Wu share a similarly warm bond throughout the film; we even get a wonderful scene with the Young family, making dumplings, that show how the family works together and that there is genuine happiness there, even if it is occasionally problematic.
The 40 Million Dollar Set Piece: Good Rom Coms need ridiculous romantic gestures. Crazy Rich Asians features two: 1) Nick's friends get married in a 40 million dollar wedding and it is gobsmackingly gorgeous, and 2) Nick totally gets his "corner-her-on-an-out-of-town-flight" moment, and it is so sweet my fucking teeth hurt. It's almost as if director Jon M. Chu saw that giant action tentpoles get to have their insane action set pieces, and decided that his Rom Com would swing for the fences and feature a wedding as a set piece. And it works. I don't want to spoil anything about it: it's just an absolutely beautiful set and looks like it might legitimately have cost the 40 million dollars that two characters brag about in the film. Nick's final moment with Rachel, on the plane, is fun and charming and made my heart swell. Good on you, Crazy Rich Asians.
The Soundtrack: The soundtrack features a lot of Chinese covers of American pop songs, and I had a blast with it.
Wealth is its Own Culture: Crazy Rich Asians shows us that wealth defies classic cultural boundaries. There are stratas and social norms for the wealthy EVERYWHERE. In Singapore, there is new money and old money, and old money don't play with new money. This is shown in stark contrast when we see Peik Lin Goh's (Awkwafina) family, and Nick's family. The Goh's have modeled their mansion after "Donald Trump's bathroom," and dress in gaudy, loud attire. The Young's, however, are that classic, elegant kind of wealth that feels otherworldly. Even the Gohs feel like second class citizens to the Youngs. Yes, this is steeped in Chinese culture, but wealth will make assholes of us all. It gives everyone a reason to be better than someone else.
Wealth is No Armor: To a certain extent, even gads of money won't save you from being racially profiled. The film touches on this early in the movie, where Yeoh and her family attempt to check in at a fancy British hotel, only to be turned away because of the color of their skin. Of course, she immediately buys the hotel and swish-swishes into her luxury suite. It is an interesting statement about wealth: it is NOT a shield from racism in the West. It's no surprise, then, that almost the entire film takes place in Singapore, where the titular crazy rich asians can rule their own kingdom, away from the bothersome bias and bigotry of Western wealth.
Singapore Comes Alive: Singapore is filmed with such love and beauty that it made me instantly want to go there. It feels vibrant, and colorful. It is full of its own kind of character, and Chu allows it to shine in his film.
Pg-13: This movie doesn't rely on nasty jokes or insane nudity. This is a film that everyone can see. I like that.
Cons:
Rom Com Archetypes: This film doesn't really reinvent the rom com wheel in any major way. The archetypes are largely the same: The Lovers, The Whacky College Friend, The Stern Matron, The Snobby Family Members. If you aren't a fan of that kind of largely rote plot, this movie won't wow you. But I do think its charm and novelty more than make up for a plot that rarely treads new dramatic ground.In Conclusion:
Rom Coms are popular for a reason: they tap into that deep-seated need all humans have for love and romance. They capture us, for only a few hours, and take us away from the hum-drum of our lives. I wouldn't say that I am a huge fan of the genre, but, when done correctly, they are transcendent. Crazy Rich Asians does it right, and is a heckuva good time. This is based on a book series, and I immediately went to Target to buy the trilogy. Here's to hoping this movie makes a boatload of cash, and that we get to hang out with these characters again.Should You Watch It?
Oh yes. This one is fun. Give it your money.Miscellany:
- This is the first Hollywood-produced film with an exclusively Asian cast in 25 years. That's something you never really pay much attention to, but blows your mind when you realize it.
- The filmmakers turned down extravagant money from Netflix and opted to make this a Hollywood feature film. Netflix reportedly offered "artistic freedom, a greenlit trilogy, and seven-figure pay for the stakeholders."
- In the film, Nick's family has a stuffed Tiger in their foyer. The set designer, to avoid having to ship an actual stuffed tiger across international lines, decided to have one made out of foam and fur. Except IT was held up in customs, because officials believed it to be a real stuffed tiger. They got the model installed the night before they were to shoot the actual scene.
- The set for Nick's grandmother's house is actually composed of two government-owned homes in Kuala Lumpur. The houses were being reclaimed by the jungle, and were covered in monkey poop and infested with Bats. The houses were cleaned out, recarpeted, and local muralists were hired to paint the walls with finery. The set, in film, is gorgeous, and it makes me laugh to think that it was covered with monkey poop before the production team got there.
- The casting of Golding, as Nick, sparked some controversy as to whether he was "Asian enough" to play the role. Golding is of mixed Malaysian Iban and English descent. The film has also been criticized for not properly representing Singapore, and for perpetuating Chinese dominance in the region.
- Jon M. Chu is eager, reportedly, to return for the sequel, if the film is financially successful. Please, please, please!
- The filmmakers turned down extravagant money from Netflix and opted to make this a Hollywood feature film. Netflix reportedly offered "artistic freedom, a greenlit trilogy, and seven-figure pay for the stakeholders."
- In the film, Nick's family has a stuffed Tiger in their foyer. The set designer, to avoid having to ship an actual stuffed tiger across international lines, decided to have one made out of foam and fur. Except IT was held up in customs, because officials believed it to be a real stuffed tiger. They got the model installed the night before they were to shoot the actual scene.
- The set for Nick's grandmother's house is actually composed of two government-owned homes in Kuala Lumpur. The houses were being reclaimed by the jungle, and were covered in monkey poop and infested with Bats. The houses were cleaned out, recarpeted, and local muralists were hired to paint the walls with finery. The set, in film, is gorgeous, and it makes me laugh to think that it was covered with monkey poop before the production team got there.
- The casting of Golding, as Nick, sparked some controversy as to whether he was "Asian enough" to play the role. Golding is of mixed Malaysian Iban and English descent. The film has also been criticized for not properly representing Singapore, and for perpetuating Chinese dominance in the region.
- Jon M. Chu is eager, reportedly, to return for the sequel, if the film is financially successful. Please, please, please!
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