Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians

I was skeptical when I first heard about this movie.  Everyone made a big deal about how this was the first all-Asian Hollywood movie cast since Joy Luck Club, but the romantic comedy aspect of it worried me.  Our (yes, it’s going to be ‘us’ and ‘our’ from here on out) first shot in 20+ years, and this was the best we could do?  A frothy piece of fluff?

Which isn’t to say that I didn’t want the movie to blow expectations and the box office out of the water.  We are completely underrepresented in pop culture, and any movement in the right direction is a good thing.  How well the film did felt like it would be a referendum on the viability of an other culture in mainstream American media in the same way as Black Panther earlier this year.    

I’m happy to say that CRA’s been exceeding all financial projections going into its third week, and that it’s a wonderful movie on top of it.  I laughed, teared up, winced at the harsh putdowns, and squeed at all the right places. Things I loved:

Constance Wu!  I don’t watch Fresh Off the Boat, so this is my first real exposure to her work.  She’s so very good in this, adroitly handling the myriad of emotions she’s feeling and the situations she’s dealt.  There’s nothing manic or pixie about her, but she’s a dream nonetheless.

Awkwafina!  I just about lost it when I saw her Walk of Shame outfit.  She’s absolutely delightful throughout, and she needs her own show.  I don’t know how to best showcase her comedic abilities (it would be hard to not make it too broad), but when properly deployed, they are devastatingly funny.  

The food!  I want to go to the Singapore night market.  

The lifestyle.  Can’t say I didn’t want to try it out after watching it.  OMG did they really flood the aisle for the bridal procession?

The shirtless guys.  Dayum. Hottest torsos this side of Chris Hemsworth in Thor:Ragnarok.

Gemma Chan.  Astrid needs her own movie.  

The mother/girlfriend conflict.  There was so much truth in it. For a culture that places such a premium on politeness and keeping face to the outside world, we are horribly harsh when our own families are involved.  Michelle Yeoh’s smackdown of Rachel on the stairs and the ease with which the grandmother was willing to cast Nick out of the family was completely believable.

The mother’s dimensions.  I’m so pleased that she didn’t come across as a one-note villain.  Michelle Yeoh (always awesome) refused to play her as the unreasonable demanding mother.  I totally understood her point of view, and while the viewers are naturally going to side with Rachel, I could sympathize with Eleanor as well.  

Rachel’s relationship with her mother.  For all of Eleanor’s love for her son, would anyone argue that it’s healthier than Kerry’s for her daughter?

Most of the supporting cast.  Ken Jeong’s over-the-topness actually works for once.  Awkwafina’s awkward brother somehow comes across as hilarious and not pervy.  (Even though he totally is.) Oliver. The gossiping aunties.

The romantic parts.  Totally misty-eyed at their shared moment during the wedding and the final airplane scene.  

Things I didn’t like:

Nick really gets away with a lot.  The “I wanted you to love me for me and not my money” defense fell apart once he decided to introduce her to his family.  His honest naivety barely gives him a pass. (Gah, I’m totally mixing tenses in this. More so than usual.)

I get that the movie’s about Rachel and her journey to find her inner strength.  Her test of wills with Eleanor has to be the main thrust of the story. But I would have liked to see more from Nick’s point of view.  Being caught in the middle between the two main women in his life is a horrible place to be, and being privy to that struggle would have been interesting.  It’s a lot more difficult to handle than it appears on the surface, and I think the film could have done it justice.

Mega props to Crazy Rich Asians.  May the sequel be just as good if not better, and may the inevitable Asian-centric films that follow not ruin the goodwill engendered by this movie’s success.  

Regret watching? No

Would watch again? Yes

Would buy on DVD? Yes

Rating: Really good