Sharp in its observations on class and culture, and consistently hilarious, Crazy Rich Asians also succeeds on delivering a love story worth investing in.
There are a lot of positives that can be said about Crazy Rich Asians. Based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, it stands as the first Hollywood production in 15 years to star Asian actors in most of the roles. Just as important is that as a romantic comedy (that much maligned sub-genre of rare quality), Crazy Rich Asians is the best of its kind in some time. Without fear or pretence, this Jon Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) directed film presents a new riff on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, with a strong sense of identity in place. Within it blossoms a love story that is as tender as it is addictive. It’s hard to think of the last movie couple that audiences would root for with such vigorous passion.
Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, a Chinese American economics professor who is madly in love with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding). Unbeknownst to Rachel, Nick is the heir to a very wealthy and successful Asian real estate conglomerate. Rachel finds out when she and Nick travel to Singapore for a wedding celebration that quickly becomes a battle of class, culture and wills against Nick’s domineering mother Eleanor Sung-Young (Michelle Yeoh), and the rest of Singapore’s snobby upper social class.
Primarily shot in Asian territories such as Malaysia and Singapore, the strong feel for location and culture in Crazy Rich Asians is matched by its rich characters, who one and all are brilliantly and hilariously portrayed. Key among them is Constance Wu, the strikingly beautiful star of comedy series Fresh Off the Boat, who as the equally confident yet blindsided Rachel is sure to woo and wow many with her emotionally captivating and hilarious performance. Strong too is her chemistry with co-star Henry Golding, who impresses with his feature film debut as a young man of wealth, but only seeks the riches of love. Standing in the way of that is his overly protective mother, played with on-point chill and class by Michelle Yeoh, the Hong-Kong action star sure to receive awards buzz for her performance.
Many of the plot-points and themes within Crazy Rich Asians harken to traditional romances where love most pure most overcome hurdles, namely those established by the cultural elite who want to set the parameters as to who is welcome in their wold and at what cost. A lot of these characters are indeed “crazy”, proving that wealth often breeds its own unique animal. Yet like those classic romances, the stakes at hand only amplify the love story within. Crazy Rich Asians delivers a classic, yet timely and passionate love story that is to be embraced not only for its spirit, but also for tis rarity. Here’s hoping there will more chapters to the Rachel and Nick love story.
