You’ll notice a fair number of tropes utilized in romantic comedies while watching Crazy Rich Asians. Under Jon M. Chu’s direction, it’s the first major Hollywood film in English with a cast that’s nearly entirely Asian, so there’s a lot of anticipation and historical, as well as cultural significance for audiences at play here. It’s understandable as to why Chu and the filmmakers felt it necessary to release it theatrically, despite Netflix offering up a lucrative deal for the distribution rights.
Luckily, this film holds up as a genuinely sweet and often exhilarating play on established formulas in these sort of movies. That’s thanks to some witty writing that never feels as if it’s trying too hard to be clever, a very engaging and charismatic cast and some dazzling cinematography as Vanja Cernjul splashes an impressive array of colors on the screen. The city lights, fireworks from a swinging bachelor party and the elaborate sets at parties look as if you’ve stepped into another universe.
Rachel Chu’s (Constance Wu) personality is equally as colorful with a sharp mind to boot, so it’s no wonder her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) is so infatuated with her. Hoping that Nick is on the verge of popping the question, she’s happy to come along when he invites her to attend the wedding of his close friend Colin Khoo (Chris Pang), to the classy heiress Aramina Lee (Sonoya Mizuno).
But as they make their way to Singapore, she slowly realizes that Nick’s been downplaying exactly how wealthy he is…
Following a sequence through Singapore’s nightlife that will easily make the audience feel like they’re right there with the cast, Rachel meets up with her college roomie Goh Peik Lin (a very funny and charming Awkwafina), who explains that Nick is from a high society family with “old money” dating back to the 19th century.
Not only that, her trip with Nick has caught the attention of Radio1Asia personality Constance Lau’s gossip line. The word’s gotten to Nick’s strict and snobby mother Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh), and she’s not impressed by her son bringing home what she sees as a westernized commoner.
As she tries to make the best impression possible in this high society, Rachel’s a perfect straight woman with some clever dynamics among her lively supporting cast. Peik Lin is irreverently awesome when she gives Rachel advice, and our heroine strikes up a friendship with the catty but charming Oliver T’sien (Nico Santos) that proves beneficial down the road. She’s also a good friend to Nick’s cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan) as she deals with a tough personal issue.
All the while, Nick’s affection for Rachel always feels genuine and honest, like he would be the same good-hearted dude without the wealth, and this leads to conflicts with his mother. He’s basically the anti-Christian Grey, who often came off like a possessive and spoiled rich brat as he lusted over Ana Steele. Being a former Bond girl, it’s no surprise how intimidating Michelle Yeoh’s performance as the Young matriarch is, very set in her ways as she bemoans the fading of old traditions.
Despite the crap that Rachel has to put up with, at no point does she lower herself to the level of her rivals. Rather, she picks herself up and quietly forces them to take her seriously as a woman and a human being.
After Eleanor coldly dismisses her as a suitable wife for Nick, she defiantly attends Colin and Araminta’s wedding regardless, looking stunning and classy and carrying herself with pride to the chagrin of the other girls. (Oliver and Peik Lein’s mom Neena (Koh Chieng Mun) are a delight during the classic “fashion makeover” musical montage.)
Much of the main cast gets some strong development and evolution over the course of the film, Rachel in particular. This helps make Crazy Rich Asians even more memorable while it’s sticking to certain “modern fairy tale” beats in its story.
This isn’t the most unpredictable movie in the world in terms of plot, be warned. It’s solely aiming to, as the great Stephanie McMahon would say, “put smiles on people’s faces.” And boy does it succeed, while also serving as a middle finger to the severe lack of Asian presentation in cinema to this day.
This is a perfect movie to take a good friend with on a date, and I predict it’ll probably become a Valentine’s Day staple with how skillfully it blends heart and the importance of family with unabashed romantic overtures. Easily recommended, and if you’ve had the chance to go crazy yourself, head to @Official_FAN on Twitter as always and share your opinion!