More than just your standard romantic comedy, “Crazy Rich Asians” brings a lot of heart and a strong theme of heritage into its story and will result in a unified heartfelt reaction from the audience.
The movie embraces “rom-com” clichés, but still manages to surprise and delight general audiences. The plot essentially revolves around a young economics professor named Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she travels to Singapore for the first time to attend a wedding with her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), wealthy heir to a highly regarded real estate family.
The plot doesn’t seem to be that uncommon compared to other romantic comedies, but director Jon M. Chu manages to add a level of amazement and comedy to the film with the addition of the absurdly wealthy members of Young’s family.
The film succeeds in displaying vast amounts of wealth in all of the magnates in Singapore. This film paints Singapore as a country filled with extraordinary architecture, intriguing foods and breathtaking locations. The setting is sure to inspire viewers to vacation to the island nation.
The entire gimmick of displaying all of the profound wealth in the film at first is a bit offputting. In the beginning, there is a point where you don’t know if you will be able to identify and sympathize with the characters in the film. But as the film moves along, that worry is eclipsed as everyone in the film is sympathetic and has a relatable arc.
Not only is the film well written, but it also features one of Hollywood’s first exclusively Asian cast. Wu and Golding have great chemistry. They are especially good throughout the film as Rachel’s perspective of Nick evolves and eventually causes her to question his genuineness. Awkwafina and Ken Jeong provide much of the laughs as part of the hilarious crazy, moderately rich family in the neighborhood always trying to elevate their social status in the city. Michelle Yeoh is striking as Nick’s very protective, cruel mother who will not adhere to her son’s own ignorance when it comes to Rachel’s introduction to the family. Gemma Chan is astonishing as Nick’s cousin Astrid and is truly the heart of the film as she has to deal with her immature and unloyal husband.
The film effectively embraces the cultural heritage and the roots of every character, particularly of Chinese lineage anywhere from America, Singapore and England. This is truly a film about family, and anyone who values ancestry should give this romantic comedy a try.
Rating: A+
