The day that Crazy Rich Asians came into theaters, everyone fell in love with it. They said it was funny, they said it was emotional, and Time Magazine said, “This is why you go the movies.”
A woman named Rachel Chu, played by the “Fresh Off The Boat” actress Constance Wu, meets a man named Charlie Wu, played by Henry Golding, and they begin dating. What Rachel doesn’t know is that her boyfriend comes an incredibly wealthy family in Singapore. He never mentions this because of a history with his mother. One day, Charlie’s best friend gets married in Singapore and invites him to come. He invites the Rachel, who is soon to find out that they are in a hornet’s nest. Charlie’s prim and proper mother, played by Michelle Yeoh, hates the fact that Rachel isn’t as wealthy and does not have the same status as her family. On top of that, she wants Charlie to keep living off her money and staying in Singapore. The rest of the film consists of the couple interacting with Charlie’s colorful family and friends while battling being torn apart by his mother.
The way Rachel is depicted is unsurpassed. She is not made to look like a stereotypical damsel-in-distress and instead, she has a very modern personality and a degree in government. The film also touches on nitty-gritty subjects such as adultery, depression, and heartbreak. These are mixed in nicely with times of comedic laugh-out-loud elements. When I heard Ken Jeong was cast, I knew it was going to be super funny. The scenes Awkwafina is in are always hilarious as well, which made for one of the best elements in this film.
I think one of the film’s flaws is that some of the actors and actresses talk in broken English. Similar to The Book of Life, where the characters spoke English but with a Spanish accent, the producers were trying to get publicity from a general audience. My mom and I thought that it would’ve been more authentic if the characters spoke in Chinese with provided subtitles. However, I thought it did no harm to the overall film. Then I remembered Sixteen Candles, where a Japanese man spoke in broken English and was followed by a gong every time he was on screen. That, on the other hand, did harm.
What stands out about the film is its size. Everywhere you look, it’s gigantic. It also displays Singapore and the beauty of the setting. It was looking at an art piece. Overall, Crazy Rich Asians had great timing, great comedy, great characters, and was ultimately a great film.
Photo Credit: Kaleidoscope
