*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
Crazy Rich Asians focuses on Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an NYU economics professor who discovers her seemingly normal boyfriend (Henry Golding) is actually 'crazy rich' during a trip to his native Singapore. Chu inevitably meets her boyfriend's esteemed family, only to be met with instant disapproval by her would-be mother-in-law, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh).
It's a simple premise that has been done several times. However, Crazy Rich Asians is far from boring and is thoroughly entertaining. There's never too much romance or comedy and both feel natural, with characters falling in love and other characters dropping witty one liners. There's drama, of course, that mainly comes from Eleanor who disapproves of Rachel from the moment that they meet. Rachel also struggles to impress the rest of Nick's family with only his cousin, Astrid (Gemma Chan), being friendly towards her. Because of this, Rachel feels like a fish out of water in a country she's never been to and in homes the size of a palace and we feel for her.
One of the best aspects of Crazy Rich Asians is its ensemble cast. Prior to watching the feature, I was only familiar with a few of the actors that appear, including Michelle Yeoh who gives a strong performance as Eleanor, Nick's mother who disapproves of Rachel from the moment she meets her. Awkwafina previously appeared in Ocean's 8 alongside Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett and, as Rachel's friend Goh Peik Lin, she continues to impress with her witty one liners. Ken Jeong is best known for appearing in the Hangover trilogy, however, while he only makes one small appearance, it's memorable. Gemma Chan was also a familiar face due to her appearances in the Channel 4 series, Humans, and in an episode of Doctor Who. Recently, she's made her transition to the big screen and, as Astrid, she gives a good supporting role. While the supporting cast all give strong performances, it's the two leads that stand out. Constance Wu is perfect as Rachel and makes her a likable protagonist. She tries her hardest to appeal to Nick's family, even if they don't approve of her. She's honest about her background and isn't ashamed of it, which I thought was very respectable. Henry Golding brings a natural charm to Nick and proves himself to be the ideal boyfriend as he stands by Rachel. Both Wu and Golding share chemisty which makes their relationship all the more convincing.
As I've mentioned earlier in my review, romantic comedies can be very predictable as they tend to follow the same narrative path. While this may work for some films, after a while, it becomes boring. Crazy Rich Asians is probably one of the best romantic comedies we've had recently as it doesn't stick to that 'romcom' formula. Because Crazy Rich Asians is aware of what type of film it is, the film's producers use that to their advantage. They know that most romantic comedies contrast the life of one ordinary soul with the extravagant life of another, and, in Crazy Rich Asians, they take it to the extreme, pushing palatial settings, expensive finery and bountiful buffets to the forefront of every scene in an attempt to overwhelm you with the extravagance of it all. There are a few twists and turns in the story that keep it from being boring and predictable. All of this is why Crazy Rich Asians stands out from average romantic comedies.
Crazy Rich Asians may be a light hearted romantic comedy, but its cultural significance can't be understated. Not only is it the first American-made film since 1993's The Joy Luck Club to feature an all-Asian cast, it also boasts more than 70 speaking roles for Asian actors and shows characters speaking their native dialect, which is a rarity in Hollywood films. Quite rightly, the film and its producers have earned praise from critics and audience members alike. Now, just because a film breaks new cultural ground doesn't mean that it's automatically worthy of praise. But films like Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther help promote a fairer, more inclusive Hollywood.
Crazy Rich Asians stands out from other romantic comedies as it's fully aware what type of film it is, and it uses that to its advantage. The film's producers know that a lot of romantic comedies contrast the life of one ordinary soul with the extravagant life of another, and here they take it to the extreme, pushing palatial settings, expensive finery and bountiful buffets to the forefront of every scene in an attempt to overwhelm you with the sheer extravagance of it all. All of this makes it a feast for the eyes, too, as Chu and cinematographer Vania Cernjul ogle a smorgasbord of mansions, yachts, skyscrapers, restaurants, planes, boats and cars. There are a few scenes that show the main characters eating traditional Asian food so it's best not to watch this on an empty stomach.
The main reason why I enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians is because it's a very enjoyable film that is likely to leave you with a smile on your face. However, I also liked it because of it offered a thoughtful commentary on key issues such as wealth inequality and racism. The film makes a point to contrast the Young family's incredible wealth with the working class support staff who make their meals and clean their houses; yet at the same time they acknowledge the fact that the Young family need their wealth to defend themselves from outside threats. I noticed that one reviewier of Crazy Rich Asians pointed out that, while money can't solve racism, but it can help solve the problems racism might throw up in your path. Balancing the film's inherently fun nature with its social commentary can't have been an easy feat, but it seems the filmmakers have pulled it off with ease.
I'd only heard about Crazy Rich Asians a few weeks ago after its impressive success in America. It's being released in the UK later this month so, if you enjoy romantic comedies, I highly recommend you see this as it's one of the best I've seen recently.
8/10
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