Hi everyone!
Welcome back to another Matinee Monday! Look, I know this film has been out for a while, and there is probably nothing else to be said about it, but I was finally able to make time to see it. It’s an important film that is contributing to the renaissance of Asian and specifically Asian American cinema, whether that’s John Cho in “Searching” (Episode #246), the first thriller to star an Asian American, or “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” (Episode #230), exploring the myths and the reality of the Asian American suburban experience. You can also check out show-stealer Awkwafina in “Dude” (Episode #111) from earlier this year. And if you have any suggestions, let me know at onemoviepunch.com
And now...
Today’s movie is “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), the blockbuster romantic comedy directed by Jon M. Chu and written for the screen by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan. The film follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her long-term boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to a family wedding in Singapore, learning about Nick’s immense wealth in the process. Now she must fend off multiple attacks from friends and family who want Nick to leave her for someone else.
Spoilers ahead.
I burned out on romantic comedies somewhere in the early 2000s. 1999 had no less than eight romantic comedies, and 2001 had twelve. At some point, given their popularity, they all became cookie-cutter versions of each other, lambasted by stand-up comedians and sketch comedy, and mostly white protagonists. I didn’t stop seeing the genre, but I was also newly working and didn’t want to take too many chances on crap movies. Nothing worse for date night than complaining about a film, but also nothing better than coming out of a really great romantic comedy. So, I was delighted to see today’s film get such high praise, and now I wish I had seen it on a date night instead of a matinee showing, because it’s really fantastic.
“Crazy Rich Asians” had a lot riding on it, whether that seems fair or not. The estimated $30 million budget is a substantial investment, especially for a United States movie that features an almost exclusively Asian and Asian-American cast. Hollywood has a very long history of playing off Asian stereotypes. Hell, Jerry Lewis made a career out of it, and some stereotypes still exist today, most notably Apu on “The Simpsons”, but also as recent as my childhood in so-called family favorites like “A Christmas Story” and “Sixteen Candles”. It shouldn’t have taken this long to invest this amount of money into this kind of film, but here we are, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result.
Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim do a marvelous job of taking Kevin Kwan’s source material and adapting it for a feature-length romantic comedy, building off all the strengths of the romantic comedy genre, but bringing a distinctly Asian feel to the genre, playing well off and subverting Hollywood stereotypes, and much like the novel, introducing a larger audience to the immense wealth being located across Asia. Jon M. Chu takes the script, matches it with an excellent cast and brings an absolutely gorgeous aesthetic to the entire film, from the beautiful scenes around Singapore to the excellent soundtrack and score, an infectious blend of Asian renditions of classic and modern tracks. I actually bought the soundtrack right after seeing the film.
Thematically, I really appreciated how they portrayed all the rich people as essentially sociopathic monsters, concerned with status and privilege and clearly willing to do anything and everything to maintain it. It makes the viewer want to root for Rachel and Nick against everything, and never once did I have anything but love for both characters. And let’s not forget the amazing supporting role of Goh Peik Lin (Awkwafina), who almost stole the show each time. The entire cast is great, and it all comes together for an amazing experience. And yes, when we finally reach the moment when Nick chases after Rachel, a total cliché for romantic comedies, and yet, when the moment happens, and those who’ve seen it know what I’m talking about, I absolutely lost it in the theaters, sobbing with joy, and haven’t felt that way since seeing “The Big Sick” last year. Sure, it goes against all my feelings towards immense wealth and the privilege that comes with it, but that’s the magic of Hollywood when it’s done well, and this film was done well.
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) is a faithful adaptation to the source material that serves as a quasi-ambassador for both Asian American cinema and the rising influence and economic power of Asia. But more importantly, it is an incredibly strong film, well written, well acted, well crafted, and clearly well received by the critics and audiences alike. I sincerely can’t wait for the next films in the franchise, and I hope Kevin Kwan continues to write the stories. If you love romantic comedies, or incredibly stylish films, then you definitely need to see this film, and if not in theaters now, catch it when it comes back to the theaters around Oscar time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (CERTIFIED)
Metacritic: 74
One Movie Punch: 9.2/10
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) is rated PG-13 and is currently playing in theaters.
