Crazy Rich Asians | Film Review

Crazy Rich Asians – they really are crazy rich. Seriously, I want to live there, go on that bachelor party boat, and live life to its fullest.

I’ll be very honest, I had read up on how amazing the film was and culturally significant, and while I knew I could appreciate it, I wondered how deeply I’d connect to it. I’m so used to being given the A-list Hollywood grade level of film without any multi-cultural appreciation in it, it’s not something I think about, and I promise that’s not all this review will be about. But I hope every person on every side of the spectrum can know that you will learn something about Asian culture by the end credits, and you will have your own way of connecting to it.

Crazy Rich Asians heads in with many stunning performances. In the lead is Constance Wu playing the main female character from America, Rachel Chu, whose boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding – hubba hubba) comes from a family of wealth and cultural significance, which Rachel is blissfully unaware of, and also completely lost in this world. You see, Rachel sees Nick as is, in America, and he doesn’t make her aware of his family’s wealth, because that’s one of the incredible things about her – she sees him for beyond what he’s worth. Unlike anything else he could be used to.

That is, however, until Nick invites Rachel to Singapore for his best friend’s wedding and of course, there are forces she’s reckoning with that will attempt to deter her at every front. Luckily, she has her handy-dandy sidekick best friend – Goh Peik Lin played by the very impressive and hilarious Awkwafina – and Goh’s incredibly weird and hilarious family, one of which is Ken Jeong (yes, Leslie Chow everyone). So the trip commences and Rachel is exposed to a whole new world, learning about this culture, what to do/what not to do, and even, about herself.

To be very frank with you, I adored this movie. I laughed, I cried, I ‘wow’ed in surprise and shock, and I think that you will too. The screenplay is very standard Hollywood in terms of the set-up and ending, but having the completely necessary tie-in of Asian culture, how families function outside of America, how American lives are perceived from an outsiders perspective, and even the display of text on screen was strictly not Hollywood.

It’s not all rainbows; there are moments that will shock you like an electric eel. However, this movie manages to showcase the perspectives of multiple sides, not just the one person they want us to root for, no. We get to see what Nick’s family’s perspective is, how and why their culture and community feels and operates the way they do, and it brings a new appreciation in for those differences. It tackles these things without forcefully saying “HEY LISTEN TO ME!” And that’s kind of what the mark of a prized tale is, yeah? One where the filmmakers can deliver the subject matter at face-value, but get everyone to watch and pay attention, where everyone can learn something. So, hats off to director Jon M. Chu for his work on getting these messages across and showing the median between cultures that don’t always work effectively to understand each other.

The one thing that stood out to me most, though, is the absolute beauty. Not just of the locations, but the way the scenes were pieced together and shot. There’s one remarkable scene – probably the most jaw-droppingly beautiful wedding scene I’ve ever seen in film or in real life. If there’s anything you find worthy in this review to inspire you to catch this one in theatres, please let it be this. It’s not because I’m a woman (I am), and it isn’t because I love weddings (I do), but it’s because of the utter eloquence of the actress stepping her first foot forward in the most magical way you can imagine, and the filmmakers capturing the essence and raw beauty of not love – but weddings. And how much effort those set designers must have put into the film has got to be more hours than I work in a week, just for that one scene. Astounding.

All-in-all, Crazy Rich Asians is a captivating tale that everyone can enjoy. If you’re unfamiliar with Asian culture, it may take you a minute to find your footing, because it isn’t all that we’re used to, but it is so worth it. With great performances that made me cry a few times, a story that reaches the depths of a shark cage, and an absolutely impeccable production, you’ll sure be sad to be poor.