Is 'Crazy Rich Asians' A Rom Com Worth Celebrating? Here's What The Reviews Say
Director Jon M. Chu's ("Step Up 3D," "Now You See Me 2") new film "Crazy Rich Asians" — based on Kevin Kwan's popular 2013 novel by the same name — has a lot riding on it. Close to every news story and review will point out it features the first all-Asian cast in a studio movie about a distinctly Asian American experience since 1993's "Joy Luck Club." It's also an all-out Rom-Com, a once-ascendant genre that's been struggling as of late. Has Chu captured the appeal of Kwan's novel for the screen? Here's what the reviews have to say:
It's A Classic 'Time To Meet The Parents' Plot, Decked Out In Gucci And Adorned With Gold Leaf
Gallant Nick Young (British-Malaysian TV host Henry Golding) and NYU Economics Professor, Rachel Chu ("Fresh Off the Boat's" Constance Wu), are two lovebirds setting out to meet his family in the thriving city-state of Singapore on the occasion of his best friend Colin's (Australia's Chris Pang) wedding. Unaccustomed to excessive luxury, Rachel learns that Nick comes from a "comfortable" lineage once onboard a first-class aircraft with plenty of amenities.
[TheWrap]
Nick is certain Rachel's the One. But choosing Rachel — and thus staying in America against the wishes of his mother, Eleanor (a fantastically subtle Michelle Yeoh) — puts him at risk of being disinherited, and Rachel of being tormented out of not-so-polite Singaporean society.
[Slate]
Chu Opts For Gaudy Good Times Over Icy Opulence
Chu films the world of "Crazy Rich Asians" as if it were a decadent dessert just waiting to be eaten: From the gorgeous gowns Rachel wears to the aerial shots of Singapore's stunning architecture to the elaborate party sequences that sometimes involve 1920s dance numbers and synchronized swimmers, "Crazy Rich Asians" feels like a Busby Berkeley number made of colorful fondant and served alongside a Singapore ice kachang. As a late summer treat, it practically dances off the screen.
He and cinematographer Vanja Cernjul nail the porcelain elegance and the gilded vulgarity that often define obscene wealth, whether they're framing the lovely green-walled interiors of the Young family homestead or turning a gaudy wedding reception into a Baz Luhrmann hallucination.
It wouldn't be a proper rom-com without a spectacular montage of makeovers (costars Nico Santos and Brooklyn's magnetic Awkwafina are your new #bestfriendgoals), but it also features a snappy sequence of fancy brand-name mentions as if they were as accessible as the Gap or Uniqlo.
[Time Out]
Constance Wu Has The Star Power A Rom-Com Needs
Emerging as a major star soon to be walking red carpets on a global scale, the enchanting Constance Wu imbues Rachel with strength derived from the character's upbringing as the child of a poor Chinese immigrant and the American promise of success through hard work. There is no arrogance or judgment in her assessment of the more conservative and family-oriented worldview she is discovering, even when this reveals itself to also be unabashedly materialistic and fueled by appearances.
[TheWrap]
She makes the perfect rom-com everywoman — one of the best the genre has had in a while, in fact — and the film makes great use of both her wry comedic timing and her expressiveness.
On The Flip Side, Henry Golding Doesn't Get Much To Do
Golding does the best with what he's given, but Nick is more symbol than person. He keeps a number of secrets from Rachel, but is never made to account for them. His grand gesture, procuring Eleanor's engagement ring for Rachel, is indicative of Eleanor's acceptance rather than his own comeuppance. That filmmakers agonizing over casting a character who is essentially an impeccably dressed mannequin is more an indictment of white hegemonic tastemaking and its discomfort with Asian male desirability than anything else. (The casting of Golding, who is half-white, has drawn criticism from various groups, often dismissed as one of racial purity.)
It hardly matters that Nick, played by affable Ken doll Henry Golding, doesn't seem to have much of a personality aside from an occasionally surfacing conscience and an ability to wear a suit well.
[Vulture]
Michelle Yeoh Gives Eleanor Stunning Depth And Nuance
In a crisp, authoritative, sometimes startlingly vulnerable performance that never lapses into dragon-lady stereotype, Yeoh brilliantly articulates the unique relationship between Asian parents and their children, the intricate chain of love, guilt, devotion and sacrifice that binds them for eternity.
Yeoh fought to ensure Eleanor wouldn't just be a tiger mom stereotype, and Malaysian-born TV writer Adele Lim was brought on to add more emotional authenticity to Peter Chiarelli's initial script. That's a huge boon for the whole movie (Rachel and her mom get a nice subplot as well), and particularly for Yeoh, who's able to root Eleanor's icy authority in complex layers of protectiveness, regret, and dignity.
Awkwafina's Bestie Character Is Both A Riot And A Wry Look At How The Nouveau Riche Define 'Cool'
Scene-stealer Awkwafina offers sound, yet uproarious life and fashion advice as Rachel's local friend Goh Peik Lin. Her screen time is limited but sharply utilized.
[The Wrap]
The sassy best friend, Goh Peik Lin, is played by rapper-actor Awkwafina, whose comedic timing is so impeccable her co-option of AAVE frequently goes unmentioned. It is fortunate that her tiresome "blaccent," still played for laughs, also offers deeper commentary on newly monied Singaporeans and the exportation of black American cool.
It Seems Like 'Crazy Rich Asians' Had To Turn Up The Glamour Just To Get An All-Asian Studio Movie Made
"Crazy Rich's" American-ness also becomes its greatest area of (niggling) critique. The film's agog celebration of wealth and excess — necessary for its Cinderella-like structure — is an unnuanced departure from Kwan's portrait of his native land, which is quite attuned to the deeply ingrained sexism, classism, and ethnic discrimination within Singapore.
[Slate]
Like so much subject matter that's seen an uphill battle in getting its time in the mainstream limelight — BDSM sex, for instance — it's clear nobody had faith in a fluffy rom-com about the lives and loves of Asian people going down smoothly without a heaping spoonful of affluence porn.
[Vulture]
The opulence of the clothes and jewelry begins to take on the quality of an advertisement; of what and for whom is up for debate. But these images are too aware of the ones that have come before it; they're diametrically opposed to stereotypes of Asians laboring or laundering clothes.
Rom-Com Lovers Will Find Plenty To Like Here Beyond The Extravagance On Display
To satisfy, a rom-com just needs its emotional beats to land, and Chu hits most of his marks. We get nervous and excited for Rachel as she heads to Singapore, unaware that the closer she gets to an engagement ring, the more unwelcome she will be in Nick's world[…] The more she learns about Eleanor's maternal sacrifices, the more convinced she is that she doesn't want her boyfriend to choose between his girlfriend and his family. But Rachel also realizes that, marriage or no marriage, she can't leave Singapore without earning the older woman's respect.
[Slate]
There are plenty of heartwarming, tearjerking romantic moments to keep rom-com fans happy, but "Crazy Rich Asians" is first and foremost the story of Rachel struggling against the complex dynamics of Nick's insular family. It's also a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on wealth and womanhood.
Rachel and Eleanor's battle comes to a head over a game of mah jongg, and it's one of the more impressive and smart rom-com climaxes I've seen, as full-hearted as it is smart.
[Vulture]
TL;DR
It's a reinvented romantic comedy, sassy and fun, that doesn't necessarily rely on obvious tropes and is worth the wait. In a deeper way, "Crazy Rich Asians" is truly groundbreaking (especially now, in our xenophobic moment), paying attention to cultural nuances that rarely make the multiplex. To hear your mother's regional Chinese dialect spoken in a major Hollywood film is an occasion for no small amount of pride.
[Time Out]
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