Jon Chu’s opening scene perfectly sets the tone for the movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s novel, “Crazy Rich Asians” and hooks the audience right away.
A Chinese guest, a young Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) walks inside a hotel, drenched in the rain, with her two children and a nanny in tow, hoping to get a place to spend the night. She immediately gets rejected by the manager despite having talked to someone earlier for a reservation. Bummer, right?
Eleanor then makes a comeback worthy of a thousand Z-snaps: she buys the hotel right then and there.
The movie jumps several years later and shows us a grown-up Nick (Henry Golding) who now lives in New York and is dating an Economics professor, Rachel Chu (Constance Wu). Unaware of the amount of wealth her boyfriend’s family has, Rachel goes to Singapore to attend Nick’s best friend’s wedding. And to meet his family as well.
That’s when things take a drastic turn for the simple girl. She soon learns that she’s dating the Asian equivalent of Prince Harry and becomes the target of intense scrutiny from ex-girlfriends and basically the entire female population and, of course, Nick’s mother, Eleanor.
“Crazy Rich Asian” is a feel-good and highly entertaining movie that showcases the grandiosity of the lifestyle of Asia’s rich and famous. It’s indulging, actually. Sort of like a reality show that’s 120-minutes long.
It’s a guilt-free romantic comedy-drama that takes us inside the glamourous life of the bigwigs in our part of the world.
Penned by Peter Chiarelli and John Penotti, the movie adaptation may have some different take on aspects of the novel, but that’s not really a problem. Any minor issue that readers of the book may notice are more than made up for by the cast.
Made up of the most charming Asian actors, “Crazy Rich Asians” is remarkable in its allure basically because you just can’t help but root for every single character in the movie. It doesn’t matter if it’s the strict, prejudiced mother or the annoying and scheming ex-girlfriend. You just can’t find the energy to hate them while watching.
Another thing that’s notable in the script is that despite the many characters, we were able to distinguish one from the other. There’s the funny gay cousin (Nico Santos), the matriarchal grandmother, the quirky aunts, and the funny best friend (Awkwafina). You also have the flirty semi-friend and the eccentric groomsman.
The fact that they made a dent in our consciousness goes to show that we are watching a product of effective scriptwriting.
The movie’s strength, obviously, is not its theme. It’s not earth-shattering nor doesn’t bring anything new to the table. But that is not a fault. In fact, it’s the simplicity that allowed its grandeur to take centerstage.
The movie screams ‘splendor’ in every aspect. It’s actually like a VIP party where only the A-listers are invited and we’re given back stage access.
The cameos alone are remarkable. I am not familiar with half of the people shown there but I’m pretty sure that these people are famous in their respective countries. Case in point: our very own Kris Aquino who, even though given only a few lines and not a lot of airtime, was given an important role. She plays Princess Intan whom Eleanor and her posse are intimidated by.
All in all, Jon Chu’s homage to the Asian community is a fun, engaging watch. Loved its splendor, uplifting message, and the slew of impressionable and rootable characters.
