Movie Review: Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Harry Shum Jr., Ken Jeong, Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang, Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Remy Hii, Nico Santos, Jing Lusi

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 120 minutes

I have a weird relationship with romantic comedies. You could say that they’re a guilty pleasure of mine. The genre has become oversaturated to the point where most romcoms released these days are uninspired and unremarkable, and yet I always find myself enjoying them just as a comfy and predictable form of entertainment that hit all the emotional beats I expect. Sometimes, though, a romcom comes along that surprises all of us with how well-written and well-performed it ends up being (2017’s The Big Sick and 2012’s Silver Lining Playbook are two more recent ones that ended up being exceptional). And with Crazy Rich Asians, it looks like we have another great one on our hands.

Based on the 2013 bestselling novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows the story of Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and Nick Young (Henry Golding) heading to Singapore for a wedding, and Rachel discovering that Nick’s family are a bunch of, as the title implies, crazy rich Asians. While the movie makes use of numerous tropes common in popular romcoms of the 80s and 90s (such as the fish out of water story and meeting the in-laws), Crazy Rich Asians maintains an enjoyable tone, great atmosphere, and excellent performances from the leads that allows it to exist as a tasteful homage rather than a tired cliché.

One of the best things about following these crazy rich Asians throughout this movie are all the different and spectacular sets we get to experience along with them. From the massive Young family estate to the private island resort bachelorette party, at times I almost felt like I was too financially destitute to even be viewing the film. The movie was like a big vacation for not just the characters but the viewers as well, and director Jon M. Chu took full advantage of his locations to shoot breathtaking scenes with plenty of wide shots.

The performances in this movie were great as well. Constance Wu was our protagonist and the character we rooted for throughout the movie, as well as the character we most closely related to. She was the audience marveling at the lavish lifestyle of the Youngs as she went through Singapore. But while she had an element of wide-eyed wonder and naiveté that came with being in such uncharted territory, she also maintained a strong will and determination throughout the film that made her character that much more lovable. Henry Golding also played the charismatic rich kid well, and while he was suave and charming he also came off very genuine and down-to-earth despite his wealth. Michelle Yeoh played the nasty mother-in-law incredibly well, and while she was a character I loved to hate throughout the film she also was a character who you were able to understand and sympathize with despite her actions. Besides these three, all the other roles were acted very well but I’d like to specifically spotlight Awkwafina and Nico Santos as they were easily the comedic heart of the film.

The plot, as I said, isn’t something that will surprise you with its formula or plot development, but it might surprise you with how invested you’ll find yourself in these character’s stories. Not only is the main plot of Rachel and Nick’s relationship enjoyable, but there is a subplot with Nick’s sister Astrid (Gemma Chan) and her husband that almost got a tear out of me in a few scenes. The story has a very classical feel to it without feeling overly cliché, which in this age of oversaturation of romcoms is a testament in and of itself.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the reason for the Singapore trip; the wedding, which takes place towards the end of the film. While this was something of a plot device to get the plot in motion, when the actual event does take place it’s gorgeous and I could hear people in the audience sniffling all around me, perhaps because of the overwhelming beauty of the event or because of the realization that none of us could afford such a spectacular wedding ourselves. Regardless of the reason, the fact that such an emotional response was evoked from just the sheer splendor is noteworthy.

To summarize, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I know, coming from someone who already admitted to enjoying crappy romcoms that might not mean much. But I can say with confidence that this is a romantic comedy that really does make you feel something more than just cheap and brief enjoyment while you watch it. Crazy Rich Asians a movie that I will recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy a good love story (not to mention I grabbed the first book in the series right after leaving the theater!)