THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
One way or another, you have to fight for love.
PLOT
Based on the titular novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows economics professor Rachel Chu who is invited to a wedding in Singapore by her boyfriend Nick Young, one in which he’ll be the best man to. He does tell her that he comes from a wealthy family but her friend Peik Lin reveals that his family are famous high members of society, making them extremely wealthy. She and Nick do hang out with the bride Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno) and groom Colin (Chris Pang) and they instantly treat her like family. When going to the Young estate, she meets his mother Eleanor but she senses that she doesn’t like her. She’s invited to the bachelorette party, while Nick goes to the bachelor party. Nick tells Colin that he wants to propose to her, even though he’s supposed to run the family business in Singapore. Unbeknownst to Araminta, Rachel’s room is vandalized by a posse of women led by Nick’s ex Amanda (Jing Lusi), labeling her as a gold digger. The only one she can bond with is Nick’s cousin Astrid, who just discovered that her husband is cheating on her. After both parties come to an end, she tells Nick what happened and he apologizes for being secretive. When making dumplings at the family estate, Eleanor does tell her how she had a hard time being accepted by Nick's grandmother when she married into the family, but she still believes that Rachel is unfit for Nick. Peik Lin tells her she should stand up to her to at least get her respect. On the day of the wedding ceremony, Astrid confronts her husband Michael (Pierre Png) of his affair. Because of his humble background, he blames his unhappiness and financial disparity on her, causing him not to attend the wedding. During the reception, Eleanor and Nick's grandmother Ah Ma (Lisa Lu) confront Nick and Rachel privately. Eleanor reveals that she hired a private investigator to dig up Rachel’s past. She says through the given information that Rachel's father is alive, despite being presumed dead. Adding that Rachel was conceived through an affair with her mother (who was married at the time) and another man, leading to her fleeing to the United States. Offended for the last time, Rachel leaves the wedding. When her mother Kerry (Tan Kheng Hua) arrives to Singapore, she explains the reason of the affair. She says that her husband was abusive and when getting comfort of an old friend, it turned into love. She fled fearing that her husband would kill her. When seeing Nick again, Rachel is proposed by him, saying he is willing to leave his family and fortune behind. She meets Eleanor over a game of 'mahjong', revealing that she turned down Nick's proposal because she doesn't want him to ruin his relationship with his family. She then ends the game with the inclusion that when Nick marries someone on his mother's standards, it will be because of the selfless act from one she looks down on. Astrid moves out and tells Michael that it was his fault their marriage failed due to his ego, insecurity and unwillingness to make it work. As Rachel boards a plane with her mother, Nick catches up and proposes again, only this time with Eleanor's ring, which she finally accepts. They stay another night in Singapore for an engagement party and the films ends with Eleanor from afar nodding at Rachel in acknowledgement, finally getting her respect.
THOUGHTS
I was not exactly a stranger to the romance genre, but I knew I wasn't rushing every film like this to the theater. However when first seeing this film in theaters back in 2018, I absolutely loved it. Director Jon M. Chu gave an interesting an interesting dual story that was mostly joyful to witness, as it showed polar opposites of a relationship: one that's just getting started and one that comes to an end. There is even beautiful cinematography by Vanja Cernjul as the wedding or the 'Epiphyllum Oxypetalum' flower were beautiful shots to look back at. This movie definitely earns the com in rom-com because it's genuinely funny. Particularly, Awkwafina is full of energy as Peik Lin and you just enjoy her upbeat nature, making herself and her family a big highlight of the film. If you're not quoting "Bok-bok bitch", then you probably didn't like the movie. Even Jimmy O. Yang's appearance as Bernard Tai during the bachelor party scene always found a way to make me chuckle. The main reason I enjoyed this movie because both stories share the theme of not being ashamed of who you are. I almost didn't think I'd be invested with Astrid’s side story, but Gemma Chan kept it interesting. This character was so likable because she is the most humble and doesn’t take her life for granted. For other characters, it wouldn't work because its challenging for wealthy characters to have a positive image. But because Astrid is one that gives back, it works. Seeing her walk out with the earrings she bought earlier is supposed to represent how she is no longer ashamed of her wealth, no matter how others like her husband would feel. The man she notices during the mid credits scene is another character from the book that is supposed to be her ex-boyfriend, who has a bigger role in the eventual follow up China Rich Girlfriend. If this is the case, then I hope that its just as interesting as what was shown in here. Our leads Henry Golding and Constance Wu have the perfect chemistry to be lovable couple. For Golding, he shows that Nick is not perfect. He never told Rachel of his heritage or past relationships because she never knew who he was and just wanted to be with him, she loved him as a person. That's never exactly said but it feels more convincing than just forgetting about it. It is very surprising how he doesn't care of the money. So the fact that he was willing to give it up just to live his life with her through marriage is the boldest moment he gives because he shows that love is never worth dollar signs. For Wu, she is able to make Rachel a fearless woman during this trip. She is referenced as Cinderella because she has a similar journey. She started from nothing and fell for a man that is looked at as a prince. Besides that, she creates a stronger confidence when dealing with Eleanor. She turned down the first proposal because she wants Eleanor's respect if she wants to marry into this family. So when she recognizes the green ring, she is aware that she finally got it. The mahjong scene is great to look back at because if you do not know how the game works, you base it off of the argument and from there, you know Rachel won. It’s becomes even more poignant because the more you look into it, the deeper the symbolism grows. Last but not least, Michelle Yeoh is fierce as Eleanor because she makes her a stubborn, yet smart and determined person. You would mainly dislike her because of the hypocrisy she has towards Rachel. Whether or not she knows this, you want to respect that she is a caring mother. Even when she buys a hotel in the opening after being disrespected, you find it badass as she displays how firm she is to handle a situation. It is upsetting that she doesn't like Rachel but it's a relief that she respects her. I may have not read the books, but I am certain that the relationship between these two women will continue to grow in a positive manner. I love this movie more than I should, it doesn’t excuse the multiple flaws that I spotted. First off, it is cool that Rachel had some kind of exhibition poker game with one of her students, but how long did it last? Classes have a runtime and not all can afford to go overtime. The entire text gossip had a creative visual sequence, but since Nick got recognized so easily, how is this the first time for it to happen? It’s not like he’s hiding and since he isn’t, Rachel should’ve known of his status a long time ago. And I was outrageously confused and worried of how the plane near the island parked on a rock while Nick talked to Colin. There is no way that’d be safe to park like that. I know they’re rich, but be safe man. I really didn’t think this film would suffer from continuity errors, but I find myself disappointed to find one. When Rachel talks to Nick about her being bullied by Amanda, there were so many cuts in between where she has her arms crossed and uncrossed. It’s like they couldn’t decide how angry she should be when using her arms. Having a fashion montage is funny, but isn’t it a little concerning that Rachel had one on the day the wedding? You’re playing with fire when risking the possibility of attending a wedding and wanting to leave a good impression on your significant other’s mother. I know we’re supposed to hate Michael because he cheats on Astrid, but why the hell would he continue his affairs on his kid’s birthday? I don’t want to root for him, but he’s not even trying to be stealth at this point. Also, I know there’s drama almost bound to happen at movie weddings, but what does Eleanor gain when revealing Rachel’s past to Nick during the wedding? You could say she’s too appalled of the revelation and couldn’t wait, but she honestly should have because there is no benefit. Discussing of it after the wedding sounds logical. Other than that, you’ll still enjoy this movie for what it is. In short, Crazy Rich Asians is an entertaining romantic comedy that will be the biggest film accomplishment in 2018 for its subtle diversity. If you love this genre, you won't regret checking this out.
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