Review of Crazy Rich Asians (2018) by Ricardowill — 18 Aug 2018

Crazy Rich Asians will grab your attention from the start as it introduces an Asian woman and her family minus her husband checking in at a hotel they had booked only to be told that there wasn't a reservation and that they should seek accommodation in Chinatown by the White hotel staff. This incident stayed on my mind as I watched the movie unfold. Nick Young played by Henry Golding is filthy rich to the point where he can sit in a restaurant in New York with his girlfriend and someone can secretly take a selfie with him in the background and through Social Media, spark a global conversation about his wealth and his mysterious girlfriend. The problem with that is that his girlfriend Rachel Chu played by Constance Wu doesn't know that he is filthy rich. She accompanies him to Singapore to his friend's wedding and then discovers his status. I struggled with this premise. It didn't feel realistic especially as her friends knew instantly who he was. This is a romantic comedy that teenagers will fall in love with and with an All- Asian cast it is a refreshing optimistic hope that Hollywood is expanding its boundaries. The movie is a winner for the country of Singapore which is shown in all its beauty from day-life to nightlife. I had the pleasure of being at Singapore's International Airport in 1985 and it was beautiful then and it is still amazing. There are a lot of Asian jokes that I didn't find funny some of which played with the sound of the names. The actors did a great job although I found little chemistry between Constance Wu and Henry Goulding. Awkwafina as Peik Lin Goh and friend of Rachel was funny and great in her role. The theme of Crazy Rich Asians is about Class and it is interesting to see those who experienced discrimination being in a position to discriminate against others. It also explores the premise of not telling important things to loved ones and seeing the complications it causes when the truth is discovered. It also gives us a look into how the wealth of Singapore live and some insight into how being wealthy measure up to be happy. Material things are portrayed as the key to wealth and happiness in many scenes.

I found the script struggled on focus as we are at a friends wedding but the spotlight is thrown on Nick Youngs unknown girlfriend Rachel since he has never brought a girl home in the past and through it all, I feel like I'm watching Nick's wedding. In the end, "Crazy Rich Asians" is predictable, but don't read deep into it as I did. Just sit back an enjoy the beauty of Singapore and imagine that you are on a romantic vacation. I give Crazy Rich Asians a C.