Review of Crazy Rich Asians (2018) by Chris O — 28 Aug 2018

"Crazy Rich Asians" isn't without its flaws, but is a huge stepping stone in the film industry for Asians and I'm proud of it.

"Crazy Rich Asians" follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country's wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick's arm puts a target on Rachel's back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick's own disapproving mother (Yeoh) taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can't buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

As an Asian in the film industry, one of the things I'm most scared about is the discrimination against Asians. For the past how many years, there hasn't been an Asian film made in the U.S. by Asians or casted with them. Now suddenly, we're dropped this piece and while I don't think it's perfect, it means a lot to me. This film does a lot of important things and I'm glad it's making positive headlines.

One thing I really enjoyed about this film was its cultural awareness. It brings to the screen a subject that is actually really big in Asian culture. I watched this with my family and I know both my sister and her husband could relate to this subject a little bit. I think they showed this theme really well and it shed light onto a cultural subject that a lot of people actually aren't aware about.

While I enjoyed the acting a lot, Henry Golding has a British accent (that's not a real Asian accent, just letting you guys know). He was solid, but Constance Wu really brought out so much in this film. A lot of this film was told with the emotions of the talent and their performances were the most memorable thing of the film. I thought the entire cast had some really solid supporting actors and I felt like the performances, overall, lift this film up.

The thing I didn't love about this film was that it was formula. It was a by-the-books rom-com and I've seen that a bunch of times. Yeah, they executed pretty well here but it doesn't mean it was the most original. I felt like the concepts and themes are what separate this film from others. While the writing was complete all around, it just didn't surprise me in any way. I think overall, the film executed well so I can't really criticize it for its writing, but it is a note I want to take.

In the end, "Crazy Rich Asians" is a pretty solid film and it was a great way to end the summer. It's one I think a lot of people should watch, as it brings a lot of awareness to Asian culture.