‘Crazy Rich Asians’ a relatable romcom
Crazy Rich Asians Rated: PG-13 for some suggestive content and language. Running time: 125 minutes. 666 out of 4
“Crazy Rich Asians” was destined to be a phenomenon even before the film reached theaters.
It’s the first major Hollywood release to feature an all-Asian leading cast since “The Joy Luck Club,” which came out 25 years ago. We should all buy four tickets, whether planning to step foot in the theater or not, just on principle.
And yet this solid movie stands on its own, separate from the growing hype and it’s-been-way-too-long buildup. Director John M. Chu (“Step Up 2: The Streets”; “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never”), who had shown only flashes of promise in previous films, guides an excellent cast through some turbulent storytelling, then finishes strong with a satisfying emotional climax. There are book-to-movie problems, too much exposition and too many characters. But the film delivers a good time.
“Crazy Rich Asians” has such a focus on travel and fashion, the experience is at times like scrolling through a big-screen Instagram feed. Even before the movie’s centerpiece wedding, small characters shuttle through scenes so quickly the plot feels like a cinematic receiving line.
And yet the filmmakers never lose track of their central characters and what makes them interesting. Although there’s very little forward momentum in the movie, Chu compensates by giving every scene a strong sense of familiarity — as if we’ve already gotten to know these people after several seasons of television. In pacing and just general vibe, “Crazy Rich Asians” feels more like the first “Sex and the City” movie than any other cinematic experience.
A lot of credit for this welcoming atmosphere goes to Constance Wu, who is lovely, strong and relatable in the central role. A star best known for TV’s “Fresh off the Boat,” she absolutely shines on the big screen.
Wu is Rachel Chu, a young economics professor whose boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding), has invited her to Singapore. Unbeknownst to Rachel, he is a celebrated heir to one of the richest families on the island country. As Rachel gets a whirlwind introduction to dozens of relatives, friends and hangers-on of varying importance, she locks into a battle of wills with domineering mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), whose contempt for Rachel borders on bigotry.
Yeoh is another acting pillar in the movie, delivering stoic and dismissive lines (“When children are away from the home for too long, they forget who they are ...”) like slaps across the face.
Although the tone in “Crazy Rich Asians” is always on point, the story occasionally travels off the rails. One subplot involving Nick’s fashion-forward cousin and her insecure husband has no connection to the central story and is a distracting drag on the film.
Small characters pop in and out constantly. Sometimes they are welcome, especially Oliver Santos and Awkwafina as Americanized friends who take on “Cinderella”/fairy godmother roles during Rachel’s style transformations. And sometimes it’s confusing who is related to whom, and why they’re onscreen again.
(Pro tip: Sit next to someone who read Kevin Kwan’s
2013 “Crazy Rich Asians” book and can explain the
50 or 60 things you missed, when you’re both walking out to your car.)
But the centerpiece comedy and drama moments almost always deliver. Rachel’s entry to the wedding feels like one of the all-time stunning dress reveals. And her maneuvering and confrontations with mean mom Eleanor are completely satisfying.
“Crazy Rich Asians” is full of cultural moments, and jokes that will resonate with Asian audiences. “Red’s a lucky color, right?” Rachel asks a friend, when modeling a dowdy red dress she might wear to meet Nick’s family.
“Yeah, if you’re an envelope,” comes the reply.
But the moments that could possibly cause confusion for non-Asian audiences are few and far between. Chu’s movie has many more cultural teaching moments than inside jokes, whether you know about the Chinese red envelope gift-giving tradition or not.
The end result is flawed, but also funny, heartfelt and inclusive movie making. “Crazy Rich Asians” isn’t just a good Hollywood movie for the Asian American population, and one that is overdue by about 24 years. It’s a good movie, period.