Crazy Rich Asians is a film adaptation of the first in a trilogy of novels starring Fresh Off the Boat’s Constance Wu, who plays Rachel Chu, a New York University Chinese American professor, and the titan of talent, Michelle Yeoh, who plays Eleanor Young, the matriarch of a wealthy Chinese family. Rachel’s boyfriend invites her to a friend’s wedding to meet his family, and Rachel discovers that he is the crown prince of a famous, wealthy family. Will their relationship survive this trip?
The only reason that I watched Crazy Rich Asians is because it has been twenty-five years since a Western movie had an Asian cast, and it was not a martial arts film. The first movie was The Joy Luck Club. Amy Tan used to be one of my favorite authors. It was one of the first movies that I ever saw in theaters and owned on VHS. For me, this movie would suffer in comparison. The problem with lack of representation is that there is always the potential to impose too much of a burden on a movie to be perfect and live up to someone else’s standards instead of allowing it to set its own goal. One film is a drama, which is one of my favorite genres, and the other is a rom com, which I stopped watching in my twenties/early thirties. Under ordinary circumstances, I would never see it, but if The Joy Luck Club was a perfect and profitable movie, and Hollywood still waited this long before making another Asian majority cast movie, then I can put aside my personal preferences for a couple of hours.
It also didn’t hurt that I actually like Constance Wu as a person and an actor, and I don’t get enough opportunities to enjoy her work. Long before there was a Xena: Warrior Princess or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Yeoh was kicking butt in movies such as Super Cop, Wing Chun, The Heroic Trio and Tomorrow Never Dies. If she appears in a bad movie, I blame the movie, not her, for failing to showcase her talents. When Western audiences began to discover her, I noticed that the movies began to reduce the ratio of effective fighting with emphasis on her beauty, and her characters began to lose more fights than they won. I understand that she is an actor with incredible range so as she gets older, it may be unreasonable to want her to keep fighting, but it is hard for me to switch gears when I’ve known her work for so long.
I suspect that Jon M. Chu feels similarly because even though Eleanor basically has to play the mean mom, Crazy Rich Asians’ first scene immediately and unexpectedly puts the audience on Eleanor’s side so we never hate her. Eleanor is more than a hateful archetype, but a complicated woman whose wealth never protects her from pain at home or in the world. She fascinated me more than Rachel because Yeoh plays her as a woman always in conflict and transmits her emotions perfectly on her face. She is disdainful, but also doubtful and empathizes with Rachel because she recognizes that she may be continuing a negative cycle. Her perfection and poise are armor because people surround her, but she is fundamentally alone, the tip of the spear. Yeoh is still fighting, but using different weapons.
I kind of lost my suspension of disbelief fairly early because I could not believe that after a year with Nick, the press and the paparazzi never noticed them sooner, especially in Manhattan. Also while I understood why Nick would be happy to keep his earlier life a secret, I was a bit surprised how quickly Rachel adjusted without becoming suspicious of what else he was hiding, and that it didn’t drive more of a wedge. I felt as if she should have been growing gradually more distant and withdrawn instead of abruptly doing so when he did not do anything at that particular point to deserve it. He basically threw her to the wolves without any preparation so I felt that the cracks should have gotten gradually larger instead of springing up in the third act, especially after the bachelorette party.
I intellectually understand that we are not at Crazy Rich Asians for intellectual reasons, but I couldn’t believe that Rachel, a professor, would have an undiluted good time without any asides about feeling awkward about being served or having casual connections with the servants in contrast to how the revelers would treat the servants like servants or furniture. There is only one scene when she mistakes a servant for a family member. Speaking from experience, when you come from humble origins and enter privileged spaces, you may enjoy the ride, but you never forget how little separates you from the people that are creating your comfort; however she adjusts rather rapidly. Also did she already know and expect that her friend was (new) rich? Because she doesn’t blink when she comes to Peik’s home, and whenever I suddenly found out that a friend was in a higher economic bracket than expected, it may not have changed the relationship, but it definitely took me by surprise. While I hated Generation Wealth, it does provide a helpful backdrop for Rachel’s potential reaction to her new environment. She could have been shocked and repulsed, but after a few token early scenes devoted to budget concerns, she fully embraces this world without any reflection on its ethics.
I actually think that Crazy Rich Asians was released at the perfect time because the world is primed for such stories after this year’s royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Viewers on a visceral level understand that there is a cultural, national and financial gap that must be overcome so the obstacles don’t seem contrived, but relatable, and we are primed to root for her. Also if you’re watching the movie as an American, the descendant of immigrants, the story wisely makes a distinction that being Chinese isn’t enough to gain favor. Eleanor may be a Christian, but there is a Buddhist thread throughout the film that Americans are dangerous because their primary goal is to be happy, but if happiness is an illusion, then Rachel is a credible threat, and it isn’t pure snobbery motivating Eleanor. Is Rachel capable of putting others over her happiness? We’ve met Rachel’s mom so we already know that being a first generation American distinguishes her from her more shallow countrymen, but it is a perfect tension that elevates the film above other rom coms.
Crazy Rich Asians is really the tale of three women, which includes Nick’s sister, Astrid, who gets a small, but substantial storyline, and the post credits scene seems to indicate that she will play a bigger role in the next movie. It is also a promotional love letter to Singapore to attract tourists. While not every cultural element featured in the film is fully explained, the fundamental meaning resonates and is effectively conveyed. Even if you are like me and no longer enjoy rom coms, it is still a fast paced, popcorn movie full of opulent spectacle that you would enjoy more on the big screen with the surround sound giving you the perfect showcase to enjoy the incredible soundtrack.