CRAZY RICH ASIANS REVIEW

Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her long-time boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.  She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family are extremely wealthy, and he’s also considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse- Nick’s disapproving mother.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is directed by Jon Chu and produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and John Penotti. The ensemble film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Ken Jeong.  

                                                        

                                                        The ensemble cast delivers one of the summer's 

                                                        best films

The biggest success of CRAZY RICH ASIANS is the feel the movie gives off. The director Jon Chu manages to convey a film which has the feel of an old Hollywood rom-com but at the same time is uniquely modern. Nobody really knows what it means by calling a film modern but in this case, it is in reference to the editing, the tone and the characters. CRAZY RICH ASIANS is bilingual both literally and metaphorically. Throughout the film the main characters swap in and out of speaking English and Chinese managing to achieve this in a seamless manner. Furthermore, the film resonates with a diverse audience made up of different cultures. CRAZY RICH ASIANS should not necessarily be referred to as the first major Hollywood feature led by an all Asian cast but instead the first great major Hollywood rom-com in recent years.

In many respects CRAZY RICH ASIANS is an ensemble film that melds together nicely. One of the major issues with nailing an ensemble piece is characterisation. On many an occasion there can be too many characters for the film to truly focus on. However, this is not the case with CRAZY RICH ASIANS with more than the lead two characters fleshed out. As such, we have a number to connect to following their storylines throughout. The main thorough line of the movie is following Constance Wu and Henry Golding’s character but as the movie develops Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh’s characters come to the forefront and create fully realised characters. Awakafina is also a standout worth of a mention and we see much more of her talents than we did in OCEAN’S EIGHT. Due to the high calibre of talent, who all give great performances, the film thrives. Most notably they manage to balance the comedy with the drama in a really effective manner. CRAZY RICH ASIANS allows you to cry as much as laugh.


                                                      

                                                     Comedy and Drama can be a hard thing to balance
                                                     but Crazy Rich Asians manages it to fine form. 

The latest trend with Hollywood movies is to use the soundtrack as a storytelling device. This can either be a success like with the GUARDIAN'S OF THE GALAXY films or to the film’s detriment and end up playing like a music video as evidence in ATOMIC BLONDE. Fortunately, in the case of CRAZY RICH ASIANS it is most definitely the former. The highlight of the use of the soundtrack is best definitely the Chinese rendition of Coldplay’s Yellow which is the scene stealing moment of the film with the music highlighting the action taking place instead of, potentially undercutting it. For director Jon Chu this moment was integral with him speaking about how Yellow was his favourite song at college and he was so insistent on its use in CRAZY RICH ASIANS that he even wrote to Coldplay personally asking for permission to use it.

The genre of a rom-com is one that often has a good premise but eventually falls flat on its face resulting in a mediocre feature. But CRAZY RICH ASIANS manages to thrive on large part because the film has heart and character. This is not a film that has been mandated and slapped together but so much craft and care has gone into nearly every aspect leaving no stone unturned. From the script, to the directing and the production design CRAZY RICH ASIANS manages to be a unique film despite containing what many would consider a been there done that storyline.

The thematic elements of wealth and the clash between the bourgeoisie and proletariat is something that is touched upon though done in a subtle way and not the way one would presume. Though it should be noted that due to the film’s representation of wealth I would be shocked if this saw a Chinese release date due to their state’s recent clampdown. But nevertheless, the exploration of this subject is arguably the movie’s driving point and plays a key contributing factor to the events that unfold.  In addition to the clashes of wealth the representation of the class system and their ensuing prejudices lands.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS sets out to be more than just the latest summer rom-com and in many respects, it truly achieves. By not just being a simple rom-com, the film achieves more than it set out it. Hollywood will probably learn the wrong lessons from the successes of CRAZY RICH ASIANS but nevertheless it is good to see at least one set of filmmakers learn that a film is nothing without character and story.

Score: 5/5