{"id":5791,"date":"2018-08-14T13:33:09","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T20:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/?p=5791"},"modified":"2018-08-14T13:33:09","modified_gmt":"2018-08-14T20:33:09","slug":"review-crazy-rich-asians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/?p=5791","title":{"rendered":"Review: CRAZY RICH ASIANS"},"content":{"rendered":"

With sumptuous production values and winning characters, \u201cCrazy Rich Asians\u201d is one of the year\u2019s biggest romantic surprises.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding) are hopelessly in love. They\u2019re so lovesick that, when they are out having dinner, he gobbles down her dessert order without asking for permission. This might be considered a small thing, but since food plays such a key part of the attractive tapestry of the narrative, it\u2019s a notable early tell. These are two kindred spirits, who, from the moment we meet them, share some kind of intangible bond.<\/p>\n

They met in the international metropolis of NYC, where Rachel is one of the youngest professors at NYU, and where Nick, well, he likes to play basketball at the local YMCA. Both are young, carefree and, yes, they happen to be Asian. Rachel is from China, having come to the US when her mother emigrated. The sensible Rachel has been raised by a humble single mother and lives very simply.<\/p>\n

\"\"Nick, on the other hand, was born in Singapore. And even though he dresses like a fashion model, he\u2019s left the clueless Rachel with the impression that he\u2019s just like her\u2014a product of the middle class. But, as the film\u2019s title reveals, he\u2019s cleverly been hiding something very big. Nick\u2019s family is rich. They\u2019re not just wealthy, but mega, mega wealthy. And when they fly to Nick\u2019s home, he\u2019s forced to disclose to the deer-caught-in-the-headlights Rachel just how rich he is. And, to make matters even more complicated, waiting for her is Nick\u2019s devoted and controlling mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh).<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy Rich Asians\u201d is about the \u201ccrazy-rich\u201d some of which also happen to be genuinely crazy. The lifestyles of the eccentrics featured in this film will make most viewers feel like serfs (something short of peasant status). But for most of us watching, our entry into this wacky world of designer clothing, Rolls Royce transportation, parties on private islands, and endless supplies of cash is the relatable Rachel, whose ingenue social persona belies that of her professor of economics education.<\/p>\n

Make no mistake, this is a fantasy film filled with escapist delights including a sequence involving street food in Singapore that could easily have been an episode of Anthony Bourdain\u2019s \u201cNo Reservations.\u201d And although you literally couldn\u2019t take part in the actual meal, the sequence, like most everything in the film, is a feast for the eyes. Viewers will emerge hungry for this far off mysterious utopia, which might draw some criticism.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But beyond the fantastic, almost old Hollywood production, \u201cCRA\u201d has a cast not intent on trading on familiar stereotypes. \u201cFresh off the Boat\u2019s\u201d Constance Wu, playing Rachel as a bit of a social novice, is an extremely likable lead. She\u2019s a kind of reverse Hugh Grant from his \u201cNotting Hill\u201d days, but with all the innocence and charm of Julia Roberts. In fact, this is a movie carved directly from the Richard Curtis school, and it\u2019s a film that could easily join the rotation of \u201cLove Actually\u201d and \u201cFour Weddings and a Funeral\u201d as another romantic minor classic.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An example of the self-aware production is a scene in which glamorous knockout Gemma Chan, playing Nick\u2019s sister Astrid, visits an exclusive, high-end jewelry shop. She looks positively like Audrey Hepburn in \u201cBreakfast at Tiffany\u2019s\u201d as she strides, almost floating, toward an elevator. The care taken to get moments like that one exactly right, without looking cheap and shamelessly derivative, is nothing short of artful.<\/p>\n

A constantly evolving image factory, director Jon M. Chu, whose previous work included fun sequels like \u201cNow You See Me 2\u201d and to a lesser extent \u201cGI Joe: Retaliation,\u201d did not previously give us a film this completely self-assured and fully realized. Sure, \u201cCRA\u201d is a sweeping romantic comedy with manipulative and even forced narrative elements, but it all comes together magically around Wu\u2019s sweet and intelligent performance. One key scene involving a game of mahjong will leave most viewers gutted and misty eyed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t to say that, like \u201cLove Actually,\u201d there won\u2019t be detractors. \u201cCRA\u201d is a quite materialistic affair. There\u2019s a lot of callous waste on display. And even, probably, one too many endings. But given what was riding on this film, a big budget, English language, romantic feature with an all-Asian cast, the utterly satisfying result is something of a minor miracle. So much could have gone wrong, and if it had, the set-back would have been devastating to the industry that is just now realizing that the Asian characters can\u2019t be relegated to bit roles often marked with racially tinged comedy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that the tall, suave Henry Golding, who plays such a convincing and genuine romantic lead here, could very well make an excellent James Bond. His lovely English lilt and calm, in control manner, are instantly intoxicating. This is an actor young enough to take over the 007 role after Idris Elba makes us all believe that Bond is a personality, not a race or any one identity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Further, there\u2019s just no denying the magnetic comedy charisma that the actress who goes by the utterly cool name Awkwafina exudes in this film. As Rachel\u2019s outspoken best friend Peik Lin Goh, this gal is real firecracker. Every scene she\u2019s in is a fresh and edgy roller coaster ride. Give her a role opposite similar personality Aubrey Plaza, and this critic will be first in line at the box office.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy Rich Asians\u201d is something of a cultural happening in cinemas this weekend. It\u2019s not to be missed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Magical romantic comedy could be something of a cultural moment this weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[630,631,632,633,634,635,636,50,637],"class_list":["post-5791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-awkwafina","tag-constance-wu","tag-crazy-rich-asians","tag-gemma-chan","tag-henry-golding","tag-jon-m-chu","tag-michelle-yeoh","tag-movie-review","tag-singapore","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}