I walked into the theater expecting a cheesy rom-com with some poorly written jokes at the expense of the Asian actors. What I watched was a wonderfully stylized love letter to eastern cultures that explores the roles of family, relationships, and loyalty in the context of wealth and fame.
The plot nothing we haven’t seen before in other romantic movies; girl is invited to travel to boyfriend’s home to meet the family. Surprise! He’s rich. It’s then a fish out of water story as she tries to navigate new societal expectations and win the approval of his snobby family, when really all that matters is love… blah blah blah. She even has a quirky friend who helps her do a glamorous makeover.
I can feel your eyes rolling. Bear with me, this is a good movie and I will get to why!
The gist of the plot does follow that stereotypical story – main character Rachel (Constance Wu), is an economics professor at NYU who was raised by a single immigrant mother in New York City. Rachel is invited by her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to attend his best friend’s wedding in Singapore and meet his family. She learns at the airport that Nick had been neglecting to tell her of his family’s wealth and status. Once they arrive, Rachel makes several faux pas when meeting his family and there is tension between her and Nick’s mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). Rachel has to decide if her love for Nick is worth navigating this new world of extreme wealth and family expectations.
What sets this movie apart is that “affluence” isn’t the only cultural wall that Rachel must overcome. Though she is Chinese-American, we see her struggle with being an outsider in a foreign land. She looks Asian, and she can speak Chinese. However, at heart she is American. This plays into many of the struggles that she faces throughout the plot, in particular when it comes to her interactions with Nick’s cousins and her relationship his mother Eleanor – the movie’s main antagonist.
Eleanor is in some ways, the typical rich mom; she wants the very best for her son while maintaining extremely high standards. She is driven by intense pride and loyalty for her family, at times even at her own expense. Scenes featuring Eleanor are consequently very intense but with depth of character, due in part to Michelle Yeoh’s wish to not be portrayed as the stock villainous tiger mom. There are a few key character moments that are original to the movie. For example, Eleanor’s final dialogue at the end of the movie with Rachel is not in the book. It’s a wonderful addition though as it serves as a poignant confrontation, is dripping with symbolism, sets Eleanor up for eventual redemption, and perfectly encapsulates the struggle between East versus West that is explored throughout the film.
If you’ve watched the movie and want a full breakdown of that final scene with Rachel and Eleanor, here’s a great article that explains the basics of mahjong and the importance of the game they play in the greater context of plot. It’s totally worth a read and makes that scene even more stunning!
Side characters are very fleshed out and at times outshine our protagonist. Rachel’s quirky friend Peik Lin (portrayed by Awkwafina) serves as her confidant, offers advice and makes sure that she is properly dressed for multiple occasions. Nick’s cousin Astrid supports Rachel amid her own struggles. Honestly, her side-plot that was just as engaging as Rachel’s story, at times more so. I would totally watch a movie just about Astrid!
I fully admit I watched Crazy Rich Asians without having read the book. There were some moments with the side characters that would have made more sense with background from the source material. I had to look up the mid-credits scene with Astrid because I had no clue what was being referenced. Also, I would have loved to see more of cousin Oliver and Nick’s friend Colin since they are more down to earth than some of the other family members.
Many of the movie’s comedic moments come from either Peik Lin, or from Nick’s extremely and often ridiculously opulent family – hardly surprising given the level of wealth that the Youngs have. The jokes are never over the top or mean spirited, fitting well into the film’s overall atmosphere.
For being a movie about “crazy rich” people, I found the characters to be (for the most part) very grounded. Since most of the story revolves around family dynamic, much of the conflict revolves around very relatable topics – a parent meeting a child’s significant other that they don’t approve of, ex-girlfriends acting jealous, extramarital affairs, and couples trying to work through their problems. In the context of the characters being Asian, there is also a lot of focus on personal self-sacrifice for the betterment of the family – something that Eleanor presumes Rachel of being incapable of due to American cultural ideals of independence.
Without giving anything away, I walked out of the theater with a smile on my face because of that ending. Sure, a lot of the plot is cliche, but I think that Crazy Rich Asians isn’t trying to break totally new ground. It takes old plot conventions and makes them fresh by shifting the focus to family and culture in a way that feels respectful and uncompromising. The stylized graphics, gorgeous rich set pieces, and mostly Chinese soundtrack offer a wonderful backdrop that feels familiar and yet totally new. If you are in the mood for a for a feel-good movie with plenty of eye candy, than Crazy Rich Asians is totally worth a watch!
