Crazy Rich Asians had pressure to be great from the beginning. Based on a global bestseller and touting an entirely Asian cast, expectations were set very, very high. Thankfully, I can report that the first major Hollywood production to have an all-Asian cast in the last 25 years lives up to its hype. It’s a classic romantic comedy in all the right ways, with plenty of laughs and enough heart to keep the audience rooting for its characters.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film follows an economics professor named Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), as she’s whisked off to Singapore to finally meet the family of her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding). However, even after dating for a year, Nick failed to mention that his family isn’t just rich, they’re crazy rich. Biggest developers in Singapore rich. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of excess, Rachel must work to impress Nick’s family, especially his mother (Michelle Yeoh).
In many ways, Crazy Rich Asians has many of the same beats as a traditional romantic comedy. The girlfriend squares off against a protective mother, she has a quirky best friend (played by the hilarious Awkwafina), and there always seems to be a lurking family member ready to stir up drama. But with an all-Asian cast, a lavish setting, and characters you believe in, it all works.
Constance Wu and Henry Golding shine as our main couple. Both are ridiculously pretty, yet charming enough to ward off self-importance. While I wouldn’t say their chemistry crackles on screen, they make enough moon eyes at one another to be believable as a couple. Rachel is incredibly relatable as she navigates this new world with unease and determination, while Nick is always the supportive boyfriend.
But more interesting than the romantic relationships of this film are the matriarchal ones. Nick’s mother, Eleanor Young, seems to represent everything traditional. She went to law school until she got married and dropped out to help her husband run the business and raise her family. Fiercely protective over Nick, she shuns Rachel as too modern, too American for her son, scoffing at her lower middle class upbringing. Still, as cold and calculating as Eleanor can be, the film is careful to subtly explain every choice, humanizing her and refusing to make her the outright villain. Rachel’s own mother is an important character, and every bit as warm as Eleanor is cold. It’s a testament to script that it’s easy to see that both women are caring mothers, just with very different methods.
While we’ve seen many elements of Crazy Rich Asians in other films, this one feels like a modern romantic comedy done right. The characters are richly developed, the cast and setting are unique, and the film never strays too far into comedy to lose its heart. I predict it will earn a spot on the coveted easy-to-rewatch rom-coms list, right next to You’ve Got Mail and My Best Friend’s Wedding. The diversity is certainly great, too. #RepresentationMatters. But most of all, it’s just a really good film. So hopefully, across all genres, studios will be more likely to green light diversely-casted projects. More representation and excellent films? Now that’s an idea we can all get behind.
