Crazy Rich Asians - 瘋狂亞洲富豪

Crazy Rich Asians (瘋狂亞洲富豪) is an 2018 film. The movie stars Constance Wu and Henry Golding. The supporting cast include Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, and Awkwafina. Sonoya Mizuno, Lisa Lu, Nico Santos, Ken Jeong, and Chris Pang round out smaller parts. The rest come in and out of the story and add their own flair. The movie is directed by Jon Chu based on a book of the same name by Kevin Kwan. By Hollywood standards, this is the first film lead primarily of an Asian cast since Joy Luck Club.

Rachel is a NYU economics professor dating Nick Young. Nick's profession is never revealed, but he is from Singapore and has a slight British accent. Nick is the best man of his BFF Colin's wedding during spring break. Rachel has no idea who Nick REALLY is. It starts with the first class air they than lots of opulence in Singapore. Rachel is shocked by just how rich Nick's family is. Rachel reconnects with her college roommate Peik Lin that resides in Singapore. From there, Rachel is thrown to the wolves as she's judged by Nick's mother, Nick's grandmother, Nick's socialite friends. Rachel fights lots of feelings. Will Rachel and Nick make it out of this trip still a couple?



Disclaimer, before I went to watch the movie, I was not very impressed with trailer. I also wasn't impacted by the book. I also hate it when "Americans" go back to Asia and tell the locals they suck and to do it the American way. I wasn't a fan of the cast as well. So, I really wasn't all that into going. BUT I had to go support this film. Even if it was bad, I was going to put my 2 cents in via movie tickets.

The movie ended up exceeding all of my meager expectations. It is a rom com at its core. Its about a girl from another social economic class that meets someone from another social economic class and they have to figure it out. Sounds like a similar storyline to the Disney Zombies movie right? But it get set with Asians in all the roles and happens in the far off mystical land of Singapore. The story of two people that get exposed to each others family and fight through it for love.

Had this been an non Asian cast, it would have been just another rom com. But because of its Asian cast and Singaporean backdrop, the film couldn't decouple itself from being the tentpole for the Asian community in Hollywood.

Go see this film if you're into rom coms.