It’s been a quarter-century since Hollywood made a movie with a predominantly Asian cast (The Joy Luck Club), so the new romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians is more than overdue. And it seems to be part of the seismic changes that Hollywood has been undergoing since #OscarsSoWhite.
First there was the whip-cracking feminism of Wonder Woman, then the black power of Black Panther. Now Asia gets its due via Crazy, a classy and sweet-natured movie that deserves an audience.
Constance Wu, from the American sitcom Fresh off the Boat, stars as Rachel Chu, an economics prof at New York University. Rachel has just been invited by her handsome and charming boyfriend, Nick (newcomer Henry Golding), to come to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore – it’s a chance for her to meet Nick’s family and a clear indication of his serious romantic intentions. What soon becomes shockingly clear is that the seemingly ordinary Nick is the crown prince of an enormously wealthy Singapore real-estate dynasty. Rachel has unknowingly snagged the most eligible bachelor in all Asia, and it’s Mean Girls on steroids as she becomes an object of intense speculation … and the target of vicious gossip by disappointed rivals with fingernails like talons.
Raised by a single mom and proudly working class, Rachel is a bit intimidated by all the bling and ostentation – and that’s before she meets Nick’s mother, Eleanor (the great Michelle Yeoh), a quietly ruthless matriarch used to wielding absolute power. Yeoh deftly transitions from Crouching Tiger to Tiger Mom as she coldly dismisses Rachel as “not our sort.” Nick loves his family as much as he loves Rachel, and that irremediable conflict does a decent job of keeping true love at bay till the movie’s climax.
Although in some ways just a standard-issue rom-com, Crazy does delve into the differences between Chinese Americans and their more purely Asian counterparts.
The exotic, ultra-modern glamour of Singapore provides a stunning backdrop for this frothily charming story. And the lead performances are appealing: Wu is a winner all the way, and likeable Nick has a voice as smooth as a $25 martini.
The comedy, sometimes a bit broad, always picks up with the appearance of Peik Lin Goh (the gloriously goofy Awkwafina), Rachel’s eccentric gal pal from college. And in a clever echo of the movie’s opening scene involving a poker match, the daggers-drawn showdown between Rachel and Eleanor takes place at a Mahjong table. Nice!
Rating: ***
Stars Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding
Directed by Jon M. Chu
COMING SOON:
Operation Finale
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) stars as the Mossad agent whose crew of Israeli operatives kidnapped the notorious Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) and brought him to trial 15 years after the Second World War.
A Simple Favor
Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) directs a comedy-infused erotic thriller about a young woman (Anna Kendrick) whose best friend (Blake Lively) suddenly disappears.
The Children Act
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci star in an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel about a judge who has to rule whether or not Jehovah’s Witness parents can prevent a blood transfusion that will save their boy dying of leukemia.
The Predator
The iconic 1980s sci-horror film about the alien “hunter” tracking down human trophies gets a stylish reboot. With Sterling K. Brown and Olivia Munn.
The House With A Clock On Its Walls
Horror meister Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) dials down the gore for a witches-and-warlocks gothic romp for children starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and Kyle McLachlan.
A Star Is Born
This classic Hollywood tale gets its third remake, as Lady Gaga plays an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who falls for an over-the-hill country singer (Bradley Cooper).