Rated: PG-13
Director: Jon M. Chu
One of the best romantic comedies to hit the screen in a long time, Crazy Rich Asians opens to find New York-based economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) crazy in love with fellow professor Nick Young (Henry Golding), being asked to accompany Nick to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. American-born Rachel, bowled over even with the idea of such a trip, agrees ... but from their arrival at the airport, where Nick is treated like royalty and the couple end up with their own sleeper suite on the airplane, Rachel soon begins to realize how little Nick has told her about himself and his family. Turns out, not only are the Youngs richer than God and one of the most powerful, preeminent families in Asia - let alone Singapore - but that Nick himself is very much a celebrity on his home turf; the handsome, popular man-about-town bachelor set to inherit a dynasty one day, with every female eye under the age of 50 in all of Asia turned in his direction. And it's those same women who now find their gazes shifting to Rachel, many of them plotting the best way to get rid of the low-class ABC (American-Born Chinese) before Nick and Rachel's plane even hits the ground. Crazy Rich Asians is that rarity of a film - a movie that's actually better than the book - with the slower parts of Kevin Kwan's international bestseller edited, combined and refined to make not only a good romance story, but also one damn funny comedy. The cast is terrific, particularly Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Young (Nick's mom), who can't help but always look at Rachel as though she's trying to set fire to the girl with her eyes - and in particular Awkwafina as Peik Lin, an old college chum of Rachel's who is from/lives in Singapore; seriously, every word from Peik Lin's mouth is hilarious, the screen bursting with life every time she's on it. But the romance is there as well as the humor, and thankfully it's not done in such shades of pink and syrup that you'll feel like a toothache is coming on from all that sugar. How terrific to finally see an all-Asian big-budget film get made, let alone do so well, but truth be known Crazy Rich Asians was one of my favorite films of 2019, so full of heart and humor and just the right moments of awe, it might bring a tear or two to the eye. And again: SO damn funny! 9.5/10 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment