3.5 stars. Rated PG-13, for suggestive content and brief profanity
By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 8.17.18
Cross-cultural interpersonal friction has terrific potential in film comedies; the challenge is to ensure that the humor is warm and genuinely funny, without being demeaning or racist.
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| Rachel (Constance Wu, far right) is charmed when her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) introduces her to his grandmother, Ah Ma (Lisa Lu, center), while other members of his wealthy and privileged family watch warily. |
My Big, Fat Greek Wedding successfully walked that delicate line, back in 2002; director Jon M. Chu has navigated the same potentially treacherous waters with equal care, in his adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s 2013 best-seller, Crazy Rich Asians.
This is even more impressive, given Chu’s résumé, which up to now has focused on the Step Up dance franchise and bombastic popcorn flicks such as G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Now You See Me 2. I wouldn’t have thought him capable of the prudent handling required by this droll rom-com.
He and scripters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim also give generous screen time to an impressive roster of supporting characters, all of whom get numerous opportunities to shine. That reflects good directing and writing; far too many ensemble projects focus exclusively on the name stars, shamefully leaving equally (if not more) intriguing co-stars twisting in the wind.
Chiarelli and Lim have done an equally impressive job of compressing the novel’s multiple points of view — the story is told, in alternating chapters, by five key characters — into a single narrative. Chu then transformed the saga into a strongly visual experience, particularly with respect to travel maps and inventive displays of chat-by-text: clever touches that obviously couldn’t have been done in print.
All this said, I’m not sure Kwan’s fans will approve. Although the key elements of boorish behavior have been retained — Chu deftly blends hilarious bits with moments that are quite painful — the film is a much kinder, gentler handling of the core plot, which (in the novel) is far more vicious and brutal.
Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a professor of economics at New York University, is delighted when longtime boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) invites her to tag along for his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Unfortunately, Nick has neglected to mention that he’s the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest and most powerful families; perhaps even worse, back home he’s a sought-after bachelor still regarded as “fair game” by the aristocratic young women who mingle in his family’s refined social circle.
All of whom regard lower-middle-class Rachel as an insignificant threat, to be quickly disposed of.
(In Nick’s defense, as he later explains, he found it refreshing that Rachel fell in love with him without knowing his privileged background ... and he simply never got around to ’fessing up.)
Rachel might have been able to handle jealous socialites, but Nick’s mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) is another matter entirely. Encouraged further by a flock of equally disapproving friends and relations, Eleanor has no intention of allowing Nick to marry “beneath himself” ... not that marriage has even come up yet.
Although this sounds like a Jane Austen melodrama, the class-conscious sniping is mitigated by cinematographer Vanja Cernjul’s luxurious depictions of Singapore’s often majestic attractions — the “mere” city skyline is jaw-dropping — and this film also is a love letter to the country’s food, culture and beauty. An effervescent montage, as Rachel and Nick link up with his friend Colin (Chris Pang) and fiancée Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno), ranks as one of cinema’s all-time best foodie sequences. (I left hungry.)
Then there’s the hysterical onslaught of unbelievably wretched excess by the Young family and their peers. It just gets crazier and crazier, and of course that’s the point: It’s utterly absurd.
But not always funny, and that’s a telling distinction.
Astrid (Gemma Chan), one of Nick’s cousins, is famous throughout Singapore for her beauty and grace; her wealth notwithstanding, she’s kind and sensitive to others. She nonetheless has an image to maintain, which remains a source of friction with her husband Michael (Pierre Png), a self-made entrepreneur regarded as a “commoner” by her family. She shops constantly and then hides everything, not wanting to rub Michael’s nose in all the purchases ... but, of course, he knows all about them anyway.
Nick’s other cousins, alas, aren’t nearly as endearing. Condescending investment banker Eddie (Ronny Chieng) misses no opportunities to belittle Rachel; would-be film producer Alistair (Remy Hii) scandalizes the family by cavorting with trashy starlet Kitty Pong (Fiona Xie), whose name says everything one needs to know about her.
Then there’s the bevy of catty — and always expensively dressed — young women on the family fringes, who snub Rachel at every turn, sometimes quite spitefully.
Fortunately, Rachel has allies, starting with former college pal Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina), a motor-mouthed force of nature who sparkles beneath a cheeky blond wig, and drives a hot pink Audi. Rapper-turned-rising film star Awkwafina — also recently seen in Ocean’s 8 — darn near steals the film, with the savvy and outspoken Peik Lin’s wickedly funny and perfectly timed one-liners.
Peik Lin also belongs to an eye-rollingly materialistic family led by parents Wye Mun (Ken Jeong) and Neenah (Chieng Mun Koh), who embrace kitsch opulence to a defiantly tasteless degree: the sort of nouveau riche upstarts who’ll never be allowed to socialize with the Youngs. Although played for embarrassing laughs — particularly by Jeong, who bounces superbly off Awkwafina — the Goh family has genuine heart, which sets them apart from Eleanor’s snooty clan.
Nico Santos also makes the most of his role as fashion designer Oliver T’Sien, the Young family’s (in his candid assessment) “poor relation and rainbow sheep.” He cleverly remains in Eleanor’s good graces by functioning as the family fixer and procurer, as when (for example) she desires a rare Cambodian gong for calling people to dinner. As something of a misfit, Oliver quickly bonds with the grateful Rachel.
All of these characters are equally droll, endearing or contemptible; it’s a tribute to Wu’s presence that Rachel manages to retain control of her own story. We can’t help adoring her; she’s an engaging blend of intelligence, spunk and vulnerability. She tries oh so hard, at all times, but the deck isn’t merely stacked against her; the rules keep changing.
Yeoh is sublimely, subtly waspish as Eleanor: a manipulative woman who will stop at nothing to get her way, but who — in public — is never less than cordial. But there’s no warmth in her gaze, and no compassion in her heart (if indeed she even has one). She’s one of the all-time great aristocratic villains.
Chan is both radiant and heartbreaking as Astrid, who — alongside Rachel — emerges as the story’s other deeply tragic figure. Tan Kheng Hua has several telling scenes as Rachel’s loving single mother, Kerry.
Golding, a television personality just making the jump to potential film stardom, makes Nick appropriately polished, suave and even sensitive. Golding doesn’t have much acting range, but that’s all right; he exudes the affection and tenderness that the role requires.
Costume designer Mary E. Vogt must’ve had a sizable staff, to keep up with this film’s myriad and inexhaustible wardrobe demands: from the gorgeous (everything on Wu, Yeoh and Chan) to the garish (pretty much everybody else). Singapore itself is laden with amazing visual wonders, such as the Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay, and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, with its stunning rooftop SkyPark and infinity swimming pool, set atop the world’s largest public cantilevered platform. I mean, gosh.
Brian Tyler’s bubbly orchestral score is frequently interrupted by unexpected American standards, Chinese songs freshly interpreted by a swing band, and 1960s and ’70s pop/rock hits covered by contemporary Asian artists. You can’t help chuckling at (for example) Cheryl K’s take on “Money (That’s What I Want).”
One small point: A working knowledge of mahjong strategy would be helpful, in order to fully appreciate one telling encounter between Rachel and Eleanor.
All in all, Crazy Rich Asians is a fresh and thoroughly delightful take on the traditional romantic comedy: delightful, that is, when you aren’t wincing and cringing. But that, too, is part of the fun.
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