There's No Crazy Like Family Crazy

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – A Chinese American girl falls in love and is off to meet her boyfriend’s family. The challenge is that his family is one of the richest in all of Singapore, and their expectations of any young woman in his life will challenge her at every level.

Directed by Jon M. Chu Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh

Why I Liked It-Great story, wonderful cast, and amazing visually.

I was very excited (perhaps even a shade too excited) when I heard about this movie. It sets some standard Hollywood story settings on their head. This isn’t about someone trying to find their way in American culture. It’s an American in cultural waters that she thinks she can navigate. Instead, she finds those waters filled with obstacles and sharks. It will challenger her view of her cultural identity. Not as an American, but her perception of herself as Chinese. The conflict between Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick’s (Henry Golding) mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) is both subtle and brutal. The movie circles those two circling one another.

Like most of the American audience of this movie, this is a social setting almost beyond imagination. The level of wealth, with the connected level of conspicuous consumption, is mind-bending. Some will find the “more, more, more” aspects of that lifestyle appealing. The same behavior is characteristic of that socioeconomic class across cultures. As the movie wore on, I found it increasingly distasteful. It’s their money, and they can do as they like. In the end, it doesn’t match with my worldview.

Which is not to say that the characters were cardboard cutouts. Yeoh’s work as the mother is stunning. There is a tragic element as we discover the changes required of her as a younger woman. Eleanor has bought into the traditions of her place and society with all her heart. They have value for her, and provide stability. Rachel is a threat to all of that. In a movie filled with enthralling performances, it is Michelle Yeoh that shines most brightly.

There aren’t plenty of excellent performances here. Henry Golding is excellent in his first movie. A travel show host before this, he carries off the role as the most eligible bachelor in Asia with assured smoothness. I never would have guessed this was a debut for him. Constance Wu is equally good as Rachel. Smart, attractive, confident, and grounded in who she is, Rachel is challenged at a fundamental level of her self-identity. It’s easy to mail that kind of performance in, but Wu brings great balance here.

Last, but absolutely not least, is Awkwafina as Peik Lin Goh, Rachel’s best friend from university. She is also from one of Singapore’s wealthiest families. Peik Lin serves as Rachel’s safe haven and social guide through all the chaos. Did I mention that Awkwafina is hysterical in the role? With energy off the charts, she ad-libs her way through the movie, stealing any scene she’s in. Being the late middle-aged dude that I am, I don’t know her work as a rapper, but look forward to more appearances on-screen.

“Crazy, Rich Asians” turned out to be everything that I hoped it would be. Fascinating, well made, and bringing something new to the audience. It’s the highest grossing romantic comedy in a decade, and a hell of a lot of fun!

Rating – **** Recommended