Rating: 8/10

 

When I first heard about this movie I didn’t pay it any attention but after it blew up on the box office I got curious and decided to see it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a movie about a culture I know nothing about but in the end it taught me a lot and was plenty of fun.

Crazy Rich Asians is a movie about an American born Asian girl named Rachel (Constance Wu) who visits her boyfriend rich family in China.

Rachel is together with Nick Young (Henry Golding), who unbeknownst to her is the son of one of the richest families in China. When Nick’s brother is getting married the couple is going to China to attend the wedding.

When they arrive at the airport Rachel and Nick have been upgraded to first class from their economy class tickets and that is when Nick finally reveals to Rachel that his family is rich.

Let me say that the story line is quite good but it’s not what the movie is really about.

Crazy Rich Asians is a movie that addresses some topics that are relatable to the current situation in the world and it teaches people about the Asian culture.

The cast although relatively unknown does a brilliant job. Everybody has great chemistry and the whole movie feels natural.

I have never heard of Constance Wu before but she is very good here and I believe we will see a lot of her in the future. Her chemistry with Henry Golding is incredible.

There are two actors however that deserve a special mention. The first is Awkafina. She

already did a great job in the amazing Ocean’s Eight but she is even better here.

Whenever the young artist is on screen she owns the room. you can se that she give her best in every scene. There is one scene where quirky and uplifting character has a serious conversation with Rachel and while it still feels like she is listening she also manages to deflate the situation with humor.

Although there are quite a few good laughs in the movie, humor is used in a rather subtle way that makes the viewer chuckle and helps the movie to stay so light.

The second actor I want to mention here is Ken Jeong, probably known best from the Hangover movies. Jeong is a brilliant actor as he has proven quite a few times and he is just as good here.

His character is in only a few scenes but they are some of the movie’s best. There is a dinner scene in the movie when Jeong delivers his lines in a way that no one else could. He is in another scene in a clothing store which won’t give away. All I’m going to say is that I had to stop the movie because I was laughing so hard.

The thing that impressed me the most were the beautiful set pieces and production design. Whether it’s a scene with a party or a simple dinner scene there is always some colorful and magnificent structures to be seen. Thought the movie always see this design with a beautiful Asian touch. I was also very surprised to hear many Asian songs playing in the sound track.

Everything in the movie fits together so well. The beautiful production design, the score, the food and all the other things that represent the Asian culture. It all feels like it belongs and give us a real picture of the Asian culture.

The aspect that resonated with me most though was the message behind the movie.

Everybody whether rich or poor, young or old, everybody deserves a chance. Just because people are from a different culture or a different country they are not better or worse than us.

This is a constant topic throughout the movie.

Nick’s mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeah) doesn’t want Rachel as Nicks girlfriend because Rachel is what she calls “an American-Chinese” and while in most movies this rejection would lead to a desperate quest of the main character to impress the future mother-in-law Crazy Rich Asian’s deals with differently.

Rachel accepts the rejection and instead of trying to impress Eleanor she stays true to herself and her values. I am not going to give away any more to not spoil the fun.

This approach of dealing with prejudice and rejection is was impressed me the most about the movie.

It is a rare image in movies as well as in real life and it is very refreshing to see that conflicts can be settled in a calm and positive manner through confrontation and conversation rather than aggressive behavior.

All in all Crazy Rich Asians is a very good movie that will make you laugh quite a few times. It is a visually stunning movie that combined with the amazing score makes a prefect comedy that knows how to bring across it’s message in an effective yet subtle  and entertaining way.

Whether you go see the movie for the laughs, the stunning set pieces or simply to have a good time it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that when you go see it Crazy Rich Asians will thoroughly entertain you. I can only recommend that you go see this comedy. It will cheer you up and leave you with great new impressions about many important topics.