CRAZY RICH ASIANS : Monday 3rd September 2018

'CRAZY RICH ASIANS' which I saw at a packed out theatre earlier this week is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. This romantic comedy drama is Directed by Jon M. Chu whose previous Directing credits include 'Step Up 2 : The Streets', 'Step Up 3D', 'G.I.Joe : Retaliation' and 'Now You See Me 2', and is the first major Hollywood studio film to feature an Asian American cast in a modern day setting since 'The Joy Luck Club' released twenty-five years ago now. The film has so far taken US$144M at the Box Office from its Budget outlay of $30M and has garnered generally positive press. With this Box Office and critical acclaim, a sequel is already in development, and so watch out for follow on films, as Kwan has written two sequel novels - 'China Rich Girlfriend' and 'Rich People Problems'.

After an early set up in 1995 in which we are first introduced to just how rich the Young family really are, we are quickly fast forwarded to the present day New York. Here Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is a Professor of Economics at New York University who is in a steady relationship with Nick Young (Henry Golding), also a Professor at the same University. Over a bite to eat after a days work, Rachel accepts an invitation by Nick to fly to Singapore to accompany him to his best friend's wedding, at which he is to be the Best Man to Colin and his bride Araminta (Chris Pang and Sonoya Mizuno respectively). The trip presents the perfect opportunity for Rachel to meet Nick's family, and catch-up with her old mate from school Peik Lin (Awkwafina). On board the plane, Rachel is expecting to fly cattle class and is somewhat taken aback when the Hostess ushers the couple to their private first class cabin. Nick let's on after being questioned by Rachel, that his family are reasonably well off and comfortable.

Upon arrival in Singapore Nick and Rachel are greeted at the airport by Colin and Araminta and they spend the remaining day eating and drinking their way around Singapore's street food markets. The next day, Rachel visits her former school buddy Peik Lin at her grand and opulent family residence. There she learns from Peik Lin and her family over a lavish dinner at home hosted by Peik Lin's father Goh Wye Mun (Ken Jeong), that Nick is in fact Singapore's most eligible bachelor and that the Young family are super rich, and how they came by their money in real estate development when they relocated from China back in the late 19th Century when Singapore was nothing more that rice paddies.

Later that evening Peik Lin joins Rachel at a party at the Young estate, attended by the entire Young clan and a Who's Who of Singapore's A-Listers. At the lavish party Rachel is introduced to Nick's domineering mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), who has quickly formed a less than favourable opinion of his American Chinese girlfriend. However, upon meeting the matriarch of the family, Nick's grandmother Shang Su Yi (Lisa Lu) that welcome reception goes off a lot more favourably.

The next day Rachel and Nick head off in opposite directions - Rachel attending Araminta's Hens Weekend celebrations on a remote luxury island, and Nick attending Colin's Stag Weekend party aboard a container ship. Things don't go too well for Rachel as she is quickly branded a 'gold digging bitch' by the other jealous girls who all consider themselves a better catch for Nick's affections. Similarly Nick and Colin both want off the container ship and all its over the top 'entertainment' and manage to engineer their escape to a private bolt hole somewhere by the waters edge with a few beers. While alone Nick tells Colin of his plans to propose to Rachel, and even produces the engagement ring. Colin is naturally happy for his best buddy, but is equally worried that Nick's family's disapproval of Rachel and the couple's cultural differences will be too much for the relationship to withstand in the long term.

Meeting up after their respective weekends away Nick asks Rachel how she went with the other girls. Rachel confides that it was a nightmare and the reasons why. Nick apologises to Rachel but is fairly matter of fact and grateful that no one got hurt, and that it could have been a lot worse than some verbal sledging from a bunch of shallow jealous wannabe girls. He also apologises for concealing his families wealth and takes her to make dumplings by hand with his family - a tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation.

Whilst gathered around the table making dumplings Rachel admires Eleanor's distinctive engagement ring. Eleanor tells her that Nick's grandmother disapproved of her and denied Nick's father the family ring, and so he had the one she is wearing made specially. She goes on to say that Rachel will never be good enough for Nick after which Rachel considers leaving Singapore. Peik Lin however, convinces her to stand her ground with Eleanor, and giving Rachel a therapeutic glamorous makeover before the wedding with help from Nick's cousin Oliver (Nico Santos).

At Colin and Araminta's lavish ceremony Rachel outsmarts Eleanor at the wedding by impressing Malay Princess Intan (Kris Aquino). Afterwards at the Reception, Nick's mother and grandmother confront Nick and Rachel with some undercover covert investigations that they have been conducting into Rachel's family history. Eleanor reveals that Rachel was conceived through an adulterous affair, after which Rachel’s mother, Kerry (Tan Kheng Hua) abandoned her husband in China and fled to settle in America with the infant Rachel. They forbid Nick from seeing Rachel for fear of their family getting involved in a scandal.

Rachel does a bolt and shacks up with Peik Li for a few days to take stock of her predicament. Kerry arrives in Singapore unannounced and explains herself to her daughter and why she left behind her abusive husband. She became pregnant by an old classmate while still married, and left China for a fresh start in America, never once contacting Rachel's real father for fear of reprisals. She reveals that Nick asked Kerry to visit and paid for her flight, and urges Rachel to see him. She does, and Nick proposes marriage. Later, Rachel asks Eleanor to meet her at a Mahjong parlour. Over a game, Rachel tells Eleanor that she declined Nick's marriage proposal, but advises that any future marriage Nick has with Eleanor's approval will only be possible because Rachel allowed it. Eleanor wins the Mahjong hand, but Rachel reveals in standing up to leave that she threw the hand, as a metaphor for their conversation - that she allowed Eleanor to win, this time! Kerry was sitting nearby out of sight, and as she leaves the table mother and daughter embrace, and leave arm in arm, with Eleanor watching on. 

Rachel and Kerry board an economy flight home making their way down the back end of the plane amid the hustle and bustle of cattle class passengers. Nick arrives on the plane and negotiates his way through the hubbub of boarding passengers, and proposes again on bended knee in the cramped and very public aisle, but this time, with Eleanor's ring. Rachel accepts and they stay in Singapore an extra day for an engagement party.

In essence 'Crazy Rich Asians' is a story we have seen a thousand times before. Here a middle class girl of questionable cultural upbringing falls for a handsome Prince, and against all the odds he whisks her away to some far away land and they live happily ever after, Amen. And so it goes! I'm not big on comedies and whilst this film raised a few smiles, there were hardly any memorable comedic laugh out loud moments that I can recall. At its heart this film is about the power of love overcoming adversity, it's about acceptance and it's how the super rich live their lives and the power and influence they wield. Good on Hollywood for making a mainstream film largely centred around women and wholly centred around Asians and for wrapping it up in a feel good, warm hearted, inoffensive romance that has colour, a modicum of emotion, strong performances, a thumping Asian soundtrack but is entirely predictable and saccharin sweet. See it for all the opulence, extravagance, luxury, wealth and trappings of the super successful and mega rich and their wannabe hangers on, and how they spend their time and money in this art imitating life fairytale offering.

'Crazy Rich Asians' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, At Odeon Online-