Crazy Rich Asians
4 stars
Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh
Duration: 120 mins
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd

Not, as I first thought, about rich Asians who are crazy, but about Asians who are crazy rich, Crazy Rich Asians rolls onto Maltese screens on a wave of critical acclaim. Website Rotten Tomatoes says: “With a terrific cast and a surfeit of visual razzle dazzle, Crazy Rich Asians takes a satisfying step forward for screen representation while deftly drawing inspiration from the classic – and still effective – rom-com formula.”  Effectively, he sums up most critics’ views.

And it certainly lives up to its hype, with the funny, often hilarious, moments sitting well with the more poignant – and pointed – ones in this study of identity and tradition. The film has a superb, relatively unknown cast hitting all the right notes and a backdrop of unadulterated glitz and glamour with its Singaporean setting.

New York-based Nick Young (Henry Golding) is the scion of one of Singapore’s richest and most prominent families... a fact he omits to mention to his professor girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu). She finds out soon enough, however, when he takes her back home for his best friend’s wedding and to meet the family. As polite and friendly as she is, Nick’s mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) clearly disapproves of the match. Nick’s friends of the female persuasion hide their disappointment not a jot, making Rachel’s stay rather uncomfortable but at the same time quite the eye-opener.

Certainly lives up to its hype. A superb unknown cast hitting all the right notes

Much was made that this is the first time in almost 25 years that a Hollywood film features an all-Asian cast, but that is neither here nor there. Crazy Rich Asians makes a lot of terrific points about family that are universal, whatever the race, colour, religion or moneyed status. It’s about the difficulty parents find in letting go of their offspring and the age-old maxim that mothers think no-one is good enough for their beloved sons. Conversely, the obligations children feel towards their parents often blind them to what they should do for themselves.

And it’s about individuals being true to themselves, whatever the stakes, and the idea of identity – whatever that may mean.  Although she was brought up by a single mother on very modest means, Rachel recognises that Eleonor’s misgivings are not about money.

The young matriarch is a traditionalist at heart, and her desire that Nick marry a ‘pure’ Asian uncovers some astute observations about differences in culture that go deeper than just that of race or origin. Rachel simply isn’t Asian ‘enough’, although at one point she does comment rather self-deprecatingly: “I’m so Chinese – an economics professor who’s lactose intolerant…”

The two women in Nick’s life form part of a wonderfully-drawn ensemble, brought to life from the novel by Kevin Kwan in a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim. The battle of wits that ensues between Rachel and Eleanor is deftly written, leading to some strong scenes between them.

Wu imbues Rachel with admirable courage under fire. She is a woman who defends herself staunchly and stands firm in the face of the onslaught of the formidable Eleanor to fight for the man she loves. Yeoh, on the other hand, is all unmoving elegant class as Eleanor, yet never falls into the trap of painting her as a caricature of a villain... but a woman who genuinely believes she knows what is best for her son and whose actions do come from the heart.

It is quite hard to believe that this is Malaysian actor Henry Golding’s film debut. So effortlessly does he capture the charm and charisma of Nick, a man completely unaffected by his privileged upbringing and struggling with the issues that have risen between the two women he loves most in the world – well three, if you consider his beloved grandma.

The smaller roles and subplots are also richly-drawn, with the rest of the ensemble introducing a colourful, vibrant mix of family members, from Nick’s loud, unctuous, bling-filled cousin Bernard (Jimmy O Yang), to his other cousin Astrid, touchingly portrayed by Gemma Chan, a successful, stylish and equally wealthy woman who has everything yet whose life is falling apart.

And yet, for all its shrewd commentary on family and identity, Crazy Rich Asians never forgets it is also a comedy. As Nick and Rachel negotiate their problems, many genuine belly laughs are served up, mostly courtesy of Awkwafina as Peik Lin, Rachel’s best friend – an outspoken, opinionated, uproarious fashionista, and Nick’s flamboyant cousin Oliver (Nico Santos) who step in and offer much-needed support to Rachel.

In short, Crazy Rich Asians is crazy good fun.

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