Constance Wu

Henry Golding

Michelle Yeoh

Gemma Chan

Lisa Lu

Awkwafina

Harry Shum Jr.

Ken Jeong

Sonoya Mizuno

Chris Pang

Jimmy O. Yang

Ronny Chieng

Remy Hii

Nico Santos

Jing Lusi

Carmen Soo

Pierre Png

Fiona Xie

Victoria Loke

Janice Koh Yu-Mei

Amy Cheng

Chieng Mun Koh

Calvin Wong

Tan Kheng Hua

Constance Lau

Selena Tan

Nevan Koit

Amanda Evans

Peter Hodgson

Anders Thage

Daniel Jenkins

Peter Carroll

Deborah Yeo

Charles Grounds

Jessica Galetti

Teo Swee Huat

Ronnie Kee

Isaac Boon Chuon Lee

Roger Shak

Lee Zhi Jian

Lee Jun Wen

Russel Wong

Marcus Mok

Jerrica Xufei Lai

Joe Ong

Jasmine Chen

Junji Delfino

Beatrice Chien

Tan En Yu

Tan En Dong

Kris Aquino

Lucinda Lew

Susan Wong

Tumurbaatar Enkhtungalag

Shuhei Kinoshita

Kina Kasuya Grannis

Kevin Kwan

Stephanie Auyeung

Leong Chun Chong

Ho Yan Xi

Jasmine Kaar

Sarah Domeier Lindo

Leslie Ewe

Mike Topoozian

Jelena Blažić

Andrew Fischel

David Ingram

Janice Chua

Sidney Kimmel

Gabe Hilfer

Terri Taylor

Moira Houlihan

Sanja Bucko

Mario Delić

Leslie Rodier

Melissa Remenarich

Ferny Loh

Scott Millan

Eric Bialas

Chee Kong

Rachael Cooper

Matthew Selkirk

Lim Khai Sim

Amaury Duquenne

Lauren Richards

Teddy Setiawan

Justine Dunn

Kyle Griffiths

John To

David V. Butler

Christopher Moriana

Michelle Pazer

Jessie Pariseau

Thomas J. O'Connell

Jonathan Klein

Alyson Dee Moore

Deron Street

Kieran Waites

Paolo Frasson

Julian White

Jamie Monks

John Sanacore

PoPing AuYeung

Ally Conover

Michael Wong

Jane Seow

Shani Gyde

Pardave Singh

Amy Wright

Andrew Cochrane

Jon M. Chu

Peter Chiarelli

Nelson Coates

Nina Jacobson

Brad Simpson

Adele Lim

John Penotti

Tim Coddington

Michael Tanton

Mini Chen

David Werntz

Nancy Nugent Title

Bryan Unkeless

Myron Kerstein

Brian Tyler

Andrew Baseman

Heike Merker

Greg ten Bosch

Sophia Knight

Andrew Bangel

Briohny Aldersea

Vanja Černjul

John Marquis

Mary E. Vogt

Yen Yap

Lindsay Adams

Gary Mackay

Robert Friedland

Irina Strukova

Tony Johnson

Meredith Lee

Comedy

Romance

Crazy Rich Asians

SK Global Entertainment

Color Force

Ivanhoe Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures

Starlight Culture Entertainment Group

United States of America

Hong Kong

Gimly

_Crazy Rich Asians_ is not really my type of movie, I don't go in much for romcoms, and I don't think I'm fully on board with some of the messages it's trying to put out there. But I can appreciate that it's very well made, culturally very important, and even kind of endearing.

_Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal._

The Movie Diorama

Crazy Rich Asians expends its expensive mahjong skills to produce a hilarious heartfelt insight into a familial cultural clash. Romantic comedies. The amalgamation of two genres that exercise the very worst tendencies of Hollywood’s mechanical repetitions. Modern romcoms follow the same formulaic narrative structure and embed the same interpretive clichés. Y’know what I’m talking about. Boy and girl fall desperately in love, something/someone comes between them, they fight, break-up and embrace each other again, to the accompaniment of Coldplay or Ed Sheeran, when they realise that “they are the one”. All the same mundane clichés that fail to exert the writing capacity to take those mechanisms and overload them with ferocious energy.

Well, Chu’s adaptation of the eponymous best-selling novel battles that. He consumes the cliché-ridden narrative structure of a romcom and transforms it into a cultural depiction of Asian traditions, juxtaposing the values of American immigrants, whilst still bashing the familiar beats of “boy meets girl”. And let me tell you now, this is without a doubt, the best romcom since ‘Bridesmaids’. I loved it! Rachel is invited by her new boyfriend Nick to Singapore to meet his family who are attending a wedding, but without realising Nick’s family is one of the wealthiest, infamous and superficial in the country.

Chu tackles several poignant themes and morals within this two hour romantic comedy, whilst retaining a sufficient amount of investable character development and hilarity. Yes, the underlying story between Rachel and Nick is a predictable ordeal, but much like any film within the genre, acts as the backbone for the additional qualities. One of them being the exploration into Asian culture, particularly the continent’s cuisine, highlighting the traditions that contrast with the typical audience member. I cautiously read somewhere, that Crazy Rich Asians was the “whitest romcom featuring a non-white cast”, which is an absolute barbaric statement to form. The predominant cast and crew were all of Asian descent. Just because the film was confounded within the Hollywood system, does not discredit the contents of its insight. Overtly politically correct viewers bumbling about a non-issue. I’m sure ‘Black Panther’ didn’t receive the same criticism from them. Anyway! I digress.

The point is, Chu allows the illustration of traditions and values to be accessible for everyone. However it’s not just a cultural clash. Wealth and public image are two contributing factors to the spiky relationship between Rachel and and Nick’s family. Yet neither one of them are viewed as the antagonistic force of the plot. Every character is treated as a delicate human, with sufficient back story and development, to warrant their choices and actions. A sub-plot involving an affair could’ve been a “how dare you!? We’re over!” situation, but Chu manages to present the reasoning of the immoral act and add that subtle layer of empathy. You understand. You feel. You reflect. And there are several poignant moments throughout, like this, that elevate the contextual values that are insightfully divulged.

Of course though, Awkwafina provides the majority of laughs, demonstrating the creative humour of writers Chiarelli and Lim whilst showcasing her own excellent comedic timing. Conversely, Wu and Yeoh focus on levelling the comedy with romance and drama respectively. They do so with blinding results. Expressing a variety of emotions, participating in tantalising chemistry and bringing their A-game (their...acting game...).

The lavish ‘Great Gatsby’ parties and genuinely beautiful weddings, that performed a rendition of my all-time favourite romantic song “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis “Hound Dog” Presley, nearly brought a tear to my eye with the astounding production design. Minor nuances such as the pop soundtrack, including Coldplay, sung in Mandarin, dumplings being everything and my eternal yearning for marriage, rounded off the rough edges of Crazy Rich Asians smoothly.

It is absolutely refreshing to see a high-ticketed American produced romcom have an entirely Asian cast and crew, granting several new opportunities for those involved. It is absurdly reassuring to witness a cliché-ridden and formulaic narrative of the genre be fully exploited in a wonderfully entertaining story that harnesses every angle available. Yet most importantly, it’s a colossal piece of entertainment that can legitimately be enjoyed by everyone. Crazy fun, rich in characters and quintessentially Asian. More please!

The Movie Mob

**Crazy Rich Asians doesn’t reinvent the rom-com formula but adds rich characters, cultures, and locations taking this rom-com to the next level.**

Crazy Rich Asians is an incredibly well-done rom-com that follows the typical rom-com blueprint but diverges by exploring cultures other than the frequent American setting. Learning more about Singapore and its people and customs added an intriguing layer to the film. Crazy Rich Asians boasts an absolutely stacked cast with Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and more. With all that talent, it’s no wonder that Crazy Rich Asians is a top-notch romantic comedy with beautiful locations, hilarious laughs, heartfelt moments, and more.