Not since Black Panther earlier this year has a genre movie come preloaded with so many expectations. Crazy Rich Asians isn't a typical romantic comedy - a genre that's already increasingly rare these days - but a movie made by, starring, and ostensibly aimed at Asian Americans. It's not just meant to entertain; it's meant to transcend expectations and break down barriers. It's the toughest scenario for a Hollywood product: a movie treading in a non-serious genre that must ignite conversations about race, representation, and other serious topics.
From a strictly movie standpoint, my overall impression of this movie was... fine. It's syrupy and breezy and fun. It has some laughs; it has some tears. It twists the conventional romantic comedy formula, injecting enough specificity relating to Asians, that it does offer something new. But it's not the bulldozing savior that it was preordained to be. In this way, it feels similar to Black Panther - an exceedingly decent film that's been impossibly overhyped by external movements of its time.
Director Jon M. Chu's resume is largely fluff, which I suppose is in-line with this movie. His biggest project prior to this was the instantly forgettable sequel GI Joe: Retaliation; he also directed other American classics such as Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D. I don't mean to knock Chu, but simply set expectations for the caliber of movie we're talking about. This isn't Citizen Kane; this isn't even Sixteen Candles or You've Got Mail. It's light popcorn fare that just happens to star some faces we've not regularly seen before. That's not an unimportant detail; but it's also not a magic wand to salvage its flaws.
There are moments in the script that should distinctly land with more impact, but the pacing of this movie moves entirely too fast. A subplot about Astrid Young's rocky marriage with a "common" man plays out in four total scenes: they chat about the upcoming wedding in one; she discovers (rather abruptly) that he's cheating in the second; she confronts him in a car; and then she leaves him with divorce conditions in the last. This arc should have echoed Rachel's own reservations about marrying into wealth. It should have explored the downside of fame and fortune, and the mistakes that sometimes accompany such things. But crucially, this subplot never connects to Nick or Rachel's story in any way, leaving it dangling as little more than filler material.
Another arc involving Nick Young's grandmother has exactly no impact on the complexities of Nick's impending decision to either 1) leave the family business, 2) never return to Singapore, 3) marry Rachel, a commoner and potentially a liar, or 4) sacrifice his family's wishes to fulfill his own desires. More than once, the importance of Nick's family's plans for him to take over the family business and live in Singapore are explained. In one climactic scene, Nick's grandmother even explicitly forbids him from chasing Rachel. He not only chases Rachel, he proposes to her. There is no other dialogue with his grandmother after that. For a culture that emphasizes respect towards the elderly and filial piety, Nick's relationship with his grandmother is bewildering at best, and outright rude at worst.
This is perhaps Chu's biggest weakness. Scenes flow easily and keep the momentum of the romance brisk. Pop music signal a new montage; bright colors keep eyes fixed to the screen. Chu depicts all the dialogue and scenes from the script, but seems to miss on some crucial moments between the lines. He's mastered the sheet music, but not the music.
But for all my nitpicking, Crazy Rich Asians should still be celebrated. Its tumultuous development is well documented; and its financial success can't be underestimated. And in our current landscape, money speaks volumes. Ultimately, the plot and characters of Crazy Rich Asians act as a simulacrum of the movie itself - somewhat flawed, unique, divisive, but positively rolling in money. Who am I to judge?
