‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is killing it.
The Warner Bros. film hit the theaters on Aug. 15, and, according to Box Office, has made almost $77 billion in the past 13 days, topping the charts for two weeks in a row.
Rotten Tomatoes has given this film a rating of 93 percent, and said, “…Crazy Rich Asians takes a satisfying step forward for screen representation while deftly drawing inspiration from the classic — and still effective — rom-com formula.”
The movie was directed by Jon M. Chu, whose repertoire includes movies from the “Step Up” series to “Now You See Me 2,” and is based on the first book of Kevin Kwan’s trilogy.
The all-Asian cast took the big screen and portrayed a story of love, embedded in Asian culture. What’s more, it is the first feature film with a predominantly Asian cast since the 1993 film “The Joy Luck Club.”
Broken down, it’s a pedestrian, modern-day Romeo and Juliet, but the film’s execution provides a much more complex experience, from laughter to tears.
“Crazy Rich Asians,” a busy, fizzy movie…sets up a series of clashes — between tradition and individualism, between the heart’s desire and familial duty, between insane wealth and prudent upward mobility — that are resolved with more laughter than tears.
The story follows Rachel Chu, played by Constance Wu, an average Chinese-American who teaches economics at N.Y.U. and has a seemingly normal boyfriend, Nick Young, played by Henry Golding.
Young turns out to be the heir of a billion-dollar business, coming from one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Singapore.
The well-matched couple take a trip to Singapore for Young’s childhood friend’s wedding. Along with that comes the daunting task of introducing his American girlfriend to his very traditional family.
Needless to say, Young’s family disapproves of Chu, leading to Young’s struggle between his family, obligation, and true love.
Nick’s disapproving mother, played by Michelle Yeoh, has deeply-rooted judgments that are both unfair and indiscreet, and her focus on family and power prevent her from seeing what makes her treasured son happy: an average, middle-class American.
Conflict between the matriarch and Chu causes Chu to self-reflect and reconsider her worth. Chu comes to terms with the situation, regains perspective, and realizes life isn’t that different from the game theory she teaches her economics students.
It’s about empowerment, knowing when to fold, and knowing when not to.
Overall, this film appeals to people of every age and kind. From young teens to the elderly, this movie can be enjoyed by anybody, any age, any ethnicity, and is most definitely worth watching.
