Beneath The Craayzee Success Of Crazy Rich Asians

There is a lot of trepidation in Hollywood in handling unsure material as CRAZY RICH ASIANS can attest.  The last time an all-Asian cast modern-day Hollywood film was made was 25 years ago in 1993 with THE JOY LUCK CLUB, earning modest critical and box office success.  With the pre-production of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, many were skeptical of its market appeal.  An initial offer was made to CRAZY RICH ASIANS author Kevin Kwan to have the film financed if he changes the female lead to a Caucasian role.  Kwan refused, and the rest is history.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS has gone on to make critical and box office strides, having premiered at the top spot of the US and Canadian box office and even going on to a stronger retention on its second and third weeks, a miracle for a film that has augured well for its international run.

So why is this film a success? Well, at its very core, CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a very well-made movie.  Director Jon M. Chu has created a world from Kwan’s novel that is equally dazzling and with a heart of gold — and even perhaps, just the right touch of stony jade.  From the extravagant production design to the familiar Asian-translated Western pop music, to the raucous comedic and authentic dramatic moments, the film is as refined as a delicate and dainty Chinese imperial banquet for the modern palate.  With a compelling emotional hook and an even highly entertaining treatment, it definitely has a ready audience, whether Asian or beyond.

In essence, the film is a universal fairy tale straight from the classics.  It feeds on a public fascination with Cinderella stories reinforced by contemporary royal romances with non-royals.  Think Danish Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, Prince William, and Kate Middleton and the very latest Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  It follows successful precedents of film adaptations of romantic best sellers, such as FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and TWILIGHT.  Tie this with the huge following for the lifestyles of the affluent that goes back to the days of DALLAS and DYNASTY.  Then, make the film uniquely Asian.

It starts with an inauspicious prologue set in London in 1997 when the family of Eleanor Sung-Young (Michelle Yeo) faces outright racial discrimination by the hotel staff, an experience she, as well as the audience, will never forget and would set the tone for the rest of the film.

Flash forward to the present where the young boy in the prologue is now a university professor at New York University (NYU).  Nick Young (Henry Golding) is a mild-mannered Clark Kent and his Lois Lane is fellow professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) who is unaware of Nick’s hidden identity as the Superman of wealth and privilege in his home planet of Singapore.  Rachel is an only child of a middle-class immigrant single mother Kerry (Tan Kheng Hua), a product of an Asian American immigrant success story.  Nick invites Rachel to the wedding of his best friend Colin Khoo (Chris Pang) in Singapore and Rachel is totally unaware of what’s in store for her when she arrives in this tiny rich island bustling with its own share of billionaires.

Rachel meets Eleanor, Nick’s mother, who disapproves of her at the start, as is the general sentiment of most of the extended well-connected family when they realise her background.  She also meets Nick’s grandmother, Shang Su Yi (Lisa Lu), who will have a major impact on her midway through the film.  Not everyone in Singapore is condescending to her.  Rachel has some amazingly warm-hearted allies, including her riotous nouveau riche best friend in Singapore, Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina), and the affable rainbow sheep of Nick’s family, Oliver T’sien (Nico Santos).  A cousin who is also in the prologue, the sadly elegant Astrid Leong-Teo (Gemma Chan), sympathises with Rachel possibly because her distant husband also doesn’t come from money.

What follows is an all-exclusive access to the lifestyles of Singapore’s opulently loaded, as seen through Rachel’s eyes.  The affecting roller coaster ride of the film is adroitly adapted by screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim from Kwan’s very elaborate and multi-character best-selling novel.

Particularly noteworthy is the gradual build-up of Eleanor’s disapprobation of Rachel in short but scathing encounters.  To her credit, Rachel rises up to each adversity and proves herself worthy of character.  There is a scene during the over-the-top rice paddy themed wedding where despite being cold-shouldered by Eleanor and her entourage, Rachel finds herself a kindred spirit with the snob socialite of the event, Malay Princess Intan (Kris Aquino), connected through their similar educational accomplishments, much to the surprise of Eleanor.  Maybe there are other things more substantial than just money.

The climax of these encounters is the very clever use of mah-jong to intertwine the heavy stakes and repercussions of Eleanor’s interfering with Nick’s ultimate happiness with Rachel.  At the start of the film, Rachel is introduced as an academic expert in game theory and what a great victory for her, and the writers, to use her skills in claiming the final win in this contest between love and family loyalty.

There were exceptional performances, particularly Malaysian-born Michelle Yeoh’s steely and subtly controlled Eleanor Young, a role perfectly fit for the CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON actress.  There is the emotionally charming appeal of FRESH OFF THE BOAT Constance Wu, the quintessential protagonist, hitting the right emotional chords in every scene.  And she is ideally matched with Henry Golding, the consummate Asian Bachelor.  Wu and Golding are so perfectly cast that they elevate the final plane scene into the sweep-us-off-our-feet hallmark moment it deserves.  Balancing the drama are the comedic contributions of both Asian-American Awkwafina and Filipino-American Nico Santos, with their spot-on comic flair.  The real star of the film though is the city-state island country of Singapore.  From its hawker culture to its majestic Marina Bay Sands boat on top of the world, this has been the best Hollywood debut of a city that works hard on its image.

Ultimately, the success of CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a good harbinger for more Asian representation in Hollywood.  Coincidentally, another film getting some box office attention at present is the Asian-led cast of the mystery-drama SEARCHING.  Just last year, a New York Chinese family documentary ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL got an Oscar nod. These accompanying small successes are important for Hollywood to realise that there is a market out there ready for diversity.

Still, the question of “Is this film Asian enough?” is a controversy surrounding the movie despite its breakthrough success.  In essence, the crazy rich here are the 1% super-rich and the Asians here are the Chinese.  There is a powerful quote at the start of the film: “Let China sleep, for when she awakens she will shake the world.”  This quote has been very relevant to China post-Mao and during the start of Deng’s prophetic “Let a person get rich first” era.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is actually about this realisation.  It is a new era for China to claim back their standing which dates back to centuries of dynastic rule.  When Rachel was asked which wealthy Chu family she is from, it is akin to asking which Chinese dynasty family you are from.  When the three Chinese democracies of Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong entered Asian dragon status, it would take just a few decades more to welcome the great mainland to complete the statement: China has finally arrived!  And this is the film to flaunt it.

In the end, China is a big part of Asia, and Asia is a continent of immense diversity, whether in economies, religions, colours and cultures.  If one film manages to break that glass ceiling of stereotyping and labeling, then let us embrace it, as this is an opportunity for more Asian stories to be made, spread and heard.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (5/5)