Crazy Rich Asians - Movie

THE MOVIE

In 2018 Jon M. Chu brought on the screens Kevin Kwan's novel, under Warner Bros. Pictures' blessing.

The rights to the book were acquired immediately at the publication, such a wise and timely investment!

The plot follows pretty closely the book, even if it appears as a more "sweetened" version of it.

What I like of the movie is that this is it the first one made by a major Hollywood studio to feature a majority cast of Chinese descents in a modern setting since The Joy Luck Club in 1993.

THE CAST

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The 2 main characters couldn't be nothing less than astonishingly beautiful...

• Constance Wu - Rachel Chu

• Henry Golding - Nicholas "Nick" Young

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One of the 2 "funny elements" is played by Goh Peik and her family: I LOVE Awkwafina. I went from knowing nothing about her to watching 2 movies in a row in which she plays key roles, that dilute the tension:

• Awkwafina - Goh Peik Lin, Rachel's charismatic confidant and best friend

• Ken Jeong as Goh Wye Mun, Peik Lin's wealthy father

• Koh Chieng Mun - Neena Goh, Peik Lin's mother

• Calvin Wong as P.T. Goh, Peik Lin's brother (hilarious, btw)

• Tan Kheng Hua as Kerry Chu, Rachel's mother

• Charles Grounds - Curtis, one of Rachel's friends in New York City

• 
  

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Michelle Yeoh would just be sufficient and enough to represent Nick's family. She's a master. I have seen her in many movies, she's so professional and credible, no matter the role!

• Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Sung-Young, Nick's domineering mother

• Lisa Lu - Shang Su Yi, Nick's grandmother

• Janice Koh - Felicity Young, Astrid's mother and Su Yi's eldest child

• Gemma Chan - Astrid Leong-Teo, Nick's cousin

• Pierre Png - Michael Teo, Astrid's husband

• Harry Shum Jr. - Charlie Wu, Astrid's ex-fiance

• Selena Tan - Alexandra 'Alix' Young-Cheng, Su Yi's youngest child

• Ronny Chieng - Edison "Eddie" Cheng, Nick and Astrid's cousin and Fiona's husband from Hong Kong

• Victoria Loke - Fiona Tung-Cheng, Eddie's wife from Hong Kong

• Remy Hii - Alistair Cheng, Eddie's brother and Nick and Astrid's movie-making cousin from Taiwan

• Fiona Xie - Kitty Pong, Alistair's girlfriend and Taiwanese soap opera star

• Nico Santos - Oliver T'sien, Nick's gay and campy second cousin

• Tumurbaatar Enkhtungalag - Nadine Shao, one of Eleanor's best friends

PHOTOFEST

Thru this movie, my interest for Jimmy O. really took off. As soon as I saw his face, I said: "I know him! from where...?!". There he was, that comedian that I was keeping seeing in those short random videos on social medias, that made me laugh a lot... As a result I now follow him in youtube and I bought his book! He's the second "funny element" of the movie, however I'd say that he might have not been used at his highest potential.

• Jimmy O. Yang - Bernard Tai, Nick and Colin's former classmate

• Chris Pang - Colin Khoo, Nick's childhood best friend

• Sonoya Mizuno - Araminta Lee, Colin's fiancée and heiress to a billion dollar resort chain

• Jing Lusi - Amanda "Mandy" Ling, lawyer and Nick's former girlfriend

• Amy Cheng - Jacqueline Ling, Mandy's heiress mother and Eleanor's friend

• Carmen Soo - Francesca Shaw, Nick's snobby ex-girlfriend

• Kris Aquino - Princess Intan, a wealthy royal

• Daniel Jenkins - Reginald Ormsby, manager of the London Calthorpe Hotel

• Peter Carroll - Lord Calthorpe, owner of the London Calthorpe Hotel

• Constance Lau - Celine "Radio One Asia" Lim, gossiper and member of Radio One Asia

• Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan has a cameo appearance during the Radio One Asia sequence

• Singer Kina Grannis cameos as Colin and Araminta's wedding singer during the marriage sequence

THE PLACES

LONDON AND NEW YORK OR...?

The scenes in London and the West Village were, in fact, taken in Kuala Lumpur and Penang!

• The Calthorpe Hotel purchased by the Youngs = the E&O Hotel in Penang

• The lecture auditorium set at NYU = Putrajaya

• The restaurant where Nick asks Rachel to travel = BLVD House, Naza Towers at Platinum Park in Kuala Lumpur

• The taxi drop-off scene set at John F. Kennedy International Airport = Kuala Lumpur International Airport

• Astrid's shopping for jewelry at an exclusive designer = redecorating the Astor Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur

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SINGAPORE OR...?

• The original Young family home at Tyersall Park in Singapore = two abandoned mansions at within the Perdana Botanical Gardens: one was used for the interiors and one for the exteriors! They had been the residences for the British High Commissioner to Malaya in the early 20th century and recently used as a boutique hotel until it closed in 2015. Kevin Kwan gave some vintage family photographs for the house set, in the Peranakan style;

• Eleanor at a Bible study session gets to know rumors about Nick's girlfriend = private residence Be-landa House in Kuala Lumpur

• The mahjong showdown between Rachel and Eleanor = the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang, redecorated for the film as a mahjong parlor

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THE REAL DEAL

• The Goh family's home = an actual residence off Cluny Park in Singapore, "overdressed" by the decorations' team

• The bachelorette party = the Four Seasons on Langkawi

• The wedding of Araminta and Colin = the CHIJMES, a former convent in Singapore built in the 19th century

• After the wedding, the reception = the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay

• After Eleanor intimidates Rachel, Peik Lin cherishes her up = restaurant Humpback on Bukit Pasoh Road

• Eleanor goes to the Mahjong house = Ann Siang Hill near Singapore's Chinatown

• The film's closing party = Cé La Vi, at the Marina Bay Sands

• Rachel agrees to meet Nick = Merlion Park

Read also https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US/inspiration/travel/5-stunning-locations-crazy-rich-asians.html !

COSTUMES

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Since when I started seriously studying fashion, I also started paying more attention to the Movies' costumes designers. The Netflix series "Abstract, the Art of Design" dedicated an episode to Olafur Eliasson, designer also of The black Panther: totally worth to watch it, I wish they'd dedicate an entire series to Costumes' designers!

But let's go back to our Crazy Rich Asians!

Mary Vogt was the movie's costumes designer, assisted by Andrea Wong. And assisted by the author, the film maker, the actors,... ahahahha!

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First thing first, Kwan shared vintage family photographs to set up the difference between 'old money' (the Youngs), quietly "very classy, very elegant", and 'new money' (Peik Lin Goh's family), just wanting to show off the money they've just made.

Kwan and director Chu insisted that all the pieces worn by the Young family must be real:

• In an early scene, Astrid gives a watch to her husband Michael; it is a "Paul Newman" Rolex Daytona!

• Some of the other jewelry pieces, including Astrid's pearl earrings, were loaned from Mouawad

• The orchid brooch worn by Su Yi (Ah Ma) at the wedding and a belt buckle for Eleanor were designed by Michelle Ong from Carnet

• Michelle Yeoh loaned pieces from her personal jewelry collection, including the distinctive emerald engagement ring

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Also director Chu indicated some old movies, as inspiration to take in order to characterize the roles' styles, including The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, and In the Mood for Love.

Many brands wanted to have their clothes shown off in the film. Dresses and suits were from fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren, Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Christian Dior. Local designers' stores around Kuala Lumpur not only gave the clothes but also offered insight into the local high-society fashion.

MOVIE SOUNDTRACK

Find the Movie soundtrack on Apple Music at https://music.apple.com/us/album/crazy-rich-asians-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1455906836

CRITICAL REVIEWS

PROS

"Bright, buoyant, and hilarious," - Joe Morgenstern, for The Wall Street Journal

Many reviewers praised Michelle Yeoh's performance, spoke about the entire cast good fit, and marked this movie as a new historical step in the diversity and cultural representation.

CONS

"Panda Express of Chinese culture" - Katrina Yu, for Al Jazeera

Some others described the movie's plot as ordinary (not the book's however), and argued that everything reinforced cultural stereotypes: the apotheosis being reached when Rachel (the westerner) wins over Eleonor (the truly Asian). Additionally, criticisms came also about the choice of casting: first, biracial actors were selected, over fully ethnically Chinese ones, in certain roles; secondly, the film failed to acknowledge Singapore's multiracial demographic by including other Singaporean ethnic groups—such as Malay and Indian actors.

To stand with the positive criticisms, I have already said how great Michelle Yoh's performance has been. I really think that she contributed to a good half of the movie's success by herself. And my other favorite pick is represented by the supporting characters of Awkwafina and Jimmy O. Yang. She did awesome, she must have had a lot of fun on the set. And she's surrounded by the perfect hilarious family in the perfect hilarious house. On the other side, I think that Jimmy O. should have been given some more freedom and space, but I acknowledge that the main movie's deal is supposed to be a seriously romantic matter and not a comedy show.

As for the negative opinions... Ok, yes, the movie's plot is not a philosophical master, but so it isn't for many other pluri-awarded films?! At the end, isn't it always a matter of good over bad, of difficulties in being recognized for the inner value beyond the appearance, of recoup after a temporary loss?!

Also, I don't think that the movie passes the concept of ALL Asians being clueless and vulgar, as some reviewers have said. This is simply an extremization of a modern Cinderella's world, valid for other films out there, no matter the characters' race, honestly. In fact, someone compared this movie to The Devil wears Prada: wasn't that a very white and very western representation on how, sometimes, money and futility can take over?! Rachel (and Andrea) is the "poor" that wins over a "royal" ennemy (either a rich mother or a powerful editor): nothing more or less than Cinderella... with a bit of Robin Hood...

I can give a bit for the ethnic representation, however, I think that the book's author would have given clear indications, as he did in other aspects, had he thought that something was not properly referring to the reality he's talking about.