New Release! Crazy Rich Asians [No spoilers]

No Spoilers (for what that's worth on a rom-com review)

Director: Jon M. Chu

A solid rom-com, though one that does the "rom" far better than the "com."

Based on the novel of the same name by Singaporean-American Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians offers the familiar romantic comedy formula presented with the welcome change of focusing completely on Asian characters and in the setting of Singapore. It follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a Chinese-American professor of game theory who decides to join her boyfriend of several years, Nick Young (Henry Golding), for a family wedding in Nick's native Singapore. While Rachel has been seeing Nick for a while, and the two clearly love each other, what Rachel doesn't know is that Nick is from a long-established Singaporean family of fabulous financial resources. After arriving in Singapore, Rachel begins to realize that Nick is viewed there in much the same way that an unmarried prince would be in an incredibly wealthy monarchy: as the heir apparent by his family members and as the hands-down most eligible bachelor in the entire country and beyond. This fact thrusts Rachel into a world of opulence but also rather treacherous machinations on the parts of family members wary of outsiders, as well as of highly jealous bachelorettes with their own eyes on Nick.

In several ways, Crazy Rich Asians is refreshing. One is simply the fact that the characters and settings are Asian. While the broad strokes of many romantic comedies are there - the search for a fairy tale marriage; the tension between the young woman and the man's friends, family, etc.; the fish-out-of-water theme - the details make everything feel much more unique. And the Asian aspects go beyond the surface. The story does dig a bit into the cultural and historical aspects of East and Southeast Asian peoples and how those rich social networks affect Rachel and Nick. The dazzling settings in Singapore are also a nice break from the oh-so-familiar big city settings of western rom-coms, usually New York, L.A., London, or Paris.

In terms of characters, the movie does well with the primary players. Rachel and Nick are more than just a couple of pretty faces wrapped around thinly-developed characters. It's not hard to see the struggles they're dealing with, the tensions feel fairly organic, and they are conveyed well by actors Wu and Golding. Perhaps even more notable, though, is the performance of Michelle Yeoh as Nick's mother, Eleanor. Eleanor is the current and stern matriarch of the vast Young business empire, and Yeoh plays her with intimidating strength. Hers is the deepest and most complex character in the film, and it is through her that the most engaging issues and tensions emanate, and the most memorable scenes nearly all involve the gravitas of Yeoh's performance.

Michelle Yeoh as the imposing Eleanor Young. Hers is
probably the most unique and compelling character in the
film, with a welcome depth for rom-com movies.

While the movie is certainly a wonderful new entry into the canon of great rom-coms, there were several weaknesses that I couldn't help but notice. Perhaps the most disappointing was that I didn't find it overly funny. Yes, there are some good laughs provided by the "quirky friends" (a standard archetype in rom-coms) played by Awkwafina and Nico Santos. But there were far more moments where you could tell that the movie was trying to be funny but simply fell flat. Most notable to me was the use of Jimmy O. Yang - typically a very funny person - as the stereotypically self-absorbed, hedonistic playboy cousin, Bernard. I've enjoyed Yang in shows in the past, but the writing for his character in this movie was just the most obvious one of several stabs at humor which just didn't land for me.

I must also admit that, like some other rom-coms, there is a general, broader focus on the ultra-wealthy that I can only be so interested in. It's also why I have never enjoyed the vast majority of classic "screwball comedies" from the 1930s and 1940s. I understand that setting these stories in lavish homes, gardens, and parties is part of the entire "Fantasyland" appeal of such movies, but I can't help but be constantly reminded that disgusting wealth is just that - disgusting in certain ways. When I think just a little bit about the wealth discrepancies in the world, I can only get so empathetic over the plight of someone like Nick Young, whose primary dilemma is between marrying the brilliant young woman he loves and taking over the multi-billion dollar family business - a business which has clearly funded more than a few family members' basest and least-admirable qualities. I know, I know - "It's a rom-com, man. Lighten up!" I try, but it can only go so far. For me to completely detach from reality like that, I need the fantasy elements to be a bit more, well, fantastic. This is probably why I enjoy well-done superhero and high fantasy movies so much. They offer a purer form of escapism for me than romantic comedies do.

Crazy Rich Asians has, I feel, been a bit overhyped, but for good reasons. The freshness of the all-Asian production make it well worth the attention its received, and it is certainly a rom-com worth watching. Just don't expect it to nail all aspects of the genre quite as well as some of its predecessors.