It’s been long enough since the Crazy Rich Asians trailer dropped and I can finally calm down! I’ve been waiting for this to come out since August 2016, when the film got its director. I’ve held my breath through castings, productions pictures, and the EW cover photo. Now that’s it’s here, I couldn’t be happier.
First of all, the film looks stunning: the colors, the gowns, the beautiful people. Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh are going stab each other to death, those bones are so sharp. Jay Gatsby looks like a pauper next to those party scenes. Henry Golding looks fine as hell, and I’ll fight anyone who wants to come at me.
The premise of the film is that Rachel, an Asian-American, goes to her boyfriend Nick’s home in Singapore for his cousin’s wedding, only to find out he’s loaded. As Awkwafina says, “They’re not just rich, they’re Crazy Rich.” His mother doesn’t approve of their match. She’s middle-class American; he’s the heir apparent to an Asian family fortune. Drama ensues. And scene.
Is it a rom-com, family-dramedy? Yes. Do I care? Hell no! I haven’t seen that many Asians on screen since Last Samurai, and that was all dudes grunting at Tom Cruise! Before that, it was Mulan in 1998! Y’all, I am here for this movie. A Crouching-Tiger-Jessica-Huang showdown with Awkwafina commentary? I will be there with temple bells on and gochujang in my bag, swag.
Will it be perfect? Of course not. Will it be the savior of Asians in film? Absolutely not! And frankly, why should it be? It’s one story, one perspective, one country. There are a billion stories of Asians and Asians-Americans to tell. So let’s celebrate this one, because boy, does it look glorious!
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