Crazy Rich Asians

Few romantic comedies have reached cinemas which as much expectation as Crazy Rich Asians and
there are a good number of reasons for this. Firstly, it’s the first contemporary English-language
Hollywood movie with all an almost all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club released in 1993.
Secondly, in an industry which is fearful of taking too many risks, the reception of Crazy Rich Asians
is set to have a monumental impact on Asian and Asian-American actors and filmmakers across all
genres of film.

The result of this is that there has been a lot riding on the success of Crazy Rich Asians, especially as
it’s a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies have historically not been taken as seriously as dramas
or blockbuster action movies, but all the pressure put on director Jon M. Chu only served to create a
gem of a film.

With dazzling locations, a splendid cast, and a heartfelt story, Crazy Rich Asians is highly
entertaining, funny, and absolutely endearing.

Brilliant Book-to-Film Adaptation

Crazy Rich Asians is a paired down version of Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel of the same name, but it still
somehow manages to pack a lot into just 2 hours. Adapted by Peter Chiarelli and TV writer Adele
Lim, the film draws on the most beloved aspects of a classic romantic comedy.

With elements of Cinderella from which many Hollywood rom-coms have drawn inspiration, there
are also Austen-esque elements as we see a clever exploration of social class amidst a swoon-worthy
romance – albeit far from Australian sports betting.

The heroine of the film, Rachel Chu played by Constance Wu, is also reminiscent of Pretty in Pink as a self-assured, confident protagonist carving her own path through the world and finding love in the
process.

Rags-to-Riches Rom Com

Even though the film makes use of many classic rom-com tropes, Crazy Rich Asians still manages to
remain fresh-faced owing to the central story. Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American professor of
economics at NYU, decides to accompany her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), on a trip to
Singapore to be best man in his best friend’s wedding. What Rachel isn’t aware of though is that Nick comes from an incredibly wealthy family and she soon comes to realise that the extent of their
wealth is far more than she could’ve ever imagined.

Raised by a single mother, Rachel finds herself in a foreign environment as she is flung into the glitz
and glamour of Nick’s world, but she is never once minimised into a blubbering mess certain to
commit social gaffes.

A Confident Female Protagonist

It’s difficult to recall a romantic comedy in which the female protagonist is as confident and self-
assured as Rachel.

Historically, rom-com heroines must be hot mess in one way or another and since Rachel has her life
together, the film is made refreshing by portraying a woman who doesn’t need saving by a man.

Not only does Crazy Rich Asians challenge racial expectations and showcases underrepresented
voices to a worldwide audience, but it does so with an elegance and glamour seldom seen in films in
the romantic comedy genre.