WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives, and something far, far worse — Nick’s disapproving mother.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Before I start, I need to remind everyone what America was supposed to be – a melting pot. A nation like no other containing people from all corners of the world with a few simple rules – respect each other’s differences and get along with one another. So why did it take 25 years to make another Hollywood-supported all-Asian cast movie? At least the drought wasn’t as long this time (Flower Drum Song was 32 years ago). You just gotta love those insecure white Americans.
In Crazy Rich Asian, a New York University professor named Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is invited to her boyfriends, Nick Young (Henry Golding), best friend Colin’s (Chris Pang), wedding in Singapore. So far in the relationship, no one in Nick’s family knows about Rachel, and as it turns out, Rachel knows very little about Nick. This starts to become evident on the plane ride. Rachel is in disbelief when she and Nick have seats in first class. This is where Nick is forced to explain a lot about his family and especially his mother. Back in Singapore, family members are talking about Nick’s situation, especially the mother issue. Nick’s mother, Eleanor Sung-Young (Michelle Yeoh), like most mothers, is very opinionated on who is right for her son and the family image. Rachel’s challenges go far beyond Mrs. Young. Nick’s former girlfriend, Amanda, creates uncertainties and tension. Amanda even has her socialite friends assist in the torture and humiliation of Rachel. On the other side of the story, Nick is talking with his best friend, Colin. He tells him about his plans to propose. Colin voices his concerns, and they seem to mirror what the majority thinks; Nick will be cast out of the family as a disgrace if he continues to date that woman. Once together, Rachel complained to Nick about everything that was happening, he assured her of his love for her and insisted everything would be OK. There are several more scenes that involve The mother, the Grandmother, and various friends that help Rachel determine what she feels is the best thing to do. Throughout the film, we learn a bit about the culture and reasons why Nick’s mother is the way she is, and although her ideas and teachings may be correct for a family refusing to step outside of tradition, those types of moral activities rarely apply to an American lifestyle. Eleanor did mention how she felt about American women and their self-serving attitude, so it really made a lot of sense once Rachel gave her final thoughts on the matter. Crazy Rich Asians features discriminatory scenes, Asian culture, and a cast of colorful characters that make this film a must-see. The stand-out part of the entire movie has to be the extremely over-the-top wedding (it might be normal, but I’m not rich enough to know that).
MEDIA
- Genre – Romantic Comedy
- Street date
- Digital – November 6th 2018
- DVD/Blu-Ray – November 20th 2018
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.40:1
- Sound – English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1 (Dubbed in Quebec), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles – Spanish, English SDH, French
Extras
- Audio Commentary – Director Jon M. Chu and novelist Kevin Kwan
- Featurette: “Crazy Rich Fun” (HD, 7 minutes)
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 12 minutes)
- Gag Reel (HD, 2 minutes)