With the hype circling around the most anticipated summer movie Crazy Rich Asians, I have refrained myself from reading the book nor owning one for fear of disappointment that the movie can't deliver up to the book's expectation. I went into the theatre hall without any expectation; purely in for the entertainment.
And? *drum rolls*
Admittedly I was only half crazy about the movie, I found the movie made an attempt to create better representation of Asians. Though honestly, the "Asian" word is too broad & general while the movie mainly centres around the ultra-rich Chinese community in Singapore which is not the true representation of "Asian".
I wouldn't say that I wasn't proud of our Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh & Henry Golding, a half Malaysian himself appearing in a Hollywood studio film. In fact, most of the location in the movie was shot in Malaysia for its bigger, more accurate depiction of the Young's grandiose family. Yay, Malaysia Boleh! Sadly our nation wasn't overtly mentioned & ended up being used as the backdrop for Singapore instead. :(
The film's plot is predictable; the typical Cinderalla-esque story with happy endings but what made Crazy Rich Asians stood out is the subtle Asian values that resonated well. I mean, which Western movies touched on filial piety & "family comes first", aside from Asian movies itself?
I didn't quite fancy how the film didn't feel wealthy enough. Like something was lacking. Perhaps this has something to do with the mid-level budget allocated as a gamble by Warner Bros. This was probably the reason why some of the jewelleries worn by Michelle Yeoh comes from her own collection, in order to look regal. I think the one piece that caught everyone's attention is the emerald ring on Eleanor's finger. It is absolutely gorgeous...
The one theme from this movie that had me overwhelmed & impressed is female courage & empowerment. All females just like myself secretly ship her character & the actress itself, Gemma Chan for delivering such a stellar performance. I'll always remember this quote:
It's not my job to make you feel like a man. I can't make you something you're not.
There you have it, a simple review of this Crazy Rich Asians movie that has gone commercially successful. While not a great movie, I still enjoyed it for its light-hearted comedy. At least this movie proved that Asian actors/actresses are great in other genres too, not just in martial arts & action movies. Rating: 4 out of 5
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