Crazy Rich Asians flashy, glamorous

With its flashy scenery and glamorous outfits, Crazy Rich Asians will have you falling in love instantly. This movie, released in August, provides a beautiful combination of family drama and fairytale romance. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t peel my eyes off the screen.

The movie plot revolves around Rachel Chu, an ordinary Chinese-American girl, who joins her boyfriend, Nick Young—a not-so-ordinary boy—on a trip to Singapore. Upon arriving in Singapore, Rachel learns that Nick’s family is rich, and practically considered royalty in the country. That’s when the problems start. Rachel has to navigate Nick’s enormous family, and learns about traditions and herself in the process.

Despite the humorous and straightforward title, Crazy Rich Asians is full of many twists and turns. The movie discusses stereotypical differences between Chinese and Chinese-American cultures. Nick’s mother—a traditionally raised woman—considers Rachel, who was raised in America, flighty. As a first-time viewer, I found this topic very intriguing. This is something I have personally experienced as an Indian-American. I could relate to Rachel’s struggles as she learned to interact properly with Nick’s more traditional relatives. The storyline is well-crafted and includes every family stereotype possible. While this does make the movie a little unrealistic, it also makes for great entertainment. I am a big fan of family drama, and enjoyed every overly dramatic moment in the film.

In regard to the family’s dichotomy, I noticed that each family member Rachel met judged her in one way or another; I find this hard to believe. Nick’s family was portrayed as extremely affluent and picky, which took away from the seriousness of the film. As the movie progressed, I focused less on the plot and more on the scenery and clothing, since I realized there was bound to be a happy ending. However, it seems that the intent of Crazy Rich Asians was not to show a realistic family dispute, but rather entrance the viewer with a world of rich colors and diamonds.

If you haven’t seen Crazy Rich Asians yet, be sure to check it out, as UPAC Cinema will be screening it later this month. Bring your friends and enjoy the movie on the big screen. Whether you’re a fan of drama or just want to see how rich Asians supposedly live, you’ll find something special in the movie, and will hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.