Ryan lex appreciation of this movie is not dependent on your race. The themes can still resonate with you even if you are not Chinese or Asian in any way
As an Asian-American, I noticed this movie has so much cultural detail in every scene that can be easily overlooked by people that don't truly know or recognize how meticulous the scenes actually are put together from a cultural standpoint
Saw an advanced screening of this movie last week and it was a RIOT! I mean, seriously, the audience kept laughing and even cried during emotional scenes in the movie. But man, it’s so much fun. Akwafina and Ken Jeong are so good. (This is coming from a person who’s really picky when it comes to her rom-coms.)
the bottom line is this movie is well scripted, directed, acted, and brilliantly shot. To me, it proved that rom-com is still very much relevant today. It doesn't speak much to the Asians living in their own native countries, but it represent all the Asian TCKs. And... Dear Roth and Dan... you two aren't ugly at all. You are as beautiful as the cast of Crazy Rich Asians.
As a Vietnamese American, It means so much to finally see someone who looks like me on the big screen and in a leading role! 25 years (with the Joy Luck Club) has been way too long. So happy and proud to see our culture and Asian American identities being portrayed and told by Asians from all over the world. The Director Jon M. Chu said of how this is more than a movie but a movement. Also a big rom-com fan, so very excited to see it. Thanks for the nice review Roth and Dan! 😊
Interesting. I’ve never felt that way about my race or heritage. I’m a mixed black American with a Dad that formerly worked in the police department and dealt racism (but greatly overcame), but I have never cared or even thought about seeing my race on a screen more. Loved Black Panther, but didn’t give a shit that it featured an all black cast. I actually got annoyed with the praise since it basically got half of its attention for casting an all black cast. Lol
Saw this movie during a early screening for AMC and the theater was packed. But LOVED the movie, it was a an amazing rom com. I give an A+ from the cast and the story. But also the theater I was in was eating it up from cheers, to laughs. The movie delivered on every level a rom com should. Also very proud of this movie. Loved this was review was waiting for it. Lol Also Constance Wu is a remarkable rom-com heroine. I’ve only seen her in Fresh Off the Boat but she really delivered her best in this movie.
Rom Com might be lacking in US right now but it is definitely not in Asia. You might want to checkout the korean section of Netflix or sites like DramaFever. With that said all I want to know is if this movie has the time-honored and important plot device of all Asian productions: a love triangle, or quadrangle, or "3 or greater"-angle.
Ryan lex well it's a flop in the US due to the same trope or style that American RomComs are. In those, we start at the beginning of the relation ship and they fall in love with the each other so quickly, one has a secret, they have a fight over it, one leaves, and the other person apologized and that is it. Spoilers!! Sorta not but to many details Typical Asian dramas I have seen we have that rich boy falls or poor girl but we don't start so the beginning, we start a year into their relationship and know there will be little to no problems. The mom is protective of her son and can't accept the girlfriend but unlike typical dramas. She doesn't bribe her to make her leave or try to ruin the girlfriends family's careers. It keeps common styles but doesn't use it to much which I love
Singapore is NOT China. Chinese are majority here but ENGLISH is the first language. Having said that, I suspect the Singapore in this movie is a fictional version.
Well, the story is fictional, but the stories and characters are actually based on the experiences of the author Kevin Kwan. These Singaporeans and relatives are the 1% of the 1%. And yes, they do exist.
Well then you've clearly never been to Singapore. But the story is about a rich SINGAPOREAN CHINESE family. English is one of the official languages but it's not the "first" language of Singapore. The city is pretty multilingual. Of course there are lazy monolinguals, but even cab drivers will speak Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Mandarin, Malay & some Tamil, even if they're Chinese. The attention to detail is spot on, from the use of Singaporean Malay-accented Cantonese that the aunties use, to the old school Mandarin that the grandma spoke (from northern China as she also made jiaozi, typical northern style dumplings). The kids all went to boarding school in the UK so they have posh British accents.
Johannes P Dude, English is our first language, go look it up. However never said nothing about JUST speaking English. Finally I have yet to watch the movie, was just worried they won’t show the real Singapore.
Neil Ng you should watch the movie, for you its unfortunate, they are only going to show the best of Singapore, but I am pretty sure the book would never have become a best seller, especially a movie... if it was about of the trials of poor working class Asian Americans, or poor working class Singaporeans
i'm so happy you guys liked it!!! as an american-born chinese i am so excited for the representation and hope to see more asian stories of all kinds appear as a result of this movie's success :) i can't wait to check it out
This is about East Asians and includes Southeast Asians. As the setting is Singapore. It's not only Chinese, as there are Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Malaysian, and others in the cast. India is South Asia. Not Southeast Asia which is Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. India is in the continent of Asia. Indians are Caucasian. Same with West Asia which is Russia and countries like Turkey. Speaking of Mulan, the Huns invaded East Asia. The Huns were Central Asians. "The Huns were a race of largely nomadic peoples who were a part of the Hunnic tribes of Central Asia. They ruled over an expansive area stretching from the Central Asian lands all the way to the Western Indian Subcontinent."
lol you're gonna feel poor and ugly but you'll enjoy it' should be the tagline for kdramas LOOL. but tbh, if i see a remote controller wrapped in plastic wrap, a chinese calender on the wall that is already more accurate than anything LOL
The Big Sick is the best romcom I've seen in years, hope this is good. Edit: Though "done through a new lens" maybe the case for you guys, I still got this feeling that I'm going to see it as cliche
I just saw the movie today with my mom and my sister, and even my mom (who doesn’t usually like American movies) loved it! It’s so refreshing to see stories about people who look like us, and even though we aren’t of Chinese descent (we’re Filipino) we saw aspects of our culture that we could really relate to.
This movie is actually not a rom com. It's primary theme is Asian American values & mindset vs Asian in Asia. Romance is just a vehicle. Even the side plot of Astrid & Micheal, the iconic mahjong scene,... are the main story.
(As a Mexican American) the “you’re not ‘Chinese’ enough hits close to home (obviously substitute Mexican for Chinese in my case)... so dare I say - dang lost my train of thought... but y’all know what I mean
Sorry. The subplot of the secondary pair INFORMS the complexity of the main couple's interactions. I love you, but you're wrong here. Aquafina is Da Bomb!
I'm not big on rom coms either, but I really wanted to support this film. As a Chinese American watching this in theaters, I was on the verge of tears within the first few minutes of the film, when the Chinese music kicked in. Overall I enjoyed the film and agree with Roth that a film should be rated on what it aspires to accomplish and CRA did a really good job in what it set out to do. There were however several flaws to the film, such as the other plots that didn't seem to carry the main plot like Dan mentioned. I also felt that the acting was a little weak at times, the script was lacking and the story seemed a bit predictable. The anecdotes and cultural bits were most appealing and resonated a lot with me. From the subtle shade thrown by Asian moms to relatives commenting on facial features to indicate fortune, I was cracking up since this is something I've experienced multiple times in my family.
You guys were so right about the movie being clearly a book adaptation. Astrid's storyline was cut by 80% so the 20% that was there seemed almost superfluous in the film, but I think it's a storyline that many women actually loved anyway. Also, Gemma Chan is absolutely gorgeous on screen and has that special old-school movie star screen presence that I didn't mind so much. In the original novel, Nick is actually one of three main characters. Astrid and their other cousin Eddie who had about 10% of his storyline (if I'm being generous) in the film were the other two main characters and their storylines converge and diverge when necessary. The book also changes points-of-view a lot between Rachel, Nick, Astrid, Eddie, Eleanor, Oliver, Charlie Wu (who only had a mid-credits cameo played by Harry Shum, Jr.), etc. and there's much more social and cultural commentary (with asides and footnotes!). The movie decided to be a more formulaic Rom Com BUT it became a much more focused movie and Nick and Rachel became much stronger characters in the movie than they were in the book for it.
One thing I didn't like about the book was too many characters, Understood that they had to simplify the characters in the movie to concentrate on just Nick and Rachel.
Cultural significance aside, this is one of my favorite ROMCOMS of all time! No joke! I loved every second of it! It was a wonderfully directed, character-driven story with a lot of fun thrown in! Definitely one of the best movies of 2018.
"It's gonna make you feel POOR and UGLY." Hahaha! 😂 Well said, Dan. That's all I'm going to be thinking about when I see this film, which by the way, you and Roth gave another great review. I love your guys' chemistry and how you trade your opinions off each other.
I know it's not your job to do, but I do hope in your spiel about how this movie is culturally important or whatever, to underscore that it seems culturally important to *Asian-Americans* . For the rest of the Asian world, this movie is a bit of a problem. Most importantly with the setting, largely Singapore and Hong Kong, supposedly being diverse, melting-pot cities, but there is grave economic and social bias for Chinese, versus other Malay/Muslim populations within the city. There's a reason the book popped off in the US, but not so much in Southeast Asia where it's based.
The book's called CRAZY RICH ASIANS, not Dirt Poor Asians. Unfortunately, it is reality that the overseas Chinese control most of the wealth in Southeast Asian countries, whether it be Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand.
Thanks for the review. I saw the movie and enjoyed it. I was especially touched by the nuanced job done by Michelle Yeoh. The movie was a bit more Rom than Com but worth the visit to the theater.
Like American movie, the movie still portrait alpha, chisel looking Asian as the prince and the less attractive Asian as the comedic target. Is this what human natural selection and survival of the fittest mean?
I disagree with Dan, in that I feel the other characters that were developed added the time to the film but also added depth that helped make the movie more interesting. Otherwise, I agree, great movie.
My girlfriends and I are of Asian decent and walking into the movie we didn’t understand what the big fuss was about, but quickly we found ourselves on a roller coaster of emotions! We loved every moment of it ❤️
The movie is going to to leave me feeling poor and ugly? Jokes on them I already feel poor and ugly. **cries** jk I'm not a fan of Jon M. Chu - he is a "meh" director at best, but I am a big fan of most of the cast. I wish Crazy Rich Asians came out outside of August. August is the weakest box office month almost every year.
While this is something of a romcom, I did feel that the comedy part is lacking some. The blonde female friend was put there just to say stupid things for laughs. However, the movie had me captured the whole way through, and I enjoyed it far more than any movie I've seen in several years. Definitely a fun, colorful, and emotional film worth multiple viewings.
I've heard some really mixed reviews on this movie. I'm part Chinese and I hope that this movie succeeds because movies that feature a specific race or ethnicity usually walk a dangerous line between showcasing culture and turning everything into a stereotype.
agree. considering asian americans /europeans/ canadians, etc don't really have the same experiences as asians from asias. Most of our upbringings are of that country..but there are things we experience that no one else really experience (being a foreigner in your own country, and a foreigner in said 'home country' . personally i think a movie about anything that is relatable to everyone despite who is playing what will unify and show, yes , asian americans can play any role.. as long as they are good actors. to keep the story in america, or make it about asian americans travelling to asia and showing how things are a bit complex sometimes would be interesting. that just because we 'look' similar.. we are not that similar. if you watch way too many asian movies and dramas.. then this story will be pretty cliche.. as kdramas are the epitome of falling in love with a weathly asf lead LOL.. fish out of water story. but i hope it succeeds because it will at least show mainstream, that it's ok to have an asian lead. but it would have been amazing if it was like black panther LOl an asian american super hero team or something comedy (watching avengers save the world but there's only wong lol, so they form their own super hero team lol) could be funny. and you can have cameo's of like asian super heroes taking the spotlight all the time LOL.. oh well lol
lol wonder why no one dared to say something negative about black panther lol. but ya, its just peeps opinion.. ultimately its up to us if we like it or not. roth and dan are more optimistic i think when it comes to movies and so far movies the recommended i liked especially sing street!
popcorn pop I really enjoyed BP but I don't think it's as amazing as most people say it is. Imo, BP is a great movie for Marvel, but just an okay (not-great-but-solid) movie in general.
Aside from the romantic comedy story... the film points out a lot of details that are true to some Asian culture. 1) Asian parents/grandparents look at the family tree of the groom/bride to be. Being poor doesn’t matter, it’s whether or not your parents are “normal”. In the film, the grandmother seem to be approving of Rachel’s relation with Nick; however, that all change after the grandmother discovered that Rachel’s mother cheated with some guy and ran away. It’s off the saying of “the Apple don’t fall far from the tree”. 2) Male’s insecurity about not being the main breadwinner in the relationship. Nick’s sister and her husband have this insecurity about who wears the pant in the relationship. The sister hid stuff from the husband to try to not make him feel inferior, while he saw those actions as her looking down on him because she is rich. I always wonder why they even add that couple’s part into the movie, but it’s small details like this that is telling you to just love each other’s no matter who wears the pant in the relationship. 3) Asian refusing to stay or refusing stuff even though deep inside they want to stay or want the stuff. When Rachel’s friend wanted to attend the party after dropping Rachel off but kept saying she can’t stay when Nick asked, but then she finally said “fuck yeah I’ll stay” later lmao..
I thought it was a cute, enjoyable movie with some good performances. I have to admit that with all the buzz over the past week, I was expecting a little more. That being said, and reading the comments here, I totally understand how a movie like this would be so much more than the sum of its parts given how most immigrant cultures are habitually underrepresented (or poorly represented) in Hollywood. If movies like this, Black Panther, and even Wonder Woman can teach Hollywood that films can be successful with different types of people in leading roles, then all the power to it.
This honestly sounds like every romantic drama that filters out of East Asia and into the US. Boys Over Flowers, Gentleman's Dignity, Protect The Boss, You Are My Destiny, ect; all of them are essentially about a poor girl who falls in love with a filthy rich man and most of them feature a disapproving mother of the groom. Even Asian romcoms like Coffee Prince, You're Beautiful, and Playful Kiss all fall into this category. It's super popular in Asian romantic drama. That being said, I'm almost always up for a good Asian drama (thank you, Netflix)! Bring it on.
Jes' Oko this is exactly why I can’t wait to see this on international screens! BOF was honestly a very formative show for me haha and to have that magic that Asian dramas bring on the silver screen is so so exciting
It’s actually a bit different because it’s not about poor and rich, it’s about what Asian Americans value in life (family AND personal goals) vs traditional rich family that values the family reputation more than personal goals. I have never seen a Asian drama or movie that talks about being born as Asian American and coming back. I have watched all the ones you talked about and it’s very different
@@pepperyiyi for me it doesnt matter if it have some cliches , if the movie know how to make their own way to tell that story then is fine. sorry for my english
I highly recommend the documentary The Slanted Screen by Jeff Adachi which came out in 2006. It talks about Asian American actors represented in Hollywood films. In that you see Asian Actor always fighting for the roles they wanted and I feel that documentary has paid off well for this film.
Wow, I am very impressed with your review. Sounded like you two have read the book and thoroughly understood the plot. Of course, unlike the book, they had to come up with a different ending.
"Constance Wu is the key". I felt that too, as I was rooting for this chinese american girl who had no idea what she was getting in to. Great movie, wonderful cast, and I will see it again. Thank you!
Its doesn't matter if its an asian movie or caucasian movies, i love to watch all of it. What I love about crazy rich asians is it is a fun movie. Everyone is laughing and enjoying the show. I am filipino. The queen in the movie is a filipino actress/former Philippine President sister and a daughter of a late President Aquino.
Looks interesting, though I’ll admit thanks to my friend, whenever I hear rom com or think about it I’m almost always thinking about Bollywood films since they have so many of them.
The craziness is set in my country and i really hope the local accent doesnt make it in. Thats one part of realism i'd happily let slide. The cast is INCREDIBLE (Gemma Chan!) and partly local(people id never thought id see on SJ) and darn they were so close but also wishful thinking. Excited to watch it from your review and seeing my culture on the theatre screen!
Woah! Jon Chu has made a good movie? and it's a rom-com too? From GI Joe: Retaliation to Crazy Rich Asians. I might go see this. Doesn't surprise me that it plays on the Rich Asian stereotype.
Counterpoint: go binge Succession on HBO Go, a TV Show that doesn’t glorify wealth and that all characters, even the regular joe who ends up entering this world, are despicable and threedimensional people
I think the movie’s well lavishly filmed and the actors are well cast.. the story is really cheesy for me, and I think the movie will be more relevant if it came out maybe 30 years ago.. the whole issue about Asian wealthy mom’s not accepting the gf... but I think in 2018, even Asian society has changed with perception of rich guy dating a poor girl, so now this concept feels dated and old fashioned... Nevertheless, the movie’s funny, and Aquafina has definitely stole the show! She should just have her own movie!!
Varied details of cultural and region differences between characters set aside, the basic plot of the film has been done many times before concerning a common person falling in love with (and marrying) a rich person, then struggling to adapt to that new opulent world and trying to gain the acceptance of the boy's/girl's parents, who look down on them for being a commoner. Still looks like a fun movie nonetheless.
I always say this it’s not always about how new a plot is, it’s the details and the real emotions and relationships. It can still be a great movie with a 100 times told plot if they demonstrate the real feelings :)
I don't know, guys. This movie looks generic, not unlike anything you would find on a slew of Kdrama sites like Dramafever, Viki, or even Netflix. If you want to see a fun Asian American film check out Seoul Searching that came out in 2015. It's a Korean-American Breakfast Club set in the 80's. It's a cute independent film. But considering there hasn't been a huge mainstream film with an AA cast since Joy Luck Club, I hope it makes money so other AA films can be made. But if you want to see a fun Kdrama rom-com check out Master's Sun. It's about a ghost whisperer who falls in love with a department store heir. It's really good.
I watched kdramas a lot like 3-8 dramas each season for like 15 years. It’s not about how groundbreaking the plot is. It’s about how good a story is being told. I went in expecting this to be terrible but ended up liking it a lot. It’s the small details that make a movie great :)
Leewan Li that’s good to hear. I was waiting to see what the audience reaction was going to be as they don’t always line up with the critics. And yes no matter what, always comes down to a well told story. I hope more AA stories will be told onscreen. I mean a 25 year gap since the last one (Joy Luck Club) is ridiculous
I wonder how similar or dissimilar it is to Asian dramas and Rom com movies. Cause most of them have this setting of Good looking people in affluent environments. I am also really curious to see how audience that are Not Asian ethnicities who are also American and have had no exposure to Asian cinema would react.
Sincerely Defiant there’s similarities but also not. This one is more about the personal values as Asian Americans vs family traditions, not so much about poor vs rich
These people are so rich they have screen junkies plus
Even if you're not asain it still speaks to people who grew up in America but are not in touch with their nationality
Ryan lex appreciation of this movie is not dependent on your race. The themes can still resonate with you even if you are not Chinese or Asian in any way
As an Asian-American, I noticed this movie has so much cultural detail in every scene that can be easily overlooked by people that don't truly know or recognize how meticulous the scenes actually are put together from a cultural standpoint
I agree
*ethnicity lol if you grew up overseas, the country you're living in would be your nationality.
Appreciation of this movie depends on your tolerance for overdone clichés, simplistic story lines, bad acting and bad editing.
Saw an advanced screening of this movie last week and it was a RIOT! I mean, seriously, the audience kept laughing and even cried during emotional scenes in the movie. But man, it’s so much fun. Akwafina and Ken Jeong are so good. (This is coming from a person who’s really picky when it comes to her rom-coms.)
akirebara great movie
akirebara fantastic movie. 5 stars
the bottom line is this movie is well scripted, directed, acted, and brilliantly shot. To me, it proved that rom-com is still very much relevant today. It doesn't speak much to the Asians living in their own native countries, but it represent all the Asian TCKs.
And... Dear Roth and Dan... you two aren't ugly at all. You are as beautiful as the cast of Crazy Rich Asians.
That wedding scene was so gorgeous
As a Vietnamese American, It means so much to finally see someone who looks like me on the big screen and in a leading role! 25 years (with the Joy Luck Club) has been way too long. So happy and proud to see our culture and Asian American identities being portrayed and told by Asians from all over the world. The Director Jon M. Chu said of how this is more than a movie but a movement. Also a big rom-com fan, so very excited to see it. Thanks for the nice review Roth and Dan! 😊
Interesting. I’ve never felt that way about my race or heritage. I’m a mixed black American with a Dad that formerly worked in the police department and dealt racism (but greatly overcame), but I have never cared or even thought about seeing my race on a screen more. Loved Black Panther, but didn’t give a shit that it featured an all black cast. I actually got annoyed with the praise since it basically got half of its attention for casting an all black cast. Lol
Jeff Jeffsss congrats.
Jeff Jeffsss good for you...I guess
Jeff Jeffsss, its cuz u are a mixed kid.
lisa Totally.
Saw this movie during a early screening for AMC and the theater was packed. But LOVED the movie, it was a an amazing rom com. I give an A+ from the cast and the story. But also the theater I was in was eating it up from cheers, to laughs. The movie delivered on every level a rom com should. Also very proud of this movie. Loved this was review was waiting for it. Lol Also Constance Wu is a remarkable rom-com heroine. I’ve only seen her in Fresh Off the Boat but she really delivered her best in this movie.
i just saw the movie today. It was fantastic. Loved it.
Rom Com might be lacking in US right now but it is definitely not in Asia. You might want to checkout the korean section of Netflix or sites like DramaFever. With that said all I want to know is if this movie has the time-honored and important plot device of all Asian productions: a love triangle, or quadrangle, or "3 or greater"-angle.
JVCity Or check out Bollywood which has so many rom coms it’s insane
Are there any hand grabs? What’s an Asian drama without an arm/hand grab!!
Ryan lex well it's a flop in the US due to the same trope or style that American RomComs are. In those, we start at the beginning of the relation ship and they fall in love with the each other so quickly, one has a secret, they have a fight over it, one leaves, and the other person apologized and that is it.
Spoilers!! Sorta not but to many details
Typical Asian dramas I have seen we have that rich boy falls or poor girl but we don't start so the beginning, we start a year into their relationship and know there will be little to no problems. The mom is protective of her son and can't accept the girlfriend but unlike typical dramas. She doesn't bribe her to make her leave or try to ruin the girlfriends family's careers. It keeps common styles but doesn't use it to much which I love
ROM COM watch kdrama and taiwanese drama (ok pls dont you’ll spend 10 years watching one show 1000+ episodes wan) chinese drama getting better
It doesn’t lol. It’s about family values and Asian American culture as pursuing your own personal dreams
Is it easier to relate to a raccoon who flies a space ship than it is to relate to rich Asians?
Omg LMAO
havok6280 Great point you have there!
The main character is not rich...
Ever see Cinderella? Substitute Asians and you have the same movie that's been done a million times over.
I might see it, I like the actress from Fresh off the Boat.
gingram2 Blackkklansman I don't think is coming to any theaters near me, but Crazy Rich Asians probably will.
gingram2 Alright, I will.
Singapore is NOT China. Chinese are majority here but ENGLISH is the first language. Having said that, I suspect the Singapore in this movie is a fictional version.
Well, the story is fictional, but the stories and characters are actually based on the experiences of the author Kevin Kwan. These Singaporeans and relatives are the 1% of the 1%. And yes, they do exist.
Well then you've clearly never been to Singapore.
But the story is about a rich SINGAPOREAN CHINESE family. English is one of the official languages but it's not the "first" language of Singapore. The city is pretty multilingual. Of course there are lazy monolinguals, but even cab drivers will speak Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Mandarin, Malay & some Tamil, even if they're Chinese.
The attention to detail is spot on, from the use of Singaporean Malay-accented Cantonese that the aunties use, to the old school Mandarin that the grandma spoke (from northern China as she also made jiaozi, typical northern style dumplings). The kids all went to boarding school in the UK so they have posh British accents.
Johannes P Dude, English is our first language, go look it up. However never said nothing about JUST speaking English. Finally I have yet to watch the movie, was just worried they won’t show the real Singapore.
Neil Ng you should watch the movie, for you its unfortunate, they are only going to show the best of Singapore, but I am pretty sure the book would never have become a best seller, especially a movie... if it was about of the trials of poor working class Asian Americans, or poor working class Singaporeans
Definitely will watch it at some point. Also when I said "real" I wasn't thinking street and gritty, more like as long as its not made up. Cheers!
i'm so happy you guys liked it!!! as an american-born chinese i am so excited for the representation and hope to see more asian stories of all kinds appear as a result of this movie's success :) i can't wait to check it out
Can't relate
Ever heard of Mulan?🤦🏾♂️
Whoo hoo!!!
This is about East Asians and includes Southeast Asians. As the setting is Singapore. It's not only Chinese, as there are Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Malaysian, and others in the cast. India is South Asia. Not Southeast Asia which is Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. India is in the continent of Asia. Indians are Caucasian. Same with West Asia which is Russia and countries like Turkey. Speaking of Mulan, the Huns invaded East Asia. The Huns were Central Asians. "The Huns were a race of largely nomadic peoples who were a part of the Hunnic tribes of Central Asia. They ruled over an expansive area stretching from the Central Asian lands all the way to the Western Indian Subcontinent."
Catherine Du, I just saw the movie today. It was Fantastic. I loved it.
As a malaysian born and raised in america i can finally relate to a movie
Did audiences have issues of rich people relatability when "The Great Gatsby" came out a few years ago?
But the great Gatsby is set in a completely different time period.
Every time I hear this girl's name (Awkwafina) I think of that dolphin chick, damn you Bojack Horseman!! :P
Loved the scene when they were making dumplings and how everyone in the family treated Nick’s grandmother, super relatable in some moments
lol you're gonna feel poor and ugly but you'll enjoy it' should be the tagline for kdramas LOOL. but tbh, if i see a remote controller wrapped in plastic wrap, a chinese calender on the wall that is already more accurate than anything LOL
The Big Sick is the best romcom I've seen in years, hope this is good.
Edit: Though "done through a new lens" maybe the case for you guys, I still got this feeling that I'm going to see it as cliche
Bo Xue I found it far better than The Big Sick. Definitely check it out
Saw it last week, loved it. Have tickets booked to see it 3 more times between tomorrow and Sunday.
Wow!
Fantastic movie!! I laughed and cried while watching this movie. I loved it
saw it twice!!
I desperately wanted this movie to be good, so glad that you guys enjoyed it...
I just saw the movie today with my mom and my sister, and even my mom (who doesn’t usually like American movies) loved it! It’s so refreshing to see stories about people who look like us, and even though we aren’t of Chinese descent (we’re Filipino) we saw aspects of our culture that we could really relate to.
This movie is actually not a rom com. It's primary theme is Asian American values & mindset vs Asian in Asia. Romance is just a vehicle. Even the side plot of Astrid & Micheal, the iconic mahjong scene,... are the main story.
I think this is the earliest I've ever been to a video
(As a Mexican American) the “you’re not ‘Chinese’ enough hits close to home (obviously substitute Mexican for Chinese in my case)... so dare I say - dang lost my train of thought... but y’all know what I mean
I just saw the movie today. It was fantastic. Loved it.
Sorry. The subplot of the secondary pair INFORMS the complexity of the main couple's interactions. I love you, but you're wrong here.
Aquafina is Da Bomb!
I'm not big on rom coms either, but I really wanted to support this film. As a Chinese American watching this in theaters, I was on the verge of tears within the first few minutes of the film, when the Chinese music kicked in. Overall I enjoyed the film and agree with Roth that a film should be rated on what it aspires to accomplish and CRA did a really good job in what it set out to do. There were however several flaws to the film, such as the other plots that didn't seem to carry the main plot like Dan mentioned. I also felt that the acting was a little weak at times, the script was lacking and the story seemed a bit predictable. The anecdotes and cultural bits were most appealing and resonated a lot with me. From the subtle shade thrown by Asian moms to relatives commenting on facial features to indicate fortune, I was cracking up since this is something I've experienced multiple times in my family.
You guys were so right about the movie being clearly a book adaptation. Astrid's storyline was cut by 80% so the 20% that was there seemed almost superfluous in the film, but I think it's a storyline that many women actually loved anyway. Also, Gemma Chan is absolutely gorgeous on screen and has that special old-school movie star screen presence that I didn't mind so much. In the original novel, Nick is actually one of three main characters. Astrid and their other cousin Eddie who had about 10% of his storyline (if I'm being generous) in the film were the other two main characters and their storylines converge and diverge when necessary. The book also changes points-of-view a lot between Rachel, Nick, Astrid, Eddie, Eleanor, Oliver, Charlie Wu (who only had a mid-credits cameo played by Harry Shum, Jr.), etc. and there's much more social and cultural commentary (with asides and footnotes!). The movie decided to be a more formulaic Rom Com BUT it became a much more focused movie and Nick and Rachel became much stronger characters in the movie than they were in the book for it.
One thing I didn't like about the book was too many characters, Understood that they had to simplify the characters in the movie to concentrate on just Nick and Rachel.
Cultural significance aside, this is one of my favorite ROMCOMS of all time! No joke! I loved every second of it! It was a wonderfully directed, character-driven story with a lot of fun thrown in! Definitely one of the best movies of 2018.
"It's gonna make you feel POOR and UGLY." Hahaha! 😂 Well said, Dan. That's all I'm going to be thinking about when I see this film, which by the way, you and Roth gave another great review. I love your guys' chemistry and how you trade your opinions off each other.
Already got my tickets for Friday night. Looking forward to it.
I know it's not your job to do, but I do hope in your spiel about how this movie is culturally important or whatever, to underscore that it seems culturally important to *Asian-Americans* . For the rest of the Asian world, this movie is a bit of a problem. Most importantly with the setting, largely Singapore and Hong Kong, supposedly being diverse, melting-pot cities, but there is grave economic and social bias for Chinese, versus other Malay/Muslim populations within the city. There's a reason the book popped off in the US, but not so much in Southeast Asia where it's based.
The book's called CRAZY RICH ASIANS, not Dirt Poor Asians. Unfortunately, it is reality that the overseas Chinese control most of the wealth in Southeast Asian countries, whether it be Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand.
Thanks for the review. I saw the movie and enjoyed it. I was especially touched by the nuanced job done by Michelle Yeoh. The movie was a bit more Rom than Com but worth the visit to the theater.
where can you read Dan's written reviews? I'm a sucker for written analysis :)
This is not Crazy Rich Asian, it's Crazy Rich Chinese.
Like American movie, the movie still portrait alpha, chisel looking Asian as the prince and the less attractive Asian as the comedic target. Is this what human natural selection and survival of the fittest mean?
The lead character seemed too young to be a professor of economics
I loved that movie! 🎥 🍿#ImBlack #European #African
I disagree with Dan, in that I feel the other characters that were developed added the time to the film but also added depth that helped make the movie more interesting. Otherwise, I agree, great movie.
My girlfriends and I are of Asian decent and walking into the movie we didn’t understand what the big fuss was about, but quickly we found ourselves on a roller coaster of emotions! We loved every moment of it ❤️
The movie is going to to leave me feeling poor and ugly? Jokes on them I already feel poor and ugly. **cries** jk
I'm not a fan of Jon M. Chu - he is a "meh" director at best, but I am a big fan of most of the cast.
I wish Crazy Rich Asians came out outside of August. August is the weakest box office month almost every year.
I'm looking forward to the live action MULAN movie. Now that movie will be the true "Asian BLACK PANTHER ".
Black Panda?
Can you guys make an honest trailer for Crazy Rich Asians
While this is something of a romcom, I did feel that the comedy part is lacking some. The blonde female friend was put there just to say stupid things for laughs. However, the movie had me captured the whole way through, and I enjoyed it far more than any movie I've seen in several years. Definitely a fun, colorful, and emotional film worth multiple viewings.
You guys got any Asian staffs?
I'm middle eastern and I cried at the fact that they put the Chinese version of "Yellow" because. Representation for everyone is important.
I've heard some really mixed reviews on this movie. I'm part Chinese and I hope that this movie succeeds because movies that feature a specific race or ethnicity usually walk a dangerous line between showcasing culture and turning everything into a stereotype.
Mixed? Where? I see a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the movie hasn’t even come out yet.
agree. considering asian americans /europeans/ canadians, etc don't really have the same experiences as asians from asias. Most of our upbringings are of that country..but there are things we experience that no one else really experience (being a foreigner in your own country, and a foreigner in said 'home country' .
personally i think a movie about anything that is relatable to everyone despite who is playing what will unify and show, yes , asian americans can play any role.. as long as they are good actors. to keep the story in america, or make it about asian americans travelling to asia and showing how things are a bit complex sometimes would be interesting. that just because we 'look' similar.. we are not that similar.
if you watch way too many asian movies and dramas.. then this story will be pretty cliche.. as kdramas are the epitome of falling in love with a weathly asf lead LOL.. fish out of water story. but i hope it succeeds because it will at least show mainstream, that it's ok to have an asian lead.
but it would have been amazing if it was like black panther LOl an asian american super hero team or something comedy (watching avengers save the world but there's only wong lol, so they form their own super hero team lol) could be funny. and you can have cameo's of like asian super heroes taking the spotlight all the time LOL.. oh well lol
Mr. 96 Grace Randolph's review on her channel Beyond the Trailer said it was pretty awful. However, I trust Dan and Roth more, so I might see it.
lol wonder why no one dared to say something negative about black panther lol. but ya, its just peeps opinion.. ultimately its up to us if we like it or not. roth and dan are more optimistic i think when it comes to movies and so far movies the recommended i liked especially sing street!
popcorn pop I really enjoyed BP but I don't think it's as amazing as most people say it is. Imo, BP is a great movie for Marvel, but just an okay (not-great-but-solid) movie in general.
Aside from the romantic comedy story... the film points out a lot of details that are true to some Asian culture.
1) Asian parents/grandparents look at the family tree of the groom/bride to be. Being poor doesn’t matter, it’s whether or not your parents are “normal”. In the film, the grandmother seem to be approving of Rachel’s relation with Nick; however, that all change after the grandmother discovered that Rachel’s mother cheated with some guy and ran away. It’s off the saying of “the Apple don’t fall far from the tree”.
2) Male’s insecurity about not being the main breadwinner in the relationship. Nick’s sister and her husband have this insecurity about who wears the pant in the relationship. The sister hid stuff from the husband to try to not make him feel inferior, while he saw those actions as her looking down on him because she is rich. I always wonder why they even add that couple’s part into the movie, but it’s small details like this that is telling you to just love each other’s no matter who wears the pant in the relationship.
3) Asian refusing to stay or refusing stuff even though deep inside they want to stay or want the stuff. When Rachel’s friend wanted to attend the party after dropping Rachel off but kept saying she can’t stay when Nick asked, but then she finally said “fuck yeah I’ll stay” later lmao..
A lot of the times I’m not even particularly interested in the movie being reviewed but I just like listening to Roth and Dan’s thoughtful discussion
I thought it was a cute, enjoyable movie with some good performances. I have to admit that with all the buzz over the past week, I was expecting a little more.
That being said, and reading the comments here, I totally understand how a movie like this would be so much more than the sum of its parts given how most immigrant cultures are habitually underrepresented (or poorly represented) in Hollywood. If movies like this, Black Panther, and even Wonder Woman can teach Hollywood that films can be successful with different types of people in leading roles, then all the power to it.
This honestly sounds like every romantic drama that filters out of East Asia and into the US. Boys Over Flowers, Gentleman's Dignity, Protect The Boss, You Are My Destiny, ect; all of them are essentially about a poor girl who falls in love with a filthy rich man and most of them feature a disapproving mother of the groom. Even Asian romcoms like Coffee Prince, You're Beautiful, and Playful Kiss all fall into this category. It's super popular in Asian romantic drama.
That being said, I'm almost always up for a good Asian drama (thank you, Netflix)! Bring it on.
Jes' Oko this is exactly why I can’t wait to see this on international screens! BOF was honestly a very formative show for me haha and to have that magic that Asian dramas bring on the silver screen is so so exciting
It’s actually a bit different because it’s not about poor and rich, it’s about what Asian Americans value in life (family AND personal goals) vs traditional rich family that values the family reputation more than personal goals. I have never seen a Asian drama or movie that talks about being born as Asian American and coming back. I have watched all the ones you talked about and it’s very different
So... all of East Asian Dramas are Korean....?
No? I never said that. Those all just happened to be Korean dramas. They were just the ones I could remember off the top of my head.
@@pepperyiyi for me it doesnt matter if it have some cliches , if the movie know how to make their own way to tell that story then is fine.
sorry for my english
I have no interest in this type of movie but I love to hear you talk about it.
I highly recommend the documentary The Slanted Screen by Jeff Adachi which came out in 2006. It talks about Asian American actors represented in Hollywood films. In that you see Asian Actor always fighting for the roles they wanted and I feel that documentary has paid off well for this film.
This is the most professional review on this movie on youtube!
Wow, I am very impressed with your review. Sounded like you two have read the book and thoroughly understood the plot. Of course, unlike the book, they had to come up with a different ending.
I've been looking forward to this movie for a year
you got me excited for this movie
So they had a wedding scene that cost 15 million to film? :)
"Constance Wu is the key". I felt that too, as I was rooting for this chinese american girl who had no idea what she was getting in to. Great movie, wonderful cast, and I will see it again. Thank you!
I'd imagine that it'd be a little terrifying to be two non-Asians talking about this, but brafuckingvo to these two for talking about this *well.*
Is this spoiler free?
Regarding your comments that there are extraneous plots, it's because the book is a trilogy. This is just the first book.
Its doesn't matter if its an asian movie or caucasian movies, i love to watch all of it. What I love about crazy rich asians is it is a fun movie. Everyone is laughing and enjoying the show. I am filipino. The queen in the movie is a filipino actress/former Philippine President sister and a daughter of a late President Aquino.
Loved the movie & loved your thoughtful review (as always!) :)
GREAT review, i need to go watch this
Loved it and I wanna see it again!😊
best movie of the year
Oh good! I'm so glad you guys liked it! I can't wait to see this movie! :)
Michelle Yeoh in it. I'm watching it. Fan of hers since Heroic Trio
The best review of CRA.
Looks interesting, though I’ll admit thanks to my friend, whenever I hear rom com or think about it I’m almost always thinking about Bollywood films since they have so many of them.
Dan didn't tap his chest at the end of this review. Suspicious.
The craziness is set in my country and i really hope the local accent doesnt make it in. Thats one part of realism i'd happily let slide.
The cast is INCREDIBLE (Gemma Chan!) and partly local(people id never thought id see on SJ) and darn they were so close but also wishful thinking.
Excited to watch it from your review and seeing my culture on the theatre screen!
Woah! Jon Chu has made a good movie? and it's a rom-com too? From GI Joe: Retaliation to Crazy Rich Asians. I might go see this. Doesn't surprise me that it plays on the Rich Asian stereotype.
“It will make you feel poor and ugly” lol
Sweet!! Thank you SJU!!!
Make an Honest Trailer! Say something about the mahjong scene at the end lol
Counterpoint: go binge Succession on HBO Go, a TV Show that doesn’t glorify wealth and that all characters, even the regular joe who ends up entering this world, are despicable and threedimensional people
Happy for everyone this movie is important too in whatever shape or form. Probably not something I’ll see tho.
I think the movie’s well lavishly filmed and the actors are well cast.. the story is really cheesy for me, and I think the movie will be more relevant if it came out maybe 30 years ago.. the whole issue about Asian wealthy mom’s not accepting the gf... but I think in 2018, even Asian society has changed with perception of rich guy dating a poor girl, so now this concept feels dated and old fashioned... Nevertheless, the movie’s funny, and Aquafina has definitely stole the show! She should just have her own movie!!
Excited to see this movie. Every needs to go see it.
What's wrong with using the word "lovers?" Also, "Roth Cornet" sounds like a retirement plan for an orchestra's brass section. /rimshot
In terms of assets, a quarter of people here are technically "millionaires" but not that CRAZY rich, million dollar earrings??
Ever heard the story about the former "First Lady" of Malaysia?.... :D
I'm really glad to hear this movie is great. I can't wait to see it.
Hey it's Jessica Huang from Fresh off The Boat
Charismatic movie of 2018 ! 😍👍
But In the Big Sick the "female lead" is in a comma for most of the movie.
“that’s A and then 2” ?? 5:57
Constance Wu was brilliant
Too bad it won't release in Belgium.
They should make Crazy Rich Indians
a movie gushing over the 1%? Sign me up :/
Or make crazy rich south Asians
Varied details of cultural and region differences between characters set aside, the basic plot of the film has been done many times before concerning a common person falling in love with (and marrying) a rich person, then struggling to adapt to that new opulent world and trying to gain the acceptance of the boy's/girl's parents, who look down on them for being a commoner. Still looks like a fun movie nonetheless.
Phaota my thoughts exactly. But for this one, I'll go watch. I'm a fan of Michelle Yeoh
I always say this it’s not always about how new a plot is, it’s the details and the real emotions and relationships. It can still be a great movie with a 100 times told plot if they demonstrate the real feelings :)
So... Asian Downton Abbey?
Lols. Modern classed asian cultured money :) so eh. Sort of. But not quite..bcuz its for our time.
I don't know, guys. This movie looks generic, not unlike anything you would find on a slew of Kdrama sites like Dramafever, Viki, or even Netflix. If you want to see a fun Asian American film check out Seoul Searching that came out in 2015. It's a Korean-American Breakfast Club set in the 80's. It's a cute independent film. But considering there hasn't been a huge mainstream film with an AA cast since Joy Luck Club, I hope it makes money so other AA films can be made. But if you want to see a fun Kdrama rom-com check out Master's Sun. It's about a ghost whisperer who falls in love with a department store heir. It's really good.
They've seen this. You haven't.
Did you even watch it?
I watched kdramas a lot like 3-8 dramas each season for like 15 years. It’s not about how groundbreaking the plot is. It’s about how good a story is being told. I went in expecting this to be terrible but ended up liking it a lot. It’s the small details that make a movie great :)
Leewan Li that’s good to hear. I was waiting to see what the audience reaction was going to be as they don’t always line up with the critics. And yes no matter what, always comes down to a well told story. I hope more AA stories will be told onscreen. I mean a 25 year gap since the last one (Joy Luck Club) is ridiculous
실버 this weekend
It can't be that posh. They were driving a Benz, not a Maybach
You missed the Maybach scene.
Has Dan been wearing glasses this whole time am I blind?
He used to wear glasses but then he didnt for a time (like maybe the last year?). But i remeber him wearing them^^
I wonder how similar or dissimilar it is to Asian dramas and Rom com movies. Cause most of them have this setting of Good looking people in affluent environments. I am also really curious to see how audience that are Not Asian ethnicities who are also American and have had no exposure to Asian cinema would react.
Sincerely Defiant there’s similarities but also not. This one is more about the personal values as Asian Americans vs family traditions, not so much about poor vs rich
Go watch this movie ppl!