Crazy Rich Asians - Film Review
Nov. 22nd, 2018 06:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatJust finished watching Crazy Rich Asians -- which became available on On-Demand finally. It's not what you think. I did check out the book, so sort of knew going in that it wasn't a rom-com or a romance. It's not. It's more a Pride and Prejudice style comedy of manners, although I didn't find it that funny -- aggravating yes, funny, no. I did enjoy it for what it was..but I'm also glad I did not see it in the theaters and just rented it for $5.99. I'm not sure I'm the target demographic.
What's odd is this is a female centric story, written, directed and produced entirely by men. Which explains some of the gender stereotypes. Some more glaring than others. The women are NASTY to each other...and in ways I don't quite seeing them being nasty. Also, they are a wee bit too into fashion, being pretty, jewelry and guys. It felt very "cliche" in places and I've definitely watched and seen this story done before -- just not with an all-Asian cast. Usually it's with a British or upper crust WASP cast. Did see it done once with an African-American cast, also a Hispanic cast -- can't remember what the title was or when, just have a vague memory of it. But the Asian cast is new to this particular trope. I do and have watched a lot of Asian cinema in my life-time, so I have seen other stories told with all Asian casts. Better ones actually. But that's neither here nor there -- this is the first English language film with an all Asian-Cast that isn't a musical and focuses on women since Joy Luck Club. It's notable for that -- and it's also among the few that was a blockbuster.
Is it any good? Eh...it's okay. I sort of found it a bit predictable. I liked Michelle Yeoh. And Awakinfina, as the heroine's best friend, sort of steals the movie -- as she has more or less stolen every film she's been in to date. She was the best thing in Ocean's 8 as well.
The men have almost no role in this film. It's a female movie. And the central conflict is between the heroine and her boyfriend's mother. He's not really much of a character. Nor does he register much. But the conflict is rather cliche and somewhat two dimensional if that...it's basically..."you aren't worthy of my son, he needs to marry the right girl from the right family" vs. "really? I'm a professor of game-theory economics, get a grip." I left it -- despising the filthy rich, and thinking, eh, not going to Singapore any time soon. So -- didn't do a good job of selling Singapore and portrayed the rich as spoiled brats and miserable party animals, who don't care about anyone outside of themselves. The film is yet another condemnation of our phone obsessed, narcissistic soceity. Austen and Suzanne Collins was and are much better at this sort of thing than Kevin Kwang appears to be.
I think the movie's only selling point is literally the entire cast, director, writer, and production team is Asian. But I wish they'd found something a wee bit better written to use.
What's odd is this is a female centric story, written, directed and produced entirely by men. Which explains some of the gender stereotypes. Some more glaring than others. The women are NASTY to each other...and in ways I don't quite seeing them being nasty. Also, they are a wee bit too into fashion, being pretty, jewelry and guys. It felt very "cliche" in places and I've definitely watched and seen this story done before -- just not with an all-Asian cast. Usually it's with a British or upper crust WASP cast. Did see it done once with an African-American cast, also a Hispanic cast -- can't remember what the title was or when, just have a vague memory of it. But the Asian cast is new to this particular trope. I do and have watched a lot of Asian cinema in my life-time, so I have seen other stories told with all Asian casts. Better ones actually. But that's neither here nor there -- this is the first English language film with an all Asian-Cast that isn't a musical and focuses on women since Joy Luck Club. It's notable for that -- and it's also among the few that was a blockbuster.
Is it any good? Eh...it's okay. I sort of found it a bit predictable. I liked Michelle Yeoh. And Awakinfina, as the heroine's best friend, sort of steals the movie -- as she has more or less stolen every film she's been in to date. She was the best thing in Ocean's 8 as well.
The men have almost no role in this film. It's a female movie. And the central conflict is between the heroine and her boyfriend's mother. He's not really much of a character. Nor does he register much. But the conflict is rather cliche and somewhat two dimensional if that...it's basically..."you aren't worthy of my son, he needs to marry the right girl from the right family" vs. "really? I'm a professor of game-theory economics, get a grip." I left it -- despising the filthy rich, and thinking, eh, not going to Singapore any time soon. So -- didn't do a good job of selling Singapore and portrayed the rich as spoiled brats and miserable party animals, who don't care about anyone outside of themselves. The film is yet another condemnation of our phone obsessed, narcissistic soceity. Austen and Suzanne Collins was and are much better at this sort of thing than Kevin Kwang appears to be.
I think the movie's only selling point is literally the entire cast, director, writer, and production team is Asian. But I wish they'd found something a wee bit better written to use.