Things I Loved About Crazy Rich Asians
1. That Stab At Racism: The beginning of the movie makes it very clear that these Asians are very rich and they will not be tolerating any bullshit from racist assholes. I love it, it’s a great big “fuck you” to dumbasses who like to think of other countries as “Third World”.
2. The Humor: “Sebastian from Little Mermaid” and “I’m kidding I don’t have an accent” are just a few of my favorite bits, but “Asian Ellen” probably takes the crown. The comedy is on point, people were laughing, it was awesome.
3. The Relatability: The traditional familial ideals represented by Nick’s side of the family and the more modern ideals of Rachel’s family are both so real, it’s not even funny. Plus Rachel is such a relatable, delightful protagonist. You really feel what she’s feeling throughout the movie.
4. The Street Food Scene: Before the Wealth Parade gets started, there’s a realistic, down-to-earth moment of four young adults getting a shitton of street food and beer. I really love that bit, it’s a great incorporation of reality.
5. The Wedding Scene: Come on, the walking-on-water wedding, with that phenomenal soundtrack? Add in Rachel and Nick realizing they are ready to have a wedding of their own, and it’s really kind of perfect.
6. The Game Scene: Rachel inviting Nick’s mother to her home ground, getting a winning hand first, then relinquishing that win and letting Nick’s mother know she folded? While delivering her speech on why she’s intentionally losing? That’s some good shit. Great parallel to the start of the film, when Rachel tells her student, “You weren’t playing to win, you were playing not to lose.”
7. Rachel and Nick: These two are so incredibly in love with each other, it’s amazing. I like that the drama is wholly because of their Family Problems, not because of anything else. There is no doubt in their affection for each other, and they always try to make their decisions based on the other’s happiness: Nick is ready to leave his entire family behind for Rachel, and Rachel decides to fold her cards for Nick to stay with his mother. True love, really.
8. The Proposal Scene: The way Nick navigates the Economy aisle, his speech, that Ring Reveal? Best romcom proposal ever.
9. The Besties: Both Rachel and Nick have awesome best friends. Heartfelt advice, makeovers, and parties abound.
10. Astrid: This woman is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, and she is so kind. It’s obvious in the way she loves her children, treats Rachel, and loved her asshole husband. Her ultimately saying “fuck off” to dumb male ego is the best. When she puts on those huge glittering earrings, she’s declaring she’s not going to limit herself for anyone else ever again, and I love her so much for it. (We need a sequel with Astrid and Harry Shum Jr.)
11. The Mothers: I really really like that this movie focuses on maternal love. When Nick and Rachel’s mothers give a nod to each other, I feel like they’re saying, “I respect the way you’ve kept your family intact,” from one badass to another. They’ve both made sacrifices for the sake of their children, and neither of them were wrong in the choices they made.
12. Characters Who Are Not What They Seem: I thought the grandmother was a nice person, an idea I scrapped as soon as I learned about the hardships Nick’s mother went through. Asians fluent in English, strict mothers who want the best for their children, the sheer kindness of Astrid and Nick—I love myself some trope subversion.
13. The Emotions: This movie does emotions very well. The Dumpling Scene was so fraught with tension I couldn’t breathe. Opulent parties are gorgeous affairs one second and disgustingly garish the next, making us feel Rachel’s mood change keenly. I nearly cried when Rachel and her mom were having a heart-to-heart.
14. The Visuals: I am so here for these out-of-the world visuals. The splendor and ridiculousness of rich people is entertainingly depicted, and I derived great joy from watching rich Asians. (Is this strange satisfaction the reason why white billionaire characters like Tony Stark are made? Because watching billionaires who look like me feels awesome.) The luxury shown is distinctly Asian, too, which is a good deal different from the European luxury we’re used to seeing on screen.
15. The Plot: How they juggled different plot points and organized some scenes was stunning. Parallels between different characters who feel like real, complicated people? This is the best romcom I’ve seen in a long time.
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