CRAZY RICH ASIANS (my thoughts/review): I am Asian... and I'm Crazy, but I'm not Rich.
A few nights back, my family was having the usual movie nights and we were looking for some movies to watch on Netflix. We were using my mama's account, and on her watch list, she has "Crazy Rich Asians", and so we decided to watch it.
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When it was released in theaters a couple years ago, it became a hit. Unfortunately, we weren't able to watch it. Before we delve more into the story, please watch the trailer below.
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Now, on to the story. The female lead named Rachel is an economics professor in one of the prestigious universities in the US. She's born from Asian parents but is more accustomed to the "Western" style of living since she has been in New York all her life. Her mother taught her Mandarin, but she barely use it.
She fell in love with another Asian named Nick Young and their relationship was really nice. When Nick's best friend decided to get married, he took this chance to ask Rachel to come with him in Singapore to attend the wedding with him and also meet his family.
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Rachel was still in two minds whether to go or not, but Nick was able to convince her. She'd also get the chance to meet one of her close friends who also lives in Singapore named Peik Lin. They both met each other in America and have been really great friends since then.
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She was invited by Peik Lin to their house and she was able to meet her really interesting family. It's amusing to see her family because as Asians, I can feel the hospitality. It's kind of common for me since my friends often come over my place and my parents are pretty close with them as well as if we're all family. That's what I felt when I saw Peik Lin's family.
Going back to the story, when they asked her about her reason for coming to Singapore, they were all shocked. Collin *(Nick's best friend) and Araminta (his fiance)'s wedding is huge event in Singapore since both their families are prominent people. However, they got crazy to hear that Rachel is dating "THE" Nick Young.
Surprised with their reaction, Rachel asked them about Nick and his family. She then found out that they're extremely rich and are very powerful not only in Singapore but also in Asia. Upon knowing this, Rachel was also very shocked and at the same time worried.
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Meeting the family and family friends was a crazy ride for Rachel. Of course, she's a "westernized" Asian, so she was somehow frowned upon by the "very traditional" family members. Aside from that, her family background became an issue as well. She struggled not only with the family, but also with some people around them. It was frustrating, but somehow expected. Watch the movie for more details. haha
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A Filipino actress also made a cameo in the film. She played the role of a prominent princess from somewhere. She wrote an economics/business-related book which Rachel was a huge fan of. It was interesting to see a familiar face for me. lol
As an Asian, I was able to somehow relate to the story. I'm not rich, but the situations in the film are very familiar as it sometimes happen in real life. It was a nice love story, focusing not only on the romantic side, but also love among family and traditions.
Another thing, discrimination was somehow depicted in the film... especially against race and life status. It could be an eye-opener for people. :) So, if you missed watching this when it was released in theaters last time, it's available on Netflix. ^^ Enjoy!