Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Elevator Pitch: Rachel Chu is a Chinese American academic, going out with Nick Young an elegable Singaporian bachelor. He invites her to his friend’s wedding in Singapore and she agrees, but on arriving there and participating in the various gatherings in celebration of the forthcoming event she encounters hostility from the other very rich young women of the group, and when it seems that Nick is serious about her, also from his family, who despise her humble upbringing in America. She is supported by a friend who was also at university with her, and by Nick’s cousin who is a beautiful socialite with troubles of her own.

Content: During an altercation in a London hotel in 1995 we are informaed about the wealth of the Young family. Once in Singapore we are ferried from one massive event to another, the luxury house owned by the Youngs, a party in an aircraft hanger, beer drinking on a small island having arrived by helicopter, also by helicopter to the stag night featuring many bikini clad lovelies in an evironment created on a container ship. Also a visit to a luxury country club for the ladies and finally a big party on the top of that extraordinary building on the waterside in Singapore.

A View: I was put off by the Chinese family being rejected by pompous hotel staff in London in 1995, even though they had reserved a suite. Absolutely No Way! And once in the Far East, while the display of wealth was fine, the various family problems seem to have been crowbarred into the plot. Rachel knew nothing about Nick’s pots of money, and the attitude of his mother, while not really being a surprise, was a bit tiresome. Singapore came over pretty and it got ticks up by nearly all the critics but not liked as much by the general public, or my wife and I; we would have liked our two hours back.

Additional Info: The film has faced critisism for being not Chinese enough, since many of the actors are from mixed parentage, and too Chinese, since it does not reflect the ethnic diversity of Singapore.