Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians debuted a few weeks ago, but I've only now seen it this week. The film version of Kevin Kwan's novel deserves whatever praise it gets. It's a funny and endearing romantic comedy. It's a great way to start the fall.

Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is an economics professor at NYU. Her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), is the heir to Singapore's largest real-estate empire. Rachel is unaware how "crazy rich" Nick is. He invites her to fly to Singapore with him for his best friend, Colin's wedding. Rachel gets to meet Nick's family, including his mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), who sees her beneath her. The cultural differences between Rachel and the Youngs are vast. She'll have to assert herself to stand a chance.

Director Jon M Chu and screenwriters Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli make the film's two hours worth it. Its story elements are familiar but you'll be invested in their outcome. It's especially so with Rachel and Nick's temporary break-up and ultimate reconciliation. They're endearing leads and their struggles are understandable. You'll be pleased when they assert themselves. Mahjong plays a part in the resolution, though you might get lost if you're not familiar with it.

The supporting cast makes it better. Yeoh's Eleanor is a strong antagonist; she's harsh, yet warm matriarch, and her motives are understandable.  Her handling of some racist hotel clerks is a masterstroke. Lisa Lu is a good presence as Nick's stern grandmother, Shang Su Yi. The standouts are Awkwafina as Rachel's best friend Peik Lin, Ken Leong as her father, Wye Mun and Nico Santos as Nick's Cousin Oliver. They're great comic relief and moral support for Rachel. Gemma Chan is also great as Nick's cousin Astrid, who's essentially the tritagonist of the story. So many names, so little space for the SAG Ensemble nomination it deserves.

Its technical merits are crazy rich for $30 million. The production design gives us many extravagant mansions, a serene beachside resort and the elaborate wedding. You wouldn't know, unless you were told, that its London and New York scenes were filmed in Malaysia. The cinematography by Vanja Cernjul gives us an appealing look at Singapore. Brian Tyler's score is good, while the soundtrack is a great collection of Chinese and English songs.

I don't go to many romantic comedies. So Crazy Rich Asians is one of the best I've seen. Its themes are universal and its ensemble cast is wonderful. It's a feel-good movie that needed to be made. See it as soon as possible. It's that good. It has me curious how they'll handle the inevitable sequel, China Rich Girlfriend, considering how this film's source ended. It'll be interesting, that's for sure.