The Trailer for Crazy Rich Asians Is Equally Flashy and Romantic
EntertainmentThe adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name is directed by John Chu and features a bajillion Asian actors, including Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Awkafina, Ken Jeong, the devastatingly handsome newcomer Henry Golding, and a whole host of other actors who’ve had careers in their countries but not in America. This is the first mainstream movie to feature a predominantly Asian cast since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club, which sounds crazy, but that’s how Hollywood works.
Constance Wu plays Rachel, an American woman dating Nick (Henry Golding), a man from Singapore whose family, she later finds out—when she is ushered beyond a curtain and into the sumptuous interiors of first class—is extremely, crazily, rich. Nick invites Rachel to his cousin’s wedding in Singapore—a fish out of water scenario that’s all about class. Her college friend, Peik Lin (Awkafina in blonde wig I don’t care for but can certainly respect) is her guide through the thorny thicket of the Malaysian upper class. Michelle Yeoh is the matriarch of Nick’s family, an ice queen with impeccable hair who would rather eat a handful of hay than have her son be with an ABC from a no-name family. If that sounds like a whirlwind—good! That’s the point!
Stray notes: Henry Golding is very handsome; I didn’t know I needed to hear Constance Wu speaking without her Fresh Off The Boat put-on accent until I did. Who did the costumes? Look at these sets! Please! I’m ready!
Admittedly, my expectations for the film were low, because the distinct pleasure of the source material is its breezy, bubbly, nature—a little dumb, very pulpy, sprawling and complicated, and above all, fun. The trailer did not disappoint and now, I must temper my excitement until August 17, when Crazy Rich Asians hits theaters.