Asian representation in film
If you think that the visibility of minorities in Hollywood blockbusters is inherently good, then Jon M. Chu’s romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians is a moment. If, as the director has claimed, “it’s not a movie, it’s a movement”, then is this the victory for screen diversity we wanted? Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s satirical society novel of 2013, the film thrusts the NYU economics professor Rachel Chu (played by Constance Wu) into the revelation that her dreamboat boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) is actually the “shining heir” to a super-rich Singaporean dynasty. Rachel is unprepared for what is to come: two hours of bros and bachelors, the backstabbing games of elite socialites, oversized jewels and six-packs, and a truly crazy wedding in which a Singaporean church is transformed into a Disneyland jungle.