Crazy Rich Asians

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  • Crazy Rich Asians

    at the risk of inviting the reflexive "what if Hollywood made a movie called Crazy Rich Whites?" posts . . .

    this rom-com was a lot of fun. not a breakthrough in the genre for the nuts and bolts of the plot -- the conflict comes more from Chinese-American Rachel going up against boyfriend Nick's very rich and very old school Chinese family, especially his mother Eleanor (it probably could have played up the class and nationality differences a bit more between the couple themselves). what is groundbreaking (at least for Hollywood) is that, save a few British hoteliers in the prologue, i don't recall any white actors showing up for the rest of the film. even Black Panther had The Hobbit! but more than just representation, the story layers in both community traditions and the modern conspicuous consumption referenced in the title. it doesn't seem to have a stance on whether the latter aspect is actually good or bad but the excess and over-the-top of it all does serve the story well. and when Rachel finally does stand up to Eleanor in the end, it's a rom-com HOF worthy telling off. Constance Wu definitely deserves the breakout that the film should deliver to her (though Awkwafina almost steals it from her as the wiseass best friend).

  • #2
    Re: Crazy Rich Asians

    There aren't many romantic comedies on the big screen anymore, and I found this a lot of fun.

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    • #3
      Re: Crazy Rich Asians

      About 18 months ago, I was in a bookstore desperately looking for a couple of novels to buy my aunt for her birthday. I grabbed Crazy Rich Asians after reading the blurb on back. She read the novel, loved it and lent it to my mother. Then they bought the second and third books in the trilogy. I bought my own copy of the novel and found it great fun. (I have not read books #2 and #3 yet but probably will soon...)

      One of the big reasons this movie is so successful on its own terms is because it was such a compelling novel first. It has a very strong, pre-baked audience (that it deserves) like my aunt and mother. If this had been just a spec script, I don't like its chances. Very similar to The Help in 2011. A spec script about white women and their black maids? Uh, probably not. But as a successful novel first, then well cast movie? $216 million worldwide box office.

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      • #4
        Re: Crazy Rich Asians

        Change of Writer Plans:

        1. Exit political wastelands of UNITED STATES.
        2. Cross CALIFORNIA STATE LINE.
        3. Go through CARPAL TUNNEL in SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS.
        4. Turn RIGHT instead of LEFT at PACIFIC OCEAN away from LOS ANGELES.
        5. Take PCH to MONTEREY.
        6. Write next GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL.

        Check.
        “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Crazy Rich Asians

          Originally posted by TigerFang View Post
          Change of Writer Plans:

          1. Exit political wastelands of UNITED STATES.
          2. Cross CALIFORNIA STATE LINE.
          3. Go through CARPAL TUNNEL in SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS.
          4. Turn RIGHT instead of LEFT at PACIFIC OCEAN away from LOS ANGELES.
          5. Take PCH to MONTEREY.
          6. Write next GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL.

          Check.
          IF you're writing a certain type of story, a novel first is the way. Even Jurassic Park and Die Hard were novels first.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Crazy Rich Asians

            I think you're going to see a huge uptick in minority-centric movies after the huge success of Get Out, Black Panther, and Crazy Rich Asians. It has always been a thing, but I think you're going to see saturation there to the point where the novelty will wear off.

            And no, I'm not saying that more representation for minority groups is a bad thing. It's great. Long overdue. I just expect to see a lot of copycats come along and chase the trend.

            When Avatar was such a huge success with 3D, suddenly every big budget movie had to come out in 3D. Likewise, I think there's been an uptick in tongue-in-cheek hitman scripts since the John Wick movies have done so well.

            It's going to be hard to duplicate the success if the quality isn't there. Get Out and Black Panther were legitimately good movies independent of their diversity. If people think diversity alone is going to bring people into the theaters, they're probably in for some disappointment, but I fully expect to see it as the next knockoff trend.

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            • #7
              Re: Crazy Rich Asians

              Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
              It's going to be hard to duplicate the success if the quality isn't there. Get Out and Black Panther were legitimately good movies independent of their diversity. If people think diversity alone is going to bring people into the theaters, they're probably in for some disappointment, but I fully expect to see it as the next knockoff trend.
              quality has always been hard. the thing nobody ever told white directors after they made a shitty movie that didn't make money was "boy, i guess we really misjudged the white audience. so much for that experiment!" they (generally) still got to keep making the movies they wanted regardless.

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              • #8
                Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                Thank God Asians finally have representation in film. It's not like there are two billion of them with massive film industries in their own countries.

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                • #9
                  Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                  Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
                  It's going to be hard to duplicate the success if the quality isn't there. Get Out and Black Panther were legitimately good movies independent of their diversity. If people think diversity alone is going to bring people into the theaters, they're probably in for some disappointment, but I fully expect to see it as the next knockoff trend.
                  It's funny. The movie world is saturated with films starring white people, yet people continue seeing those types of movies. Regardless of how mediocre or outright terrible they may be.

                  The last several years have seen many critically-acclaimed minority-led movies. There have also been critically-derided minority-led movies, many of which still made a lot of money ("Think Like a Man," "Ride Along," most Tyler Perry movies). I'm guessing it's because 30% of the population just likes seeing their faces onscreen, regardless of what critics say.

                  Maybe studios will actually take the lesson that making more movies reflecting the population will mean more money, instead of just seeing them as a "knockoff trend." I think there's been enough hit minority movies by now for that to be the outcome. If we can keep allowing the making of white-led movies regardless of how many critical bombs they include, we should allow minorities the same option. Don't you?

                  I love how people compare the presence of minorities and women on a movie screen to a trend like 3D. It's actually pretty ridiculous and insulting considering one is a technology and the other is a set of people who represent a significant portion of the population. But that's the kind of thinking you have when you always see white male as the default.
                  Last edited by UpandComing; 08-25-2018, 06:15 PM.
                  "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                  • #10
                    Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                    Originally posted by entlassen View Post
                    Thank God Asians finally have representation in film. It's not like there are two billion of them with massive film industries in their own countries.
                    If only we could increase the representation of Native Americans in movies in the U.S., considering this is their own country.

                    I'm glad so many white people have representation in movies in the U.S., though. It's not like there are hundreds of millions of them with a massive film industry on their own continent.
                    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                    • #11
                      Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                      Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                      I love how people compare the presence of minorities and women on a movie screen to a trend like 3D. It's actually pretty ridiculous and insulting considering one is a technology and the other is a set of people who represent a significant portion of the population. But that's the kind of thinking you have when you always see white male as the default.

                      People chase trends in this business. If they see a 3D movie do well, they make more 3D movies. If they see an M. Night Shyamalan movie do well, they make more M. Nigh Shyamalan movies. If they see 300 do well, they make more sword and sandals movies. If they see John Wick do well, they make John Wick except they replace him with a female. The thought process is not very deep in a lot of cases. If they see "black" movies doing well then they're going to make more of them.

                      You might have misunderstood me if you were under the impression that I think diversity is a bad thing. I don't. My whole point is that they're not going to achieve the same degree of success if they think any minority-centric movie is automatically going to succeed just because Get Out/Black Panther/CRA have. Quality matters, and so does being the first to mark your territory. Black Panther was the first AAA super hero movie centered around an African protagonist unless you count Blade or Spawn. There will never be another to break that ground. It's been done. With each passing iteration, that aspect becomes less notable and has less pull.

                      With Crazy Rich Asians, the groundswell of excitement and attention is largely because it's so unique. I have friends on Facebook telling everyone to go see it because we need to support diversity and representation. That type of phenomenon will dwindle as more and more films targeting this market are released, to the extent where that aspect of the film will be almost totally irrelevant, much in the same way that 3D has become mundane.

                      I am not suggesting that studios shouldn't try to tap into these audiences or that more representation is a bad thing. My whole point is that people who chase the trend because they think any Asian movie is going to do well are setting themselves up for disappointment.
                      Last edited by DaltWisney; 08-25-2018, 07:37 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                        Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
                        I am not suggesting that studios shouldn't try to tap into these audiences or that more representation is a bad thing. My whole point is that people who chase the trend because they think any Asian movie is going to do well are setting themselves up for disappointment.
                        I never said that you said diversity is a bad thing.

                        My issue is that you are framing the increased centering of minorities in movies as a "trend." The word "trend" implies something that is inherently temporary. But people aren't making more movies with minority leads because it is a popular fad. They are doing so because they are finally beginning to realize that minorities will show up more if they have important roles onscreen. They have years of evidence to back this up.

                        That's why even though the Tupac biopic "All Eyez On Me" failed both critically and commercially, there is still a Gucci Mane biopic in the works. That's why even though "Peeples" bombed, there are still black romantic comedies like "What Men Want" in the works. That's why even though dramas like "Detroit" failed, there are still black historical dramas like "Central Park Five" down the pike. There will continue to be more in development, especially with the new generation of minority creators ranging from Ava Duvernay to Barry Jenkins to Jordan Peele to Jon M. Chu. Even if there is the occasional bomb.

                        Bombs happen to movies led by people of all colors. But no one sets out to make a bad movie, whether it is led by minorities or otherwise. To imply that Hollywood would automatically put less care into a movie because they think minorities will automatically show up if it is minority-led is kind of silly, since its ultimate goal is to make money.
                        "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                        • #13
                          Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                          Originally posted by entlassen View Post
                          Thank God Asians finally have representation in film. It's not like there are two billion of them with massive film industries in their own countries.
                          Is that the official alt-right view, or is that myopia all your own?
                          Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                          "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                          • #14
                            Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                            Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
                            I am not suggesting that studios shouldn't try to tap into these audiences or that more representation is a bad thing. My whole point is that people who chase the trend because they think any Asian movie is going to do well are setting themselves up for disappointment.
                            I once saw a Chinaman in the audience for a white movie. I guess he was lost.
                            Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                            "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                              Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                              To imply that Hollywood would automatically put less care into a movie because they think minorities will automatically show up if it is minority-led is kind of silly, since its ultimate goal is to make money.

                              Nobody makes a bad movie on purpose, but there are absolutely some people latch onto surface characteristics of past successes and incorrectly think that copying those characteristics is a path to similar success.

                              I think you're going to see an uptick in "ethnic" scripts on the Black List this year as people scramble to find other material for these neglected segments of the audience, and I think there's going to be a diminishing return with those projects over time as they become more and more common.

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