Friday Feature Movie Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan クレイジーリッチ : ケビン・クワン (富裕家族のテーマ)

I enjoyed this High Net Worth movie immensely. If you can never have enough gold, diamonds, cars or homes (the bigger the better), then this film is for you. It is the story of cultural contrast between old money vs new money in Asia today. The story is not the same as the book, but very close and easy to follow. There is a great cast with a wide range of characters that many will recognize in type. The transition from book to movie is very smooth indeed, like the silk dresses on screen. The opening seen may be in London, but that just sets the stage for the real beginning in New York some 24 years later. Clearly over the last 10 years, the world has seen that Asia has arrived. Some are indeed rich, and some are Crazy Rich!

The main plot then moves our hero & heroine to Singapore & Malaysia. Another cultural clash is discovered between the true born and bred Asian hero and his very American heroine with an Asian background. The rich son from Singapore, can live under the radar in New York. He is not recognized, no paparazzi, no family pressure, just true freedom from his obligations that are expected to come. We meet many unforgettable characters, only found in Asia, the new shangri-la & wealth magnate that Singapore, has now become. As the author is from a prominent family himself, Kevin Kwan. He did an excellent job writing about what he knows best, his family in Singapore. He perfectly described them, with all of the relatives around the region that go with it. 

The character types were all Asian, and also very wide in variety. This is rare in Hollywood cinema, and hopefully can be a good copycat case with future films with more Asian themes. What I liked most were the accents. Singlish was in many of the scenes but so was a good reflection of Asian society in Singapore, with accents from Hong Kong, Taipei, Sydney, New York and London. Not all the people you meet in Singapore, sound like they are from Singapore. Overseas boarding school or university can and does change you. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not, but often permanently in accent anyway. I liked the mix of accents I heard on scene. I recognized many them instantly, and they all worked for me.

The Top 3 Takeaways from this book that impact any reader are:

1) This is the story of very special Chinese people in Asia with hard wired talent for the times they live in. The pattern shows how drive and perseverance often wins the way to immense wealth.

2) The ability to work with family and friends, even frenemies, needs to be learned in life. When you share the same space, you need to get along. Only once you start to learn that in Asia, you can then proceed to succeed. Loners often fail and lose out.

3) This is not about anyone happy to be average or make a living. The common pattern shows that there is always a deep driver to push any rich person to a level few others ever reach. There may be lucky events, but the total result of wealth is often about hard work over a long time, proper manners, personal sacrifice, and not pure luck. Luck runs out.

Chinese traditions are indeed very old, perhaps 7000 years or more. It is a lot of history, and can still be seen today in this story's modern cast of movie characters. There is no one China, but many, and I am glad that point was made. It made the story more believable. The huge homes seen on the screen were very Ultra High Net Worth inspired. Sentosa island and the Marina Bay Sands hotel certainly are Singaporean landmarks today, just like the hawker stalls that really do have Michelin stars. It certainly makes you want to visit the city in person. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a good escape on the big screen.

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