ASIA / PACIFIC
Page 16 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
September 3, 2018
Crazy Rich Asians hoopla elicits mixed feelings in Asia
By Derek Cai
The Associated Press
S
INGAPORE — The craze for Crazy Rich Asians has
hit Asia, with a premiere in Singapore followed by
openings in several neighboring countries.
Much of the over-the-top romantic comedy was set in
the wealthy city-state. As the stars streamed past
flashing lights down the red carpet, local fans and tourists
swarmed around them taking photos and asking for
selfies.
The movie is expected to draw enthusiastic crowds
across Asia after its box-office bonanza in the U.S.
Directed by John M. Chu, the film was adapted from
Singaporean author Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel of
the same name. It follows Chinese-American Rachel Chu
as she travels with her boyfriend Nick Young to Singapore
to meet his family and discovers they are ultra-wealthy.
The movie is drawing a mixed reaction so far. Admirers
of the film say that as the first majority Asian-cast film in
more than two decades to be released by a major
Hollywood studio it upends Hollywood’s usual stereotypes
of Asian characters. Critics say it misses a chance to
showcase the city’s ethnic diversity.
The $30 million Warner Bros. film has grossed more
than $100 million since its August 15 world debut in Los
Angeles.
“This (movie) is something very personal to people, and
it feels like a bigger movement than just the movie itself,”
Chu, the director, told The Associated Press.
The film has drawn criticism for its inaccurate
portrayal of Singapore’s ethnic diversity, with some
calling it a misrepresentation of the country’s minority
races. Even though a majority of its residents are Chinese,
a quarter of its population are Malay, Indian, or
Eurasians, with many migrant workers from surrounding
countries such as Bangladesh or the Philippines.
“There’s this whole notion of the movie being a triumph
for representation, which is very problematic. The only
Indians and Malays you see are servants,” said Nicholas
Yong, a Singaporean journalist and author who saw the
movie before its Singapore premiere.
Even though its glamorous depiction of Singapore could
give its tourism a boost, it was not entirely welcomed.
“To us, Crazy Rich should not just be about the opulence
and luxury showcased in the film, but Singapore’s actual
richness in terms of our diversity,” said Lynette Pang, a
spokesperson for the Singapore Tourism Board.
As is true anywhere, in Singapore, the super-rich with
their extravagant lifestyles are a tiny, privileged
minority.
Writing in the South China Morning Post of Hong Kong,
which has more than its share of tycoons and elite wealthy
families, commentator Alex Lo said he enjoyed the film
with “guilty pleasure.”
“But amusement aside, it strikes me the whole purpose
of the film exercise is to glamorize and legitimize the
super-rich in Asia, many of whom are ethnic Chinese in
real life,” he said.
“Should we, as the audience and hoi polloi, be tantalized
and awed by the display of mega wealth, which has been
described, by most accounts, as accurate. Or should we
rather be repelled?”
Many in Asia had looked forward to seeing some
familiar faces.
In Manila, the Philippines, an audience of mostly movie
writers, critics, and bloggers, and some celebrity guests,
were thrilled and applauded when two Filipinos in the
film, Kris Aquino and Nico Santos, appeared in their roles
during an advance screening, said Ruth Navarra-Mayo,
an editor of the Lifestyle section of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer newspaper.
Santos plays a fashion designer. Aquino, a popular
actress and daughter of late pro-democracy champions in
the Philippines, played a member of Malay royalty.
A former American colony, the Philippines has a highly
westernized culture and Hollywood movies are a local
entertainment staple. Audiences would welcome more
films with Asian themes and characters, Navarro-Mayo
said.
“We want to see Asian actors on Asian topics,”
Navarro-Mayo said. “We’re hungry and ready for this type
of film.”
Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.
The staff at
The Asian Reporter
wish you and your family a
happy and safe Labor Day!
DIFFERING VIEWS. Constance Wu (center) plays Rachel in the Warner Bros. Pictures, SK Global Entertainment, and Starlight Culture contempo-
rary romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which opened in U.S. theaters on August 15. Also pictured are Nico Santos (left) as Oliver and Koh Chieng
Mun (right) as Neenah Goh. The craze for Crazy Rich Asians has hit Asia, with a premiere in Singapore followed by openings in several neighboring
countries. (Photo/Sanja Bucko, courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Kimmel Distribution, LLC)
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