Today, I was fortunate enough to snag free passes to a special advanced screening of Crazy Rich Asians courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures. I am so happy to say that I absolutely love this movie! It also may be - dare I say it - better than the book itself. Previously, I wrote my own review of the novel. Rather than go into the story again, I thought I would do a comparison recap between the book and the movie and share what I thought worked and what didn't work (though honestly, much of what the movie did worked). This will be a spoiler-heavy comparison. So, if you have not yet seen the movie or want to read the book first and then see the movie, I suggest skipping this post until you do.
THE OPENING SCENE
When the movie opened with "London 1995" I instantly shouted "yes!" because I loved this opening from the book.
In the book, Eleanor Young, Felicity Leong, Alexandra Cheng, and their children, Nick Young, Astrid Leong, and Eddie Cheng arrive in a posh London hotel soaking wet having trudging their way through the rain. As they try to check-in, they are shunned by the snooty staff and hotel manager who refuses to believe that they could afford such an expensive and exclusive suite just because they are Asian. When they are still refused to check-in and are even asked to leave the premise, Felicity contacts her husband. Moments later, the owner of the hotel arrives escorting the women in and demanding that they are checked-in now that Felicity Leong is the new owner of the hotel as he had just sold it to her husband, who is a very good friend of his. Felicity then politely tells the snobbish hotel manager to leave the premise. I like comparing this scene alongside that store scene from Pretty Woman. Except here, the women up the ante and by just buying the hotel.
In the movie, the same scene plays out except instead of Felicity becoming the new mistress of the hotel, it's Eleanor. The few other minor changes are that the book's opening is in London 1986, not 1995; Alexandra and Eddie Cheng are removed from the film's opening; and instead of firing the hotel manager, Eleanor asks him to go get a mop to clean up the mud that her son, Nick, walked in with. It would have been nice to see her fire him, but putting him in his place was still good too.
I loved this opening scene from the book and was glad it opened the movie because of how it not only introduced us to Eleanor and the other characters and how wealthy they are, but also how it puts down racial discrimination right away. Crazy Rich Asians has already become a groundbreaking romantic comedy prior to the film's release with its all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club and even before then since Flower Drum Song.
__________
NICK AND RACHEL TRAVEL TO SINGAPORE
One of the things that can be debated about with the book is how Nick does not tell Rachel anything about his family and his wealth. In the book, he completely covers up the fact that he is rich until they arrive, which is pretty much of a blindside and not really one of Nick's greatest moments. In the film, however, he hints it to Rachel when they are checked-in to first class on the flight to Singapore. He also tells her during the flight about his family and more about his cousins, Alister and Eddie, and Astrid whom Rachel had already met. He downplays his wealth but he also does not hide it, which I thought was better than how he handled it in the book.
The scene when Colin and his fiancee Araminta greet Nick and Rachel plays out almost exactly as it does in the book. I like how they were introduced too in terms of costume and makeup. We know that they are just as wealthy as Nick, but when they meet him and Rachel at the airport they are dressed down compared to all the glamour and glitz we later see them in, as if this is who they really are among only close friends.
__________
PEIK LIN
Awkwafina and Ken Jeong are the scene-stealers of this movie. Awkwafina was perfect as Peik Lin because in the book the character has such a funny and vibrant personality which I thought she portrayed so well and exuberantly on screen. Ken Jeong as Wye Man Goh was also a great choice. In the book, you can tell he is quite a character, but the film really showcases it through Jeong's comedic performance. The rest of the Goh family was also hilariously portrayed.
In the book, Peik Lin and her family do not know who Nick Young is as his substantial reputation is tightly guarded. In the film, however, they know exactly who he is including the history of his family's wealth from old money. I liked how the film changed this because I thought it was odd in the book how sought out Nick was by women and his royal-like status that upper-middle-class people like the Gohs didn't know who he was.
Another thing I liked about the film was that Peik Lin was invited in by Nick to his grandmother's party, where she meets Oliver. The two have such great personalities in the book that it was a shame that they didn't interact. Seeing them meet and play off each other on screen though was fan deliverance, to me at least. That whole party scene by the way, from Peik Lin driving Rachel there and Rachel meeting Nick's family are great. It merges a lot of smaller scenes and character introductions in the book while adding in something new.
__________
ASTRID AND MICHAEL
One of my qualms with the book was how dramatic things turned that it almost loses its realism. A good example of this is Astrid and Michael's relationship. Throughout the book, Astrid tries to deal with the fact that her husband, Michael, is having an affair. It turns out however, Michael was never having an affair and that he just planted all those seeds to make it look like he was so he can easily get out of his marriage, as he had always felt inadequate compared to Astrid and her family. When I read this, it felt a little clunky in that I was surprised that he would go through all those lengths than just admit how he felt.
The film, however, changes this slightly with Michael really cheating on Astrid. His insecurities about himself are better shown here as you can clearly see him feel like an outsider as he tries to get his start-up company off the ground. Witnessing Astrid's heartbreak too was just as sad. In the book, we are introduced to her ex-boyfriend, Charlie Wu, who helps her track down Michael's mistress. They end up getting close again and in the end after their discovery, while Charlie has a clear shot to be with Astrid, he instead encourages her to not give up on her husband. While I would have liked to have seen Astrid and Charlie get together in the movie, I do like how instead of him encouraging her to get back together with her husband, she has her own courageous moment when she confronts Michael. She stands up for herself and gives this powerful speech about how she tried so much to make him feel like a man when really it's not her job to make him something he never really was to begin with. You go, girl!
Although Charlie Wu is cut out from Astrid's storyline he does make a small but significant appearance, to fans especially, during the mid-credits scene.
__________
RACHEL CHU AND ELEANOR YOUNG
I thought this movie did a great job in showing Eleanor and Rachel's relationship from how they met and interacted, to their feelings and impressions of each other. When we meet Rachel as an NYU professor, she comes off as a badass teaching her students about game-theory through poker. And I liked how this idea comes up again later when she and Eleanor play mahjong as they talk about Nick. That is really how their relationship is throughout the movie.
In the book, Eleanor has a strong and negative impression of Rachel immediately. In the film, it is not as heavily portrayed but it is still clearly there through Michelle Yeoh's serious but subtle performance of Eleanor that shows how she feels cautious and skeptical about this woman her son is so enamored with. It more emotional than verbal compared to the book.
The biggest question I had coming into the movie was how they were going to end it. The book ends off in a cliffhanger where everything is not resolved and the story continues with two sequels. Rachel learns the truth about her past, she and Nick get back together but not engaged, and Eleanor retreats to her friends on what to do next. I actually even wondered if they were going to add in Rachel's surprising lineage. Fortunately, the film provides a happier ending. It resolves some things that could be explored further if they do decide to make a sequel, but does not lay too much groundwork to force a sequel if anything.
Here's hoping we get a film adaptation of the rest of the series, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Based on how enthusiastic the audience was during my screening (which included all genders and races and not just Asians), I wouldn't be surprised if we hear something soon about a sequel.
Other Spoiler Points
- During Araminta's bachelorette party, Rachel meets Susan who becomes a close ally compared to the other women who judge Rachel poorly. In the film, however, Susan's kindness and friendship are merged instead through the introduction of Amanda Ling, who is another but mean character from the book. Susan at the party is instead replaced with Astrid's arrival, giving Rachel one trusted confidant at the party.
- Araminta and Colin's jungle theme wedding is just as amazing as how it was depicted in the book. Be sure to spot a cameo by Kris Aquino for all the Filipinos out there.
- Nick and Rachel's relationship I felt was better developed and portrayed on screen. This is not meant to demote the novel, but it was nice seeing how perfect they are for each other in the movie, especially during the wedding. I heard sniffles in the theatre during that scene, and not just mine.
Post a Comment