Clash of cultures

For many Filipino moviegoers, the most anticipated scene in “Crazy Rich Asians” must be the appearance of Kris Aquino (aminin!) as a princess of indeterminate nationality.

The “Queen of All Media’s” time onscreen is indeed brief; in fact, she doesn’t even appear in the closing credits. But we have to give it to her: Kris does make her mark, essaying her role and saying her few lines with distinction. And she does blend in with the hoity-toity crowd in her own Michael Cinco gown and personal jewelry.

Also bypassed as a cast member and character is Lisa Lu as Ah Ma, the matriarch of the Young family whose personal story really lies at the heart of the tale told in the three “Rich Asians” books by Kevin Kwan: “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Rich China Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems.”

Even if the novels are ostensibly about the love and struggles of Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and Nick Young (Henry Golding), the story is really built around Ah Ma, whose steely will and remarkable life shapes the wealth, social standing and reverence her family enjoys in Singapore’s elite circles.

For commercial appeal, though, the filmmakers choose to focus much of the story on the “clash of cultures” between the Chinese-American Rachel and Nick’s mother, Eleanor. Played by the renowned actress Michelle Yeoh, Eleanor is a study in quiet power and unbendable resolve. Convinced that the newcomer is the “wrong sort” for her only child, Eleanor uses wile, guile and stealth to ensure that Rachel is boxed out of the tight circle of Nick’s
immediate family and friends.

In the book, Eleanor is written broadly, almost a caricature of the interfering Chinese mom. But, as embodied by Yeoh, she emerges as a serene and refined lady who hides her venom under designer gowns, heirloom jewelry and fidelity to tradition.

Fortunately for Rachel, there are rich people on her side, too.

There is, of course, Nick. But in the movie, he appears clueless about the pressures on his girlfriend, and indifferent to the culture shock that his family’s immense wealth and ostentatious display of it must have on Rachel, who knew him only within the egalitarian world of New York academia.

Good thing there’s also Peik Lin Go (played amusingly and smartly by rapper Awkwafina), an old college classmate of Rachel’s and her one true friend in Singapore. It is Peik Lin—also rich but nouveau riche, and, therefore, an outsider to the rarefied social circle of the Youngs—who serves as a guide and mentor to the intricacies of Singapore high society.

There’s also Nick’s cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan), herself married to a former military man who is, therefore, beneath her, a situation that puts a strain on the marriage. But this also gives Astrid an insight into the struggles Rachel must wage. The newlyweds-to-be Colin (Chris Pang) and Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno) are squarely on Rachel’s and Nick’s side, but they are too busy celebrating to let anxiety intrude on their happiness.

Another Filipino actor plays a fairly important role in the movie. The character is named Oliver T’sien, played by TV star and stand-up comic Nico Santos. He is a poor relation, a “rainbow sheep” of the Young family, but his stature as a lackey and gofer for his rich relatives makes him an invaluable source of advice, gossip and fashion critiques.

You’ve met the human characters, but be aware, too, that playing a leading role is Singapore itself, which is shown in all its glitzy, glossy and heady beauty. Marina Bay Sands and the nearby Gardens by the Bay make so many appearances one wonders if there wasn’t some product placement involved.

A word about “representation.” Asian-American movie journalists confessed to being “teary-eyed” when they first beheld the all-Asian cast in their element, confessing that it was the first time to see so many Asians onscreen, as themselves, and not played by white actors in “Yellowface.”

But Singaporean, Malays and Indians noted their own glaring absence in the movie. Sadly, “Crazy Rich Asians” seems to show the world that, being the emerging world superpower, China stands for the rest of us brown- and beige-skinned folk.

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