I hate Rom Com's. Hate them! I think part of it is jealousy. No way, no how, does anyone in a relationship treat someone that well, fall that deeply in love, and do the most amazing things for their partner, forever. As I type the words I'm thinking of the law of attraction and how maybe that's not my experience because I'm such a cynical person. I worry that film, and Romantic Comedies in particular, set us up for a false sense of reality. There's plenty of research that proves there are ill effects to Romcom syndrome, or the naïveté that results from believing real life can be wrapped up in 90 minutes of incessantly proving you love the other. I have to admit, I do love some of the films on the best romcom list. They can't be super formulaic though. There has to be something different about them.
List of Top Rom Coms
Something I often question about film and all media consumption is cultural influence. How much impact do these mediated images actually have on our psyches? We know these stories are constructed. I always ask my journalism students to imagine a perfect family, hot or successful person, then have them tell me who they are thinking of. Most of the time they reference something like The Incredibles, Jamie Dornan, or 007. Rarely do they say their families, partner, or their future career. I hypothesize that our memories are intertwined with mediated ones. What we strive for, crave, want to work for, is usually something that has been presented to us in media.
So all of that brings me to Crazy Rich Asians. Yes, it is a Cinderella story, jam packed with evil step-sisters, a wicked stepmother, gossiping aunties who try to sabotage the relationship, and of course an heinous ex-girlfriend who is still in love with the RICH Prince Charming. I guess part of the reason I like the Cinderella version of Crazy Rich Asian's is because Rachel, the Cinderella character, is a bad ass! She doesn't need Prince Charming, she wants him, but her career, position in life, where she lives, and what she wants to do is hers to determine. The first scene we see Doctor Rachel Chu whoop up on an economics graduate assistant because she specializes in game theory. It's an awesome scene. Yep, badass.
I also like the film because it is primarily a Chinese cast. There was a little backlash that some of the main characters were biracial and not fully Chinese. I still think it's the best representation of an all Chinese cast since Joy Luck Club in 1993.
We have to be honest that it's rare to see a cast that doesn't have many white people in it. I really enjoyed taking in the cultural indications from this movie but still got lost in the narrative to the point that their race did not matter. I did imagine from the onset that there would be a happy ending, but I also got in the story at some point and wondered if the couple might not make it. That's got to be a good romcom if you really think they might not get back together. But of course with the impeccable Michelle Yeoh playing the most villainous of interfering mothers, I was convinced she may just stop that relationship.
I felt real anger towards Michelle Yeoh for being so evil. Now THAT'S good acting!
Overall, this is just one of very few examples where Hollywood takes chances beyond the Marvel universe. One of the limited examples of something that many films don't do today: Make something uniquely special and see if the audience will like it. Although every aspect of this film isn't a brand new idea, it is unexampled. I've never seen a Chinese Cinderella and I loved it.
The most beautiful wedding I've ever seen in Film
I give this Romcom 5 out of 5 hearts - Yes, I cried and I'm a little salty about it (that's a joke :)
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