Rachel Chu: I'm so Chinese. I'm an econ professor that's lactose intolerant.Astrid Young Teo: God forbid we lose the ancient Chinese tradition of guilting your children.
Sometimes tradition, structure, and convention are a wonder to behold. Like how there are mashed potatoes and there are grandma's mashed potatoes. The craft, the experience, the emotional connection matter. It's the indefinable difference between unimaginative scholck and classic.
And while Crazy Rich Asians is not new or innovative, it is tofu, noodles, mashed potatoes, spicy crab, beef stew, dumplings, and satay made by someone versed in the traditions that matter.
Go see it. Connect with it. Learn something. Embrace something.
My own read is that CRA will resonate better with Asian Americans or Singaporeans given it's locations and characters. I like that CRA makes no bones about being Asian centic. While it does explain a lot for the audience, it goes almost out of its way to say nothing about clothing choices, habits, actor choices, multiple languages, cultural touchstones, roads, plants, and smells. Turns out there was no need.
3.58 out of 5 stars
But dumplings made by grandma
