Crazy Rich Asians is a book-based romcom. The storyline is very original and romcoms have a tendency to portray their heroines as, not quite having their act together. But that’s not the heroine of this romcom: She’s capable, clever, and in control. She may be temporarily thrown off by the unfriendlies in her partners life, but she never loses her footing. She’s a well-drawn, down-to-earth character who isn’t so much relatable as aspirational.

It’s impossible not to notice the movie’s shots of men’s bare chests, but this reverse objectification is subversively intentional: Asian men are rarely portrayed as sexy or appealing in the media, and the drooling cinematography is intended to challenge the idea that Asian men are undesirable. And amid all the humour and attempts to overthrow the anti-Asian bias in Hollywood movies, the director still delivers a lovely love story.

During a preposterously over-the-top wedding, the audience is brought to tears by a touching affirmation that, no matter the pain and pleasure that money brings, it’s still love that makes the world go round.

Rating: ★★★★★

Recommended Viewers: Adults