August 30th

Crazy Rich Asians
The Insult

Having missed my early previews of these two I'm a bit late to press this week. Both are worth catching - both dramatically different, and both well recommended. Meantime, gird your loins for later this week when EIGHT new reviews will be on this site. 

Crazy Rich Asians
Director: John M Chu
Length: 120 min

© Roadshow  - a light-hearted look at the world
of the crazily rich folk of Singapore - with
a few barbs in the tail!

Native born Chinese New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) has been dating Nick Young (Henry Golding) for about a year. He invites her to attend his best friend's wedding in Singapore, providing a great opportunity for her to meet his family. Trouble is, he has never told Rachel some key facts about his life, namely he comes from one of Singapore's wealthiest families. Snobbery and cultural expectations from Nick's mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) place enormous pressures on Rachel, not to mention the vindictive rivalry from young women with their sights set on the most eligible bachelor on the island. This film has met with an enthusiastic reception, and it is indeed a dim-sum cartload of fun! Yes there are several heavily stereotyped characters, and the themes of family objection to marrying "below one's station" or out of one's cultural and economic confines are tried and true themes in film. And yes, the outcome is reasonably predictable. However many elements lift this above the usual fare. Firstly the ridiculously over-the-top depiction of filthy rich life is jaw-dropping and very amusing at times, while the lead characters bring something very special to their performances. Wu and Golding are gorgeous romantic leads with strong chemistry, while the veteran of so many martial arts films Yeoh is dignified, elegant and vicious as Nick's mother. Sets are stunning, the plot moves at a cracking pace, and despite some formulaic elements, there are plenty of deeply felt universally compassionate themes. I certainly had maximum enjoyment with this one. 
3.5 - well recommended!

The Insult
Director: Ziad Doueiri
Length: 110 min

© Palace - a salutary lesson in why the ongoing
problems in the Middle East may never
be solved. 

Tony (Adel Karami) is a Lebanese Christian, running a motor mechanic business and expecting his first child with wife Shirine (Rita Hayek). Tony accidentally drips water from his balcony onto local maintenance man Yasser (Kamel el Basha), who is a Palestinian refugee. Yasser makes repairs without permission, and all hell breaks loose. Insults fly, physical violence ensues, and the dispute ends up in court. The battle reignites Palestinian/Christian conflict in Beirut, and it seems the whole country is about to explode. As a nominee for Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscar, The Insult packs a punch in its handling of the seemingly insoluble Middle Eastern problems, seen here in the microcosm of two men's conflicts. As a court drama there is nothing especially new or ground-breaking, but it is the dialogue and ideas offered that stay with me long after the film is over. We see that few arguments are ever black and white and are colored and nuanced by the antagonists' backgrounds and emotional baggage. Performances are uniformly strong, and one would hope that more movies like this may add to the much-hoped for idea of reconciliation between warring factions throughout the world.
3.5 - well recommended!