My thoughts about movies and TV shows I've been watching

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Saturday, January 19, 2019

A social comedy that is devoid of values

There are some funny moments and scenes in Crazy Rich Asians and the lead couple is tres "cute," and I especially liked the two sidekicks - the childhood friend of the female lead, a rare, outspoken hipster in the conventional and conformist Singapore high society, and the gay cousin or nephew who self-describes as the "Rainbow Sheep" of the family - ok, those are the pluses - but even in the world of big-budget comedy doesn't anyone else find this entire movie morally repulsive? The thin plot involves a "crazy rich" Singapore guy in NY who falls in love with Chinese woman, the youngest prof at NYU apparently, and takes her home to meet his family; she's from humble origins but for some completely inexplicable reason had no idea how wealthy her guy, later her fiancé, really is. OK, so we more or less see this new world of mega-wealth through her naïve eyes - and the whole ethos of the movie seems to be: Don't you wish you had this kind of money? Isn't this lifestyle grand? And despite the usual family psychodramas, if you had this kind of money everything would be perfect. We see the most elaborate receptions, prewedding parties that would cost millions, unlimited shopping and dining, luxury accommodations in hotels (despite a slight obeisance to racial prejudice in the opening scene - quickly snuffed out of course by $$$) and on planes (my father does business with the airline, these tickets are comps!) - and throughout not a word, not a thought about the welfare of others or using the $ to do anything to benefit society - it's all just lavish, sybaritic spending. Sure, this is just the latest among many rich boy / poor girl fantasies - Love Story perhaps being the Ur document, but few have been so blatantly extravagant and value-free.

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