You must give them chance they rich mah.
Maybe their chauffeur that day sick then they don't know the way.
What chauffeur? They all drove in an open top Jeep.
Who drives that in Singapore?!
Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of Coffee Break,
where we get very hungry and apparently very thirsty people,
to talk about issues around the world.
Okay guys, quick disclaimer before you watch the rest of the episode,
there will be some spoilers.
If you haven't seen 'Crazy Rich Asians', please skip.
Here we go.
China!
Mid Autumn Festi- no. Dim Sum.
Asians? Dim Sum and then some.
Okay well, obviously we got some hong paos(red packets).
Oh, oh wait! Oh!
There's a...wow! Wow! Woah!
Glorious! Glorious!
Okay, so we're talking about 'Crazy Rich Asians'!
Yay. I haven't watch yet sia.
Okay, so... I also haven't. Eh inside got money or not?
Oh. Eh? Eh.
Eh!
Oh my god. Okay guys...oh my god. Real money ah?
Wait do I get paid for this? Eh, hello got money eh.
Okay guys.
What the hell. What the heck!
Eh, eh come.
I feel glorious! Glorious!
Why got real money one? I know!
Why got money inside?! Who got money?
Best! Set! Ever!
Okay, it is money.
Make us feel rich right? Very excited. Ya sia.
Okay, so we're talking about 'Crazy Rich Asians'.
First thing, have you guys watched it?
Yes. No.
So three of us have watched it, the two of you haven't watched it.
What are your thoughts about the movie so far?
To be honest, I will go and watch it.
Okay. But umm, I like not very interested eh.
'Crazy Rich Asians' is seen as a very empowering movie...
Yup. For like, especially the Asian-Americans.
Right, right right. So for them, it's like, "Yes! Let's do this!"
For us it's just like, "Eh it's filmed in Singapore sia! Let's go and watch."
The title already sort of like pulled me in, to want to watch lah.
And then after that, people telling me, "Oh my god. It's so good." You know that kind of thing.
And then I kind of like rom-coms,
and what made it great was that,
I felt that it more than exceeded my expectations a bit lah, in certain parts.
And like, I love the show.
Jon, what do you think?
You are like the resident film critique here in this office.
Okay, I think when you strip away everything that people have put on this film,
that they expect of it to have represent Asians around the world, and to do this and do that right?
When you strip all that away and treat it just as a film itself,
I really don't think it's that good ah.
Honestly, ya, I don't think it's like a mind blowing-ly good movie.
It's really like the theatrics behind it, just because of...
It was so like, grand like everything you know. Ya.
I think this movie right, you will get very different reactions.
Some people will be insanely attracted to kind of...
Or will insanely feel very close to the story.
Cause' it kind of repre- Chris said he cry right?
Ya ya ya, Chris.
James also!
Chris was sitting right beside me right, and he was furiously wiping his tears.
I thought it was okay, wasn't like amazing.
It was enjoyable for the most part lah.
I didn't like hate it or anything.
And there were, I feel like scenes and actors and actresses who stood out.
Astrid... Oh my god.
Oh ya, I love Gemma Chan sia. Astrid!
Gemma Chan is such a beautiful lady. Astrid!
Love her. She walks like she's on air.
No, Pierre Png's body. That one really like...
Okay, that's pretty amazing. My jaw drop.
But his opening scene is really just his, they show his...
Showering. Ya, like naked body.
Then after that he walk out of the shower right, then like at that moment right,
I stunned tio(got shocked) until my friend look at me like, "Eh, why your face like that sia."
Ya.
You know my first words to Chris was like, "Umm, daddi."
But because of the movie right, a lot of different issues stemmed out of it.
Ya, which is about, "Yay, it's Singapore, hooray."
I think that's the biggest pro out of it.
Because tourism. Okay.
That's what you think right, okay ya okay, I agree it does bring tourism.
But to me right, I felt very annoyed,
that they were using purposely, you know very STB(Singapore Tourism Board) type shots in the film.
That made me very feel like, "Ee, cringe sia."
Very cringe, but some people are damn happy about that.
They never show a single HDB eh. Ya, they never.
Got! Got! Got! Got little bit.
Have meh? Marina Bay, Marina Bay.... It was just the tops of the HDB.
No, that's the express way going to...
Ya, they film Marina Bay, then go to the expressway.
My thing is right, if their going to like the Bukit Timah area or wherever their living right,
they wouldn't go ECP(East Coast Park) sia.
Right? It's like why would you go ECP? Ya.
They just go ECP to see Marina Bay Sands.
Actually, that's the wrong way to go back to your house guys.
Wah, that attention to detail.
No because every time, the cutaway right, was literally,
is the Merlion.
They will see the Merlion every time!
Not related to the scene also Merlion.
They go to Newton circle you know, from ECP.
I don't know how they get there sia!
I don't know why they go the wrong long way!
You must give them chance they rich mah,
Maybe their chauffeur that day sick then they don't know the way.
What chauffeur? They all drove in an open top Jeep.
Who drives that in Singapore?!
There's one thing that Chris said to me and I'm like, "Eh, actually that makes sense ah."
Actually when they leave the airport right, they were at the departure hall.
Oh is it?
I think they were really trying to push Singapore's tourist image.
Like, "Oh, we have this, we have this, we have this."
Cause' it's like one of the first few feature Hollywood films that is predominantly based...
Like, revolves around Singapore. The other time that I remember is,
is Chow Yun Fat, Pirates of The Caribbean, "Welcome to Singapore."
There's the Hitman, Hitman in 47. Oh yes. Agent 47.
Which I was an extra in by the way, running.
But they try very hard to incorporate Singaporean culture into the film.
Ya.
There's one part where they're showing text messages.
Then they got all the like, "Walao", all these kind of thing.
Even though like, other countries will never understand right?
Ya. Wah, I like that part, I like that part.
Ya, I mean Nick also like, ordered food in the different languages as well.
Anyway, yes okay, I mean, I think that there are like stand outs lah.
I feel like Michelle Yeoh does make me scared. Oh yes.
She scares me. Like if she was my mother, I will cry.
Tan Kheng Hua is inside is it? Ya, Tan Keng Hua is inside.
I love Tan Kheng Hua. She had very minimal scenes,
but I feel like when she did, like her moments right, it was quite strong.
Margaret, Margaret, Margaret and Chubsies...
Oh my god!
Oh my god! They are in the same film!
Nice.
I just got the chills.
Come to Hollywood eh. Yes.
Wah that's crazy eh Wah, that is nuts.
Yay. Good job, good job, good job.
Well done. Good job Kheng Hua! With two yellow boots.
Talk about Asian-American representation.
That to me, is the one thing that I think everybody is very happy about lah.
For Asian-Americans itself, they feel very happy because,
"Hey, we are finally getting represented in the media."
So it's a very...
It's very "that" for them. Ya.
I feel like for a kid in America right,
for an Asian kid in America, if they've always wanted to kind of be in a film right,
this kind of would be like, "Oh my god, I can be like..." "I got chance."
Ya, "I got chance." So that's good for them.
The other thing is, the other issue I would say is,
ya, you see them in traditionally Asian roles.
And it does come across sometimes very stereotypical and can (be) bother(line) racist.
Ya, which is why I like the 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'.
Because she's Asian, but you don't care she's Asian.
Her role, her life is not at all Asian, you know what I mean?
Her character is not defined by the fact that it's Asian.
It's just that she like Korean yogurt smoothie.
Which is Yakult.
I think the one thing that stood out the most in terms of Asian representation right,
was actually Pierre Png.
Right.
Like the... Henry Golding.
Cause' they were portrayed in a very masculine way.
Which is something rare for an Asian man. Like they cool ah.
Also, a lot of Singaporeans felt like, yes, it doesn't represent Singapore.
So what do you think about it?
Especially from both of us who are the minority is this.
For me, it's really like, "Okay, it's based off the book."
Yup.
And the book was written that way, that's how it's represented.
I agree.
I mean sure, we do need more representation for other races but,
maybe just not this movie?
We need it in other movies definitely.
But, I think people just want to nitpick because it's an opportunity to nitpick.
Correct. Ya.
If anything, the movie is a gateway to everything else. Ya.
I feel that like, instead of like, throwing shade on something that has happened right,
instead they should build upon it to make things better for the future.
But like, I'm just glad that 'Crazy Rich Asians' give everyone a better perspective of what Singapore looks like.
Does it really though?
It does, let me tell you why.
It introduces elements of our culture. Ya.
So actually in terms of like visuals wise,
ya, I don't think that the film really introduces anything that people don't really know about Singapore but,
like what ya'll said lah, based on what ya'll describe.
Things like text messages, "Walao", and like you know,
interactions with hawkers and things like that. Sure.
Then I think definitely, it shows people that there's more than just like, you cannot eat chewing gum here.
But actually ya, one of the Instagrammers I follow right,
he commented like how he would love to visit Singapore now because he's seen the film.
And I think that's cool.
I actually dm-ed(direct messaged) him and he said...
Then he replied me eh.
Then I'm like damn, "Oh my god, I'm like such a big fan", a bit fan girl ah.
and he... Who sia?
His name is @brightbazaar, he does like interior decor and like, men's lifestyle.
I love him. Cause' I think he's damn cool. Are you gonna host him?
No, so I said like, "If you were ever in Singapore, I would happily show you around."
Then he replied, "Yay."
And then, I guess that's happening.
Yay! This just in!
No, I guess it's cool that I get to meet people like that.
It's cool what.
They come to Singapore... It's bringing the world together.
And then I get to meet someone who I've loved for a while now right,
then that's cool eh, I think, ya. Cool, cool cool.
I guess that's pretty much it for 'Crazy Rich Asians'.
Would you recommend people to watch it? Honestly.
I think these two people. Yes.
Actually, I think no matter what, confirm must watch one lah.
If not, I like, confirm FOMO(fear of missing out) one.
I feel like you must watch lah.
Your FOMO really quite strong lah.
Ya, my FOMO quite strong.
As in, the show is nice, but don't let me over hype it for you.
No actually, I'm prepared to really be like, "Orh, okay lor."
Manage expectations, I think.
Buy popcorn.
And nachos. I think just go in and try to enjoy the show.
Or just watch with someone who will cry.
Ya. Chris.
And then you just laugh at that person.