"Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time. It is an unabashed celebration of luxury and money, with hints of class conflict that have more to do with aspiration than envy or anger, set in an Asia miraculously free of history or politics."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/movies/crazy-rich-asians-review.html
The movie is still about to be shown in the Philippines on August 22, 2018. The official MTRCB rating has yet to be released.
There has been some local controversy on the limited role that Kris Aquino played in the movie. One Hollywood actor commented that she was the real crazy rich Asian having brought eighteen assistants to the set. However, Kris Aquino clarified that she only brought eight helpers with her.
https://push.abs-cbn.com/2018/8/6/fresh-scoops/kris-aquino-nilinaw-kung-ilan-ang-kanyang-entourag-188900
The movie was already shown in the United States and it got mixed reviews. It has been a highly anticipated movie because of the Asian cast in Hollywood.
"But Crazy Rich Asians is distracted by its extravagance and rooted in a contrived scenario that renders our leading characters either foolish or callous right off the bat. It also ends on a note that doesn't really resolve any of the pressing issues at its core." (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/08/13/crazy-rich-asians-review-too-much-rich-not-enough-crazy/
"It’s hard to overestimate the importance of this. Last year, only four out of the 100 top-grossing films featured an Asian protagonist. While films like Dev Patel’s Lion and Kumail Nanjiani’s The Big Sick have been met with critical acclaim, it’s been 25 years since a major Hollywood studio has funded a present-day film that features an entirely Asian, Asian American and diaspora Asian cast, with the last instance being 1993’s The Joy Luck Club." (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/aug/13/crazy-rich-asians-review-kevin-kwan
Nevertheless, there have been some comments from South Asians over their lack of representation in the movie, except as servants.
"The film's lack of diversity -- which follows the demographics represented in the book it was based upon -- was apparent to many others as well, with one commentator asking an uncomfortable question on Twitter on behalf of South Asians and Southeast Asians: "Are we not Asian?"
https://qz.com/quartzy/1260412/crazy-rich-asians-trailer-south-asians-criticize-film-for-lack-of-ethnic-diversity-and-singaporean-accent/
After watching the trailer and reading the reviews, it seems that Kevin Kwan's story is more a celebration of the Singaporean culture, including the unapologetic display of wealth in the movie.
The movie is more accurately called "Crazy Rich Singaporeans" and should not have used the word "Asian" that carries with it a lot of diversity and cultural nuances.
As touted in the media, the movie appears to be a source of light (some may say shallow) entertainment and wealth porn.
For those who seek a more accurate representation of culture, however, the movie merely attempts to depict the rich people of one country and not necessarily the whole of Asia.
