@2VU0609 a sequel to CRA is in the works, and if it’s going to be based on Kevin Kwan’s second book, then yes the story will focus a lot on Astrid. We already got a little clue at the end of the first movie. Since the real life characters for both Astrid (Gemma Chan) and her mom Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) are both native Cantonese speakers who speak Cantonese in the first movie, it might make sense to have HK be a focal point in the second movie.
I want to see Juliet Naked, so thanks for the good report @onthewestfence .
We saw CRA, too. We also loved it, notwithstanding its pornographic materialsm. Loved the soundtrack, too! We grabbed it off Spotify and listened to it through much of dinner afterwards.
I think the absence of Nick’s father sets up the tension in movie #2. Rachel won over Nick’s mother – who, after all, was an outsider much like her, and devoted to her son, so well primed to be won over – with her flashy Mah Jong play and rudimentary game theory. Dad – the real source of authority, both economic and filial, and pretty clearly the captain of Team Tradition – will be another sort of obstacle. And obviously Astrid gets more play in #2, since the movie drops a recognizable actor with a supporting actor credit (despite not having a single line) making goo-goo eyes at her in one of the movie’s last shots. That doesn’t happen unless you will see a lot more of him in the future.
By the way, Nick and Astrid aren’t siblings, are they? He has two brothers, no sisters. I thought she was a cousin of some sort.
D, my expert since she had read the book, said that Astrid is Nick’s cousin, the little girl at the beginning with Eleanor and her sister, as well as Nick at the London hotel. I thought the other two guys were Nick’s cousins as well, but may be wrong. I hope this is not a spoiler, but D says that in the book that Eleanor doesn’t come around completely to Rachel, so I wonder how much of a change there was in movie Eleanor’s attitude since she never spoke to Rachel that we saw at the party. The mahjong sequence article that is linked several pages back in post #1609 explains how the actress playing Eleanor wanted something more for her interaction with Rachel and how that not-in=the-book scene was developed.
Can any plot discussions on Crazy Rich Asians please be moved to the other thread someone created? For those of us who haven’t seen it, we really don’t want to read the details folks are posting here. Thanks!
Yes, major spoilers are no fun. Alert people with spoilers or stay away from commenting altogether if you can’t resist! CRA and Guernsey comments have some spoilers recently (maybe BlackkKlansman too but can’t remember for sure) here so he careful with reading comments if you have not seen these movies yet. Some people don’t care, of course, about spoilers , but many do.
Loved Sorry to Bother You. Most thought-provoking, unique movie I’ve seen in years. Highest recommendation! Thought BlackkKlansman was also very good, but Sorry to Bother You was on another level. Crazy Rich Asians was fun, cute, but formulaic, as least to me.
@havenoidea
Totally agree!
And the other day I heard that the YouTube boxing match was a big success, how ironic yet prescient.
Going to see Blaze tomorrow. Ethan Hawke, Sam Rockwell.
Loved The Wife. Glenn Close was great.
Saw BlacKkKlansman and thoroughly enjoyed it. So glad I went, thanks to recommendations on this thread.
John David Washington (played Detective Ron Stallworth) warmed my heart – perhaps because he reminded me so much of my very cool, very kind, super smart HS chemistry teacher.
I definitely got choked up at parts.
Looking forward to seeing The Wife next.
Searching was a great whodunit using social media to find missing daughter. Lots of twists and turns. Red herrings, too.
Operation Finale went by the numbers but still entertained.
The folks at Pop Culture Happy Hour, plus guest Gene Denby, one of the hosts of CodeSwitch, were less than wholly enthusiastic about the Spike Lee movie. Gene had some definite reservations.
IIRC they were concerned about inaccuracies, amongst other things. Have to listen t it again.
The movie was never marketed as a documentary, totally factual . It was always based on a general story, based in fact, but with lots of artistic license.
Saw Blaze – it was very affecting and had a lot of texture. If you like a good story told at a less than breakneck pace, this is a good one. This review captured my feelings about it: http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/ethan-hawkes-blaze-movie-review.html
I enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians. I’m glad to hear the other two books in the trilogy will be made into movies.
I also enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians and thought it very much had the feel of a fairy tale.
Just saw Operation Finale about the capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann. Top notch acting from Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac.
“I also enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians and thought it very much had the feel of a fairy tale.”
You nailed it! Princes Diaries, anyone? 
I just saw White Boy Rick, and liked it very much. It’s based on true events and I can believe every scene.