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volarus · 7 years

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(This want ad is for the cast and crew of the show Shattered. Characters with first names have been claimed.)

Shattered is a new and incredibly popular series centering around the daily going-ons of the Los Angeles Shatterdome, specifically the pilots and crew of the fictional Mark III Jaeger, Iron Wild. It has the reputation of being a highly dramatized version of the actual day-to-day operations, and is well-known for its plot twists and scandalous storylines. Although it has been received very favorably by the public, the opinion in the Shatterdome is very polarized—people either love it or hate it.

Essentially, this is like Grey’s Anatomy, but with Jaegers.

THE CAST

-- Okoye - main cast

Okoye is a relative unknown in the acting world, having only had small roles in independent films up until this point. She’s still getting used to the face-paced nature of TV filming, and she’s finding the notoriety that comes with being part of such a well-known project a bit overwhelming.

She plays one of the two rangers who pilot Iron Wild. Her character and Kearney’s character had a fling at the Jaeger Academy and their relationship is currently up in the air.

Colin Kearney - main cast

Kearney became famous for playing heartthrobs in teen soaps. He’s older now, but continues to fill the role of the good guy, despite the fact that in real life, he’s anything but. There are an endless number of personal accounts documenting how difficult he is to work with.

He plays the second of the two rangers who pilot Iron Wild. His character and Okoye’s character used to be involved and he still might have feelings for her, but may also be getting involved with Fox’s character.

-- Fox - main cast

Fox is a former child star who, after appearing in many feature films, disappeared from the public eye during her teenage years. Rumor has it she’s been in and out of rehab and has only recently been released from her latest stint. This is the first role that she’s had in nearly a decade.

She plays Iron Wild’s weapons specialist. Her character was recently transferred from a Mark I Jaeger that was destroyed in a recent kaiju battle.

-- Salvatierra - main cast

Salvatierra is a veteran actor who is well-known for starring in blockbuster action films. No one is quite sure why he’s decided to move to the silver screen, although there are whispers that this is his publicist’s attempt at trying to fix his image after one of his verbal blowups was caught on camera.

He plays Iron Wild’s lead engineer. His character is the oldest of Iron Wild’s crew and as a result, is often used as the parental figure.

-- Kwan - main cast

Kwan has played various small roles over the past few years, although YouTube is where he really got his start. He has a loyal online following and continues to make videos when he can even after getting the role on Shattered. He’s easily to the most excited to be on the show and just wants to do his fans proud.

He plays Iron Wild’s battle programmer. He’s a genius, but is also the youngest member of the crew and is often not taken seriously because of that.

Recurring characters (5 slots)

THE CREW

Vishnu Joshi - showrunner

Joshi is the mastermind behind Shattered, serving as its creator, executive producer, and head writer. He’s created several well-known TV shows in the last few years, and his name has become synonymous with high-drama and plot twists and because of that, he’s received quite a bit of both criticism and acclaim throughout his career. He’s more than a little obsessed with Jaegers and can often be found wandering around the Shatterdome in search of inspiration.

-- Banks - director

Banks was brought on last-minute after the person who directed the pilot abruptly quit. They like to think of themselves as more artistic director and therefore has no interest in a popular TV show like Shattered, but they also know that this project can open a lot of doors for them.

-- Kingston - publicist

Kingston is incredibly well-known in the business for being a genius publicist. They’ve worked as a publicist for a lot of very famous TV shows as well as some actors and is very much interested in eventually representing someone in the Jaeger business. They figure that this gig is a good way to get a foot in the door and make the necessary connections.

-- Haas - shatterdome adviser

Haas serves as the adviser to the show, ensuring things look and feel as accurate as possible. They are a former Marine Corps fighter pilot who later became a ranger for one of the Mark I Jaegers. A traumatic brain injury left them sidelined and unable to enter the Drift. They’re still more than a little bitter about that fact, and everyone assumes that they came onboard to relive their glory days.

Writing Team (3 slots)

Camera Crew (4 slots)

Production Team (7 slots)

#thedriftrp

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newssplashy · 6 years

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“All of the Caucasian kids in my class were generally larger than me. They had their growth spurts earlier,” Pang, 33, tells MensHealth.com. “I was a small kid. When it came time to meet girls and stuff, I felt like a boy, rather than a man.”

Chris Pang started working out for a pretty common reason: to get the girl.

Insecure about his body, Pang started hitting the gym. It paid off - both personally and in his professional life.

Pang is now starring in this summer’s highly anticipated movie Crazy Rich Asians, out August 15. In the movie, which is the first Hollywood film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast, Pang plays Colin Khoo, the best friend of the main character Nick (Henry Golding), the scion of a wealthy Singapore family.

"I think it's important for Asian men to get portrayed that way," she told MensHealth.com.

In Crazy Rich Asians, Lim and co-writer Peter Chiarelli deliberately set out to depict Asian men as sexy and masculine. The movie seeks to accomplish this not by delving into serious subject matter like The Joy Luck Club (the last mainstream Hollywood movie to feature a mostly Asian cast), but by emphasizing the joy of being Asian - and, in the case of Pang and Golding, the joy of being an attractive, fit Asian man.

“[The movie shows] Asian men and the masculinity of Asian men, without needing to overdo it or overcompensating, without being heavy-handed,” says Ronnie Chieng, who plays one of the film’s antagonists, Edison Cheng.

This portrayal was, in part, inspired by the original book by author Kevin Kwan, which plays up many of the characters' masculine traits.

“[Kwan] was describing the character of Michael, the husband of Astrid [Nick’s cousin], that he was in the military. Part of why she was drawn to him was this raw sort of masculinity and sexuality,” Lim explains. “And we thought, ‘Oh my Gosh! It’s so great that that’s in the book. Let’s do it not just with his character, but with other characters as well.’"

“In one of my first drafts of the movie, there were a lot more overt, sensual interactions,” she says, explaining that the director Jon M. Chu even made fun of her for how many sexually charged scenes she wrote. “Even if it wasn’t sex itself, it was these sexually loaded physical interactions, because I think it’s important Asian men get portrayed that way.”

Showing a bunch of good-looking guys with their shirts off might not sound revolutionary. But in Hollywood, which has historically almost exclusively cast Caucasian actors in romantic leading man roles, it definitely is. Further, pop culture is full of racist depictions of “emasculated” Asian men, from Mickey Rooney’s yellowface caricature in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to the perpetually horny Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles.

“When I was growing up, the Asian stereotype was you’re either a martial artist who could kick ass, but never got the girl, or you were some nerdy math genius who played Ping-Pong."

Even when they aren’t portrayed as dorky or buffoonish, Asian male characters are typically still portrayed in movies and TV as totally asexual. Even though Jet Li was cast as the romantic lead opposite the magnetic Aaliyah in 2000’s Romeo Must Die, he still doesn’t get the opportunity to kiss her at the end. And this message translates to dating IRL: according to a 2014 OkCupid survey, Asian men are considered less desirable than other men on the site.

When he watched movies or TV growing up, Pang failed to see an Asian man who he could look up to, someone who was fit and kicked ass and was sexually attractive to women. So he decided to work out in part as a way to become that man himself.

“When I was growing up, the Asian stereotype was you’re either a martial artist who could kick ass but never got the girl, or you were some nerdy math genius who played Ping-Pong," he says. “As a kid, you feel second-rate and you feel lesser about yourself. You have a complex about your self-image, because of what you’re taught in the media.”

It was initially difficult for Pang to achieve his fitness goals. Because he has an ectomorph body type - which means that he has trouble adding muscle to his lean, lanky frame - it was tough for him to put on weight. As a result, his workout routine is entirely geared towards building muscle: he barely does cardio, and he eats as many complex carbohydrates as possible to bulk up.

Because Pang travels constantly, he tries to concentrate on specific muscle groups to keep track of his progress. “I can’t always make it to the gym consistently, so to keep track, I tell myself that the next time I go to the gym it'll be Leg Day,” he says.

Pang doesn’t want to isolate his muscles too much, though. So he favors free weights over machines, which he says don’t engage as much with the smaller muscles that help with movement. He starts out with compound exercises before concentrating on a specific muscle group, which, for a workout focused on the lower body, might mean deadlifts followed by squats. On chest days, Pang starts with the standard bench press, before moving onto more targeted variations of the movement with an incline or decline.

Sometimes Pang flips his focus and does workouts filled with eccentric reps, which emphasize the part of an exercise that lengthens the muscle movement (like when you lower yourself down in a squat, or lower the weight in a curl).

Pang's efforts are paying off: if you look at photos of him on Instagram, the results speak for themselves. But his workout routine isn’t the only thing that has made him more comfortable with his masculinity. “It all amounts to your confidence and attitude, and the working out had a positive effect on that,” he says.

Now, when Pang thinks about how he felt small, scrawny, asexual, and "pathetic," he's saddened by his younger self's attitude.

“I want to have pride in the way that I look and the way that I stand,” he says. “You know, I used to hunch a lot. My dad used to always walk past me and push my shoulders back to straighten my back. And I think going to the gym not only strengthened the muscles to help me with my posture, but also gave me the confidence to stand tall.”

"I hope [the audience] takes away that Asian men can be as hot as all get-out."

When Crazy Rich Asians is released on August 15, the film's producers have high hopes for the movie’s cultural impact.

“I’ve worked in TV for a long time and you begin to understand that if you see something about a certain group of people often enough, it becomes the truth,” Lim says. And this, in turn, affects how parts like romantic lead roles, which are so often written and cast exclusively for white actors, are written and cast. “The representation of the Asian male as sexually attractive and assertive is so important," she says.

Fortunately, Pang and the Crazy Rich Asians production team aren't the only ones actively fighting stereotypes surrounding Asian men. On social media, Asian heartthrobs like Daniel Dae Kim and John Cho have garnered tremendous followings (in fact, there was a viral Twitter campaign, #StarringJohnCho, to cast Cho as the romantic male lead in mainstream movies.) There’s also a growing community of Asian bodybuilders on Instagram, who are asserting their masculinity through weightlifting.

Pang says the impact of all this representation can’t be underestimated. “If just one person like me when I was growing up saw that movie and felt like they were more accepted, I feel like that’s a win and it’s already changing the landscape,” he says.

Lim agrees. When asked about what she hopes audiences take away from the film about Asian men, she says with a laugh: “I hope that they take away that Asian men can be hot as all get out!”

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callmehawkeye · 6 years

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Watched in 2018

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Season 1): I didn’t expect to adore this as much as I did. Everyone knocked their roles out of the park. Crushes for dayyyyys.

The Keepers (2017): A serial documentary about the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik and the most-likely possible connection of systematic abuse at the Catholic school she taught at.

Mindhunter (Season 1): Dramatization of the FBI in the late ‘70s as the Behavioral Science Unit developed their profiling and understanding of serial killers.

Roots (1977): I remember watching a bit of this mini-series in middle school and needing a signed permission slip. But that’s the extent of it. Happy I finally got a chance to watch it all the way through.

All the Money in the World (2017): Gorgeous film, noteworthy performances. I’m happy to give my money to a filmmaker who made a decision not many would try. I respect Scott a whole lot more now.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Season 1): The show’s budget is bananas and I love everything about it. SCIENCE RULES.

Proud Mary (2018): I found the trailer to be rather misleading in that I didn’t exactly get what I paid for. The genre was definitely more drama than action and Taraji was great, although I wished she had more screen time instead of the focus being on tired plot points and themes.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2018): More witchy cartoons, please. This was delightful.

Bill Nye Saves the World (Season 1): BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

Bill Nye Saves the World (Season 2.1): I can’t believe how good this is. It’s so open-minded and clever and validating.

The Watcher in the Woods (2017): The remake certainly isn’t as good as the original; it strips away too much of the mystery. But please cast Anjelica Huston in more projects, please please please. She’s still so captivating.

Luke Cage (Season 1): I feel like Mahershala Ali is what mostly held my attention......... And then.........

Lowriders (2016): I had an opinion about this, I’m sure. But I don’t remember this movie at all now.

Human Planet (Mini-Series): BBC docuseries about how people adjust to their natural environments.

Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special (2014): Maria’s slow return to standup by performing in her parents’ living room.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003): In-depth documentary of Los Angeles’ place in film history.

Maria Bamford: Old Baby (2017): Maria’s latest standup special that begins in front of the mirror, progresses to a small backyard crowd, and evolves to a full theater set.

Black Panther (2018): WAKANDA FOREVER!!! This better get some recognition come awards season for the visuals.

Chris Rock: Tamborine (2018): Some of his jokes fall flat, but he’s still engaging and it’s good to see Rock on stage again.

Queer Eye (Season 1): I have done nothing good enough in my life to deserve the wholesome goodness of this show.

Annihilation (2018): It’s not perfect, but not deserving of the backlash it got from its own studio. This was a perfect, immersive sci-fi thriller on par for me as the likes of Alien.

The Killing of America (1981): The brutal, graphic documenting of America’s violence problem in a condensed timeframe starting with the JFK assassination and ending on the murder of John Lennon.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018): There are many intricacies from the novel that I disagree with being excluded from this film adaptation. HOWEVER. It made me feel all the same feelings I did from when I first read the book as a child. I ADORED it.

Pacific Rim Uprising (2018): Okay. Buckle in. I have a lot of feelings to the point where I’m updating my film list of the year immediately afterwards and not waiting to stack up a good amount of viewings to justify an update. It was horrible. Third time in my life I ever walked out of a theater. Second time I’ve ever asked for a refund from a movie theater in my life. I don’t know why I’m so righteously disappointed. I didn’t expect it to have Guillermo’s direction nor heart; but it so thoroughly missed the mark I can already say in mid-March that it’s my biggest disappointment of the year. It was void of any charm the original had, took its faults that I recognized and viewed and magnified it by a trillion. It felt like an unfinished television pilot. DIAF.

Ready Player One (2018): Spielberg tried his best to make a better version of the novel, but it just felt soulless.

A Quiet Place (2018): One of the better horror movies I’ve seen in some time. I’m so proud of John Krasinski.

Love, Simon (2018): This was such a solid romantic comedy, I can’t even find a way to summarize it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 2): The best original series Netflix has. Don’t @ me.

The Family I Had (2017): The true recounting of a mother whose 13 year old son killed his 3 year old sister.

Genie: Secret of the Wild Child (1997): Documentary of the alias-named child Genie who was isolated and uncared for, for 13 years by her parents.

Rampage (2018): Delightfully stupid, but made me realize I can never go to an IMAX screening again because it was just like having someone shriek in my ear for two hours.

Isle of Dogs (2018): So beautiful, sweet, and heart-warming.

Welcome to Leith (2015): Unenlightened hypocrisy at its finest -- white supremacists try to make a small town their sanctuary only to be aghast no one wants them there.

The Avengers: Infinity War (2018): In typical Marvel Avengers films fashion (this is a comment excluding the standalone character films -- not Civil War, please, they stole Captain’s movie from him), it’s over-bloated and the good sum of its parts does not a good movie make.

The Americans (Season 1): I’ve forgotten to add this.

The Americans (Season 2): I marathoned everything.

The Americans (Season 3): To make it to the season 6 premiere in time.

The Americans (Season 4): It was great.

The Americans (Season 5): And then season 6 happened.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous: The most relatable standup I’ve ever seen and now quote daily.

Billy Nye Saves the World (Season 3): BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

Evil Genius (2018): Docu-series about the murder of Brian Wells, also known as the collar bomb case.

Deadpool 2 (2018): It’s not better than the first one, but it was a breath of fresh air in the superhero fatigue I’m in.

Born in China (2017): Nature documentary focusing on some of China’s most famous animals, narrated by my boo John Krasinski.

Death Becomes Her (1992): Ridiculous and good camp.

The Girl Can’t Help It (1956): A fairly good fluff film about the entertainment industry with a solid fucking soundtrack.

Bell, Book, and Candle (1958): My aesthetic.

Near Dark (1987): A refreshingly different vampire movie with Bill Paxton shining in the center of it all.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 4): I wish this entire show was just Titus.

Chef’s Table (Season 1): Glorious, glorious food and the methods of the people who make it.

Chef’s Table (Season 2): I can’t get enough of this series. But it just makes me sad none of these restaurants are down the street from me.

Chef’s Table (Season 3): This season includes Jeong Kwan. And I would die for her.

Arrested Development (Season 5): Sigh. I guess this is fine.

Ocean’s 8 (2018): Not my favorite heist movie. Not gay enough. Still a decent sit.

The Staircase (2018): The docu-series returned this year with new episodes. It’s a very back and forth issue for me.

Queer Eye (Season 2): This is the only show that matters anymore.

The Incredibles 2 (2018): Not a bad sequel. Very entertaining and I laughed a lot. Not a lot of the usual Pixar emotion, however.

Carmen Esposito: Rape Jokes (2018): I haven’t had a cathartic laugh this good since Tig Notaro’s Live.

Chef’s Table (Season 4): I’m crying because it’s all so beautiful.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018): I cried throughout this entire, lovely, tender-hearted documentary about a perfect man.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): I left in the last 20 minutes to get an alcoholic beverage and didn’t return because fuck it, I was so damn bored.

A Star is Born (1976): Eh, at least we got Evergreen out of this.

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017): This revitalized my respect for the woman.

Breathless (1960): I can see how this was so influential. Very romantic and wonderful outfits.

Tag (2018): I laughed so hard, and I haven’t enjoy a straight-up recently released comedy in so long.

Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960): Can’t lie, at the 40 minute mark, I couldn’t believe there was another full hour of this slog left and turned it off.

Nailed It (Season 1): Comedic genius.

Nailed It (Season 2): Let Nicole Byers host everything.

Black Sunday (1960): May I present to you, my new favorite movie. It has everything I need.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974): Wow. Wow wow wow. Why did they remake this movie? This version was perfect and so, so superior in every way. I think I cried at one point?

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922): A documentary with excellent reenactments that made me think, “How’d this get past the Hays’ Code?!!?” before realizing it was an import.

Whitney (2018): Documentary about the woman herself with the people who were there with her through it all. I’m shocked by some of the things people admitted to on-camera and that they got Bobby to say anything at all. Denial runs deep. It was excellent to see her live shows on the big screen.

The Vietnam War (2017): An 18-hour documentary series that follows every year and major milestone of the war. Very bipartisan, honest, and I learned a lot.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): Legitimately entertaining and a great refresh from Infinity War (which I hated).

The Witches (1966): Joan Fontaine is in the midst of a small-town conspiracy when she moves in as the new school teacher. Spoiler! The answer is the occult.

Jim Jefferies: This is Me Now (2018): Not bad, but didn’t encourage me to find another of his specials. It’s fine.

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018): Challenge the form more!! This was so inspiring.

Growing Up Wild (2016): Disneynature division really needs new footage. Daveed Diggs was at least a great narration choice.

Sorry to Bother You (2018): Not at all what I was expecting -- although I did expect to like it and that was indeed met. I want to tell you nothing. Go in blind.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018): How do these movies continue to be the best thing Sandler is attached to in near a decade?? They honestly retain the level of quality film to film. I love it all.

Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial (2018): I cried I laughed so hard.

Paint Your Wagon (1969): Clint Eastwood singing!! Polyamorous cowboys!!

Mission: Impossible -- Fallout (2018): I want more action movies like this. The stunts and fights were just so beautiful. I can’t express how great this movie is and how well it works in the genre. I wish there were more like this.

Eighth Grade (2018): One of the more honest teenage-centric films about being a teenager in recent memory. So cathartic. So proud of Bo Burnham.

Grace and Frankie (Season 1): I literally love everyone more in this entire cast.

Grace and Frankie (Season 2): Powering through because I’m still waiting for my shows to come back and I’m watching it between episode breaks from Black Mirror to lighten my mood.

Dark Tourist (Season 1): It’s horrifying in about 40% of the cases for me; but god does it make me want to travel again.

The Meg (2018): Do you want to see Jason Statham fight a fuckign shark?! Of course you do. This was genuinely a fun film to watch.

BlacKkKlansman (2018): Spike Lee’s best in years. Beautiful filmmaking.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018): I loved this so goddamn much. This is what a good romantic comedy looks like. More like this, please, Hollywood. Romcoms can be good, respected, and worthy of praise if the effort is there!!

Black Mirror (Series 1): Well, shit. The first episode was overhyped to me but overall, I’m not disappointed in waiting so long to finally start this.

Black Mirror (Series 2): This show is fucking addictive.

Grace and Frankie (Season 3): This show is so pure and funny.

Black Mirror (Series 3): Contains my favorite episode I’ve ever watched of anything ever.

Black Mirror (Series 4): Give. Me. Mooooore!!!

Sylvia Plath: Inside The Bell Jar (2018): A short documentary about Plath’s life surrounding her writing of her famous book.

Destination Wedding (2018): Two of my favorite people act out what is quite possibly what would be designed to be my life were it suddenly a romantic comedy. Love is stupid! I’m a cynic and happy in my cynicism! ...BUUUUT.

Searching (2018): This is like a very well-done, well-acted, well-budgeted ID channel original movie. I had a great time watching it.

Grace and Frankie (Season 4): I hope I have as much game as Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin do when I’m their age.

Black Narcissus (1947): Absolutely beautiful technicolor and impending dread. But then BOOM! 1940s blackface.

Night of the Eagle (1962): Delightfully bizarre.

Slice (2018): Modern B movie. I loved the concept more than the execution: I loved the ensemble so much, but they somehow didn’t have enough of any of them in it.

Leave Her to Heaven (1945): The Original Amazing Amy!

A Simple Favor (2018): I am so excited about how unexpectedly fun, entertaining, and even compelling this film was.

Sharp Objects (Mini-Series): A tough, but addicting sit. I watched the entire series in one go.

Strong Enough to Break (2006): The behind the scenes documentary of Hanson being put on hold by their record company for a three-year span which lead to frustrations and the eventual formation of their independent company.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): This movie wasn’t bad. But I feel like I’ve seen and read better takes on this type of story/stories before.

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972): Harold, they’re lesbians.

RBG (2018): An awe-inspiring individual receiving the documentary she deserves.

White Zombie (1932): Bela Lugosi puts a voodoo curse on Madge Bellamy.

Castle Rock (Season 1): I sincerely hope this is a sign of the times that the success of IT is going to bring about more and more Stephen King-inspired media.

The Haunting of Hill House (Season 1): Please please PLEASE don’t do a second season. This was so cathartic and splendid on its own.

The Mummy (1932): I grew up with the Brendan Fraser one, but this was just delightful.

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (Season 1): Quite possibly my favorite tv watch of the year.

Love, Gilda (2018): Documentary taking a look at the life of Gilda Radner with lots of lovely, private home videos. My favorites were of her and Gene together.

The Exorcist (1973): Yes. My first time watching it from beginning to end and in full. It’s an entertaining sit for the acting and practical effects!

Hush (2016): I already ranted about this on my Twitter, but god this was patronizing and horribly cast. It had such potential so it was vastly disappointing.

Dog Soldiers (2002): This is the perfect example of how if I’m told the ending, I just don’t find any enjoyment in watching it. Sigh.

Ghost Stories (2017): And this is the perfect example that if you overdo the slow burn, I’m going to pull up the film’s Wikipedia summary and spoil myself so I don’t have to sit through it anymore.

Fahrenheit 451 (2018): It’s too bad this wasn’t good. Lost a lot of its nuance.

Halloween (2018): THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANT OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE/SEQUEL. I LOVED EVERYTHING. I LOVED EVERYONE. I LOVE YOU SO DAMN MUCH, JAMIE LEE CURTIS.

Like Father (2018): The only good part was the acting in the scene between Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer at the waterfall. The rest was just an obvious 1990s script dusted off. Complete with minority stereotypes that have nothing better to do with their lives than to help the poor, messy white girl.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018): I always get so, super excited when I find a good romantic comedy. This is wholesome, relies on clichés but makes them its own, has wonderful characters played by great actors, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Solo (2018): Forgettable.

Suspiria (2018): It had a rocky start, but I believe this very well could make my end of the year list. I adored 94% of it.

Corrina, Corrina (1994): They should have leaned into the romance more.

Bonjour Tristesse (1958): GOD Jean Seberg was GORGEOUS.

Jane the Virgin (Season 1): I finally got spoiled by something pretty big, so I gave up not searching the tags for this show and putting these out of sequence -- I love this show. It’s right up there for me with Parks and Recreation, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. There is no character I dislike unless specifically, unequivocally written for me to. It’s so engaging and charming and hits all of my requisites to be loyal to a show ‘til the end.

Jane the Virgin (Season 2): Team Michael and trying to catch up before the final season premieres.

Nailed It! Holiday! (2018): God I’m crying with laughter. Nicole Byer should be so much more famous.

Jane the Virgin (Season 3): Almost caught up and loving it!

On the Basis of Sex (2018): My favorite movie to see on Christmas. Well acted. Well paced. Loved RBG’s cameo at the end. I think it was a great depiction.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018): It was fun in the moment, but the more I sit with it, the less I remember of this movie -- much like the songs as soon as the next scene happened. It’s such a tall order to follow up Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt is dipped in gold as usual, but it’s sort of a middle tier installment in the new line of Disney remakes/reboots. Great dancing and spectacle. But just okay overall.

Creed II (2018): Now if you’re just gonna do the same thing over and over with new generations, this is how you do it.

Widows (2018): My last movie of the year. Such great performances. I wish there was more to see with the female cast -- this would have been great as a limited series (such as the one it’s based on).

2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

#watch list

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darspeaksout · 7 years

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In praise of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

There is one truth that prevails when it comes to how Asians are portrayed in the media: they are royally misrepresented. In all the mainstream films I’ve seen, Asian characters are either smart (being ridiculously talented in a musical instrument, most typically the piano, a pastime I can guarantee you was forced upon them by their parents; and known for their superhuman abilities in doing complicated math equations in their head), or they’re supposed to possess mastery in the martial arts. Through these stereotypes created and perpetuated by ignorant film directors (who, most of the time, are not even Asian themselves), you can see how Asian people are reduced to fit into these stuffy boxes from which they cannot escape, and break free from the preconceived notions that society forcefully insists they live up to. If you’re Asian, you are only allowed to like math, to be conservative, to be obedient, to know how to fight, but worst of all – you are only allowed to serve the plot as background noise. You do not get your own story. You do not get to relish in the spotlight. You are stuck in a box. But author Kevin Kwan of 2013 novel Crazy Rich Asians, is taking a Japanese samurai sword and cutting the edges of that box, putting you in a world where you, for once, finally feel like you belong. Now you have your own story, your own spotlight. Now you’re no longer in a box; instead, you are on a private plane headed to Singapore, sitting on leather seats, about to attend Colin Khoo’s and Araminta Lee’s forty-million dollar wedding.

I could go on forever about why I believe Crazy Rich Asians is a masterpiece, but for this review, I’ll keep the focus on three things: the truths exposed by its satirical nature, its dynamic cast of characters, and the cultural awareness that it brings to the world of literature.

One may think, based on the cover – a side profile picture of an Asian woman with fair skin, elegant shiny hair wrapped in a bun, sunglasses, red lipstick, sapphire earrings, and white pearls – that this story is purely a light-hearted, comical read. But after reading only the opening, you’ll realize that Kevin Kwan is picking out the stereotypes of the three kinds of Chinese, and scrutinizing them ruthlessly (yes, there are three kinds of Chinese). There are the Chinese who live in Mainland China, then those who live in Taiwan, then those who live in Singapore. Among these groups, there are certain stereotypes and prejudices associated with each. For example, Mainlanders enjoy publicly flaunting their wealth while Singaporeans like to be rather modest about theirs. Not only is race the subject of satire, but also wealth. Rachel Chu, the main character, is an economics professor with a PhD who lives in New York, and earns a more-than-satisfactory income, and would be seen to most ordinary people as wealthy, but not in the entitled, glaring eyes of Eleanor Young – her boyfriend, Nicholas Young’s, disapproving mother. Eleanor understands that one day, Nick will inherit the family fortune that is worth billions of dollars equivalent to the half of Singapore, and she believes that Rachel is not the right woman for Nick. You can see how even among the rich, there are those who are considered richer than others; hierarchy, status, and comparison prevail. In the novel there is the notion that if you must labour for your wealth instead of being born into it, you are considered low. Kevin Kwan blatantly addresses this issue when Nicholas confronts his mother, saying, “Just because some people actually work for their money doesn’t mean they are beneath you.” What is also satirized is the picture-perfect lives of the crazy rich, but they are all, in some way, struggling in their personal lives. For example, one character has the money to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on couture dresses and designer necklaces, and is very well-liked among her social circle of fashionistas, but is kept awake at night by the paranoia that her husband may be cheating on her. Another character is on the front page of every tabloid magazine in Singapore and is regarded as the most handsome and eligible bachelor of his time, but only his best friend knows about his anxiety and depression. It turns out that contrary to what most people think, those who have a lot of money tend to be miserable, and their wealth should not be taken as an indicator of their level of fulfilment.

Since the novel chronicles the lives of three different families – the Youngs, the Shangs, and the T’siens – the reader is made to keep up with a large cast of characters. The novel is written in third-person unlimited, with each chapter devoted to advancing either the main plot or one of the subplots, also telling the reader where in the world they are currently located (because remember, these people are rich and own private planes, so we’re not just in Singapore the entire time). You could be in New York witnessing Nicholas and Rachel discussing how Rachel should behave upon meeting Nicholas’ family, and then suddenly in the next chapter you’re in Paris picking out designer jewelry with Astrid, and then you’re at “prayer group” with Eleanor and her squad of Singaporean moms (which is really just a gossiping session with starchy noodles and a few Bible verses thrown out here and there), and then you’re at a bachelor party in Macau, partying like reckless college kids with Colin and Bernard. You never know where you’ll end up next! And that’s what’s entertaining about the novel – everything is so unexpected, you have no choice but to just go with it, because you want to find out more. Aside from switching where the characters are geographically, the story sometimes switches where the characters are at in time. Flashbacks occur often, giving perspective to how the characters have matured over time. And since the cast is so large, there are three generations to keep up with: children, parents, and grandparents – all of whom have different attitudes when it comes to family loyalty and spending habits, serving as good opportunities for some intense disputes and praiseworthy satire! What I must acknowledge Kevin Kwan for in particular, is his ability to tell a story with multiple plots, without making the reader feel like some are being prioritized while others are being neglected; the pacing felt very natural, each plot told with an equal amount of thought and precision, delivering a very satisfying conclusion to the story overall. Nothing was left unexplained or ambiguous; the ending was very clear, but left enough room for the reader to ask what happens next? Seriously, I struggle to write one plot and develop it, but how the fried satay does Kevin Kwan write multiple, and develop them so equally, intertwining them with one another in a way that seems so natural? I’m convinced he’s crazy genius.

The satirical nature and the dynamic, multi-layered and conflicted characters ultimately contribute to a masterpiece that boosts the much-needed cultural awareness to the Asian demographic. It seemed like prior to reading this book, I have forsaken any hope that my people would ever be represented in the media in a way that was authentic, true, and captured the emotional and political strife that we have gone throughout the generations. In all the films I’d seen growing up, Asian characters were either really smart, really talented, really conservative, really incompetent in their English skills, really poor, really… one-sided. Crazy Rich Asians takes all of these mainstream notions and throws them out the revolving glass windows of a private plane, plunging them into the South China Sea (I love you if you if you recognize this line). This comical, satirical masterpiece shows that some Asians are quick-thinkers and intellectual; some are superficial and relish in gossip; some are talented and ambitious, some are idle and lazy; some are traditional, some strive to rebel against tradition; some speak English with an accent, some speak it like it’s always been their mother tongue; some come from humble backgrounds like farmers or servants, some were born into the life of royalty and riches. And that is what is eye-opening about this book: it tells the stories of Asian people who come from different walks of life. Don’t be deceived by its title; the characters may be rich, but not all of them started off rich. And despite their acquired financial wealth, they are poor inside; they struggle just as you and me. I am not Chinese; I’m full Filipino. But Kevin Kwan, being the exceptionally talented writer that he is, made me feel a little closer to my Asian roots, and all the realities that many Asians face: leaving your homeland and immigrating to a new country, fighting to be respected by your in-laws, the pressure for women to get married and bear children, the unbreakable bond between parent and child, and many others. This book got me teary-eyed at some parts, made me laugh at others, and taught me some words in Singlish (Singaporean and English). It made me feel what a book hasn’t made me feel in a long time, but what’s important is that it made me feel even more connected to my Asian heritage. This book is a reminder that we are not our stereotypes; we are human beings who deserve to be portrayed authentically and accurately.

And speaking of being portrayed, Crazy Rich Asians is being brought to life in theatres sometime in 2018, and will be directed by Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2, G.I Joe: Retaliation, and others), and will feature (this is the best part) – an ALL-ASIAN CAST. Personally, I am so excited for this film because it is an opportunity to raise cultural awareness and increase career prospects for Asian actors in Hollywood. I acknowledge that there are other programs out there already sparking conversations and cultural awareness (such as Fresh Off The Boat), but this film in particular, I have a strong feeling, is going to be record-breaking. Meanwhile, I’ll be keeping updated on the progress of this film, and now I need to get my hands on the sequel, China Rich Girlfriend.

So what are you still doing here, lah*? Start reading Crazy Rich Asians!

See you next time on #DarReviews!

*”Lah” is a suffix that can be used at the end of any phrase to add emphasis, but there’s no logical explanation as to why the Singaporeans use it, lah.

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