This is the most imaginative, off-the-rails, yet incredibly poignant film I’ve seen in a long while…
The amount of unbridled creativity on display, blending together so many genres and styles, is all in service to a relatable story about family, nihilism, and optimism. Powerfully emotional, the film also manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, using the multiverse concept to provide insane bathos to otherwise dire circumstances. Yet the absurdity on display never overwhelms the core story, and somehow the bizarre jokes and gags manage to circle back and become relevant thematically after they are introduced. One of the most powerful scenes is… a dialogue between two rocks.
The film is also visually stunning and impeccably edited. That it was made on a budget of $25 million, with a VFX team consisting of 5 people, is a staggering achievement. It looks better than most $100M+ blockbusters. The Daniels were offered to direct season 1 of Loki, and one wonders what such a thing would have been like.
Michelle Yeoh delivers her best performance as the frazzled mother Evelyn, struggling to deal with her troubled marriage, deteriorating relationship with her daughter, and an audit on her laundromat business. Ke Huy Quan is a marvel after his long absence in acting, effortlessly playing the perpetually kind and affable husband Waymond and his determined, ass-kicking Alpha-universe counterpart. Stephanie Hsu is relatable as their daughter Joy, facing an ever growing existential nihilism due to her strained relationship with her mother. Jamie Lee Curtis and James Hong provide fun supporting roles as the IRS auditor and Evelyn’s father.
Please, go see this movie. Support original creations and stories. This is a film made with passion and love. And it shows.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Even a cookie can be Kung Fu.
What a triumph of imagination and editing. Kudos to everyone for keeping all the scenes and continuity in order while shooting and in post.
Seriously, the editing is fantastic. I’m glad this project looked like it had budget in order to realize its vision to full potential.
I laughed, I guffawed, I winced, I cried.
I don’t feel like it needs to be said that the cast is fantastic but, truly, everyone is fantastic. Michelle Yeoh delivers on every level and everyone up and down the cast does amazing tonal and body language switches to embody the verse jumping: Michelle, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis. Just excellent.
