Everything Everywhere All at Once
I try to write these reviews immediately after I see a film, for fear of my experience growing stale. Although it’s been two days now since I saw Everything Everywhere All at Once, that’s not a worry– I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I left the theater. This film is something special.
When I think of powerful art, it’s art that can express a feeling, convey a message, or tell a story; the very best works do so in a nuanced or in-depth way. That being said, there is always a limit to how many feelings or messages or stories that can be told. Or at least I thought there was. EEAO was literally about everything, everywhere, all at once, and it was wildly successful. The concept seems like it would be overwhelming and impossible to balance. Not only does the film pull it off, however, it does so in a miraculously successful manner.
If this review makes no sense so far, that’s because I’m struggling to convey how much I enjoyed this movie. Let’s try to break it down anyway.
First, the opening sequence is incredibly well-shot. In a five-minute whirlwind scene, we learn everything we need to know about the characters and the setting, while also being teased the otherworldliness of the story yet to come. It's a natural, visually pleasing exposition that makes the difficult task of setting up a story look way too easy.
From there, it’s about two hours of laughter, crying, and impeccably entertaining action. There are some awesome smaller performances from Jamie Lee Curtis, James Hong and Jenny Slate, but also show-stealing acts by Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu. It’s hard enough to convincingly play one character, but they each play infinite versions of characters in an action-comedy-science fiction-drama. Combine that with extremely well-intentioned and smart cinematography, and you have quite a movie.
Lastly, we have to acknowledge the script. “Daniels”, the screenwriter duo who also directed the film, have written a beautiful love letter to the human condition. They’ve captured the ups and downs of life in a way that rivals one of my philosophy classes. From putting everything on a bagel to the quiet wisdom of a boulder, from hot-dog fingers to the difficulty of letting go, I was hooked on each and every line. Their vision and creativity in creating this film is truly incredible.
In an age where popular movies have as many multiverses as they do plot holes, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a truly spectacular against-the-grain success. Genre-defying and impossible to explain, I can’t wait to watch it again.
