If there ever was an Academy Award Best Picture nominee that throws everything at you but the kitchen sink, 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, would be it.
A philosophical thinking piece woven within an Asian infused Marvel-style multiverse of madness – which incorporates kung-fu action, quirky comedy, marital stress and romance, familial drama, and plenty of adventure, the narrative follows the Wang family: mother Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), father Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), and visiting grandfather Gong Gong (James Hong).
The couple, having long ago left home to elope in America, have a rather stressed relationship with Evelyn’s father, while they have an equally as difficult time relating to very Americanized Joy. In many ways, this picture analyzes the difficulties of bringing multiple generations and their very different ways of thinking together.
Dealing with a struggling laundromat business, they must contend with by-the-book IRS auditor Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis). . . who literally has the ability to crush what is left of their dreams. Perhaps more jarringly, and completely unbeknownst to Evelyn, Waymond is planning on serving her with divorce papers.
Then things get a little wacky, and Waymond’s body is taken over by another ‘Waymond’ from an alternate universe that runs along a similar timeline to theirs. Introducing her to this massive multiverse, people like this alternate Waymond have figured out how to tap into its power, giving them the ability to absorb the skills of the many different versions of themselves – for instance, in a very meta moment, one of Evelyn’s other selves is seen to be a successful movie star. The catch is that there is some sort of task that they must perform (for example, giving yourself a paper cut in between each finger on one hand) in order to open them up to a certain ability.
This above mentioned version of Waymond is desperately seeking this Evelyn’s help, as the so-called Jobu Tupaki, who takes the form of their daughter, has pushed herself to the point where her mind has split. . . giving her the ability to manipulate matter at will. She has since created what looks like a black hole everything bagel (a decision that might have some questioning their morning breakfast choices) that could envelop and destroy the entire multiverse.
Of course, this everything bagel is not only symbolic of depression, but also the rather nihilistic state that has slowly encroached into our modern world. Technology, the ebbing away of religion, the failure of ‘the family’ and so many other things have isolated individuals, giving people the sense that everything out there is simply meaningless. It is this ever-growing malaise that the quasi-couple must fight against in the multiverse (could love be the answer?), while Evelyn continuously flits back and forth between her own equally as complex reality, as well as several others.
An immensely complicated piece of film making, in many ways, it feels like the audience is watching ‘everything everywhere all at once’. Akin to filming multiple movies at the same time, we are bombarded with numerous realities (including one that holds no life – only subtitled rocks . . . and animated moments to boot), the main cast portraying varied but similar characters that all stem in some way from the original personas we met at the beginning. Done by way of clever transitions, mirror work, and other cinematic avenues, it is an utterly impressive feat, albeit a bit overwhelming for some viewers. Thankfully, it is accompanied by stellar acting from its cast (Yeoh an impressive centerpiece, while it is a treat to see former child actor Ke Huy Quan after all this time – his first major performance in 20 years, while there is no doubt Hong is a cinematic treasure), arresting visuals, and intriguing music coming by way of the experimental band Son Lux.
A movie that must be seen to be believed, Everything Everywhere All at Once is nominated for an impressive eleven Oscars this Awards season. It is also worth noting that you should keep an eye open for many an ode to cinematic history – ranging from 2001: A Space Odyssey to a clever racoon take on Ratatouille. . . there’s even an Indiana Jones Short Round reference in there for Quan, making this a treat for movie lovers. Lastly, the fanny pack sequence needs to be mentioned – a most entertaining action feat that must be re-watched multiple times to be believed. So, grab an everything bagel and enjoy this thought provoking film, it’s quite the sesame seeded holy adventure.
This film is in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, and features subtitles