Everything Everywhere all at Once
Middle aged Chinese/American immigrant Evelyn Wang, runs a laundromat with her husband Waymond. Her estranged daughter Joy has arrived home with her partner Becky, who Evelyn is trying to accept. They are in the middle of an audit by the no nonsense IRS agent Deirdre – as well as organising a Chinese New Year Party for her father Gong Gong.
Soon she is told by ‘Alpha Waymond’ – that she is needed to help in the ‘Alphaverse’. She discovers many parallel universes have spawned from it from the “Alpha-Evelyn” and the choices she has made along her life, along with the ‘villain’ Jobu Tupaki – a spawn of Joy.
Direction
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert co Direct (and write), and credit where credit is due – it is an awe inspiring feat of direction.
There are countless fight sequences, action pieces, fast cuts, choreographed moments that would have taken weeks to get correct. The detail that went into some of the set designs, with homage to many Asian cultures is very well done.
The pair scored an Oscar for their efforts, and its not hard to see why.
Cast/Characters
Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn, and scores her first Oscar for her efforts. She is front and center in almost every scene. She plays multiple versions of Evelyn throughout multiple timelines and universes. She delivers a bold performance, and throughout the second half of the film, when the dramatic moments intensifies, it is clear to see why she won.
Former child star Ke Huy Quan, sheds his Short Round/Data famous roles as Waymond. He plays the beaten down husband, who is no longer able to communicate with his wife – and threatens divorce just to get her to “see” him. He too has a stronger “second half”. He too won an Oscar for his work.
Stephani Hsu, plays Joy/Jobu – and gives a wonderful performance of the young Asian American woman who is coming to terms with her own identity – as well as trying to fight for the love and respect of a parent figure where cultural differences are at play.
Jamie Lee Curtis plays Deirdre – the IRS worker who is in charge of the audit of the Wang’s, and walks in and out of the film and its multiple ‘verse’s’ throughout the proceedings. Curtis won an Oscar for this, and I honestly didn’t feel as this was an Oscar worthy role.
Screen legend James Hong, who played Gong Gong, and still can deliver a solid performance, well into his 90s.
Screenplay/Setting/Themes
While I’ve given credit where its due – here is where I might make a few enemies…
I found this to be a little much, and exhausting to watch. It seemed like Kwan and Scheinert took every idea they had and ran with it. There was just too much happening all at… oh I get it now!
The mythology of Alphaverse if you are not a fan of multiverse movies (and I will put up my hand to say I am one of them) is a tough one to grasp. The jumping around of alternate realities was hard to keep track of at times.
Some of the jokes go on for way too long, such as the strong pinkie and the butt plug sequence.
The things I thought it did great was the way it was influenced by Japanese animation, and other Asian cultures. I might be way off but I thought that Curtis’ Deirdre had Miyazaki villain vibes.
The relationships within the film were written brilliantly as well, especially those of Evelyn and Waymond, Evelyn and Joy, Evelyn and Gong Gong, and Waymond and Joy.
They each had their own beginning, middle and end in the way they needed to grow, and change. Some of which were especially hard due to the Asian culture.
Overall
My experience watching this will likely be different to most of the viewers. I neither loved this or hated this. I respected what was put on screen, and how orchestrated it must have been to do so.
While I’m not a fan of multiverse films (which is why you don’t see any films of a particular cinematic universe in my reviews), I can understand why this film was likely so popular.
3.5/5