DIRECTORS/WRITERS: Dan Kwan & Daniel Schienert
PRODUCERS: Dan Kwan & Daniel Schienert & Joe Russo & Anthony Russo & Mike Larocca
PERFORMERS: Michelle Yeoh Ke Huy Quan James Hong Stephanie Hsu Tallie Madel
Jenny Slate and Jamie Lee Curtis
This was perhaps the most original sci-fi epic I've seen since The Matrix or heard of since the same film as mentioned. But unlike that one, this is just eye-gauging, mind blogging and downright insane! What follows is a decent into the Multiverse as you've never seen it before, while in the present time and shifting in between the past and sometimes, the future. You see all these things unravel right in front of and it's all happening as you see Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Following an immigrant Asian laundromat owner and her family, Michelle Yeoh gives what looks like her biggest role to date. Once she's entangled into this crazy adventure, it's one thing after another. Yeoh she really shines here as she goes from living what seems to be living a dull life to what kind of lives she might have led if this or that were followed from that point on. Seeing her in one life and another and another was just so great it was confusing. Considering the film's title, you just had to be in the moment as Everything was happening. The rest of the cast is quite stellar, but the one part of casting that pumped me up was that of former 80's gem Ke Huy Quan... talk about a comeback! This guy went from being in two iconic films with major cult followings, to behind the camera and doing stunt work and because of the emergence of Asian representation in today's standards of Hollywood, decides to return to his roots he left behind a long time ago. So good to see you again Quan... we missed you so much and excellent work on your part in this film!
The Daniels really capture the essence of emotion and heart pounding suspense here. When it comes to the action sequences, they pull no punches whatsoever. The one fight scene I found to be the most enjoyable to look at was Quan's fighting sequence, it's as if he choreographed that whole scene himself! Fighting a bunch of opponents with nothing but a beanie bag and coming out on top as the victor? Jackie Chan himself would be very proud. Another one I remember was when Yeoh was fighting several people at once with a board while witnessing flashbacks to another moment of her past lives. At that point, you can't even tell what's going on, but you don't care because it's just so good and well filmed. When was the last time you felt that way while seeing a film like this?
The writing on Daniels' parts was also well received because every aspect of this was original. Using the elements of The Matrix and adding the Multiverse scenario to it was also genius. There were a lot more spinning minds and turning heads than usual. This film really scrambled my brain as it went from present to past to past to past. Unlike Groundhog Day, you weren't stuck in a time loop repeating the same day constantly, you were caught between timelines happening at once. Everything represented what was happening, everywhere for the moments and when was all at once. Add all that up and you have the title of the film itself. Like a reality gone out of control and the only way to get it back in order was to eliminate this threat.
Given the writing, the style, the action and effects, this seems like it could be up for some major nominations for next year's Oscars and Golden Globes. Why? Because it has that appeal and worthiness of those statues. We'll see as time goes on, but that's just how I see it. Everything Everywhere All At Once is an extravaganza for the ages and a huge boost for the Asian part of Hollywood as it proves that even they can carry a film of this magnitude and leave us satisfied. Despite a few crude scenes and some unsettling moments, the rest of it extremely entertaining and maybe worth another look. If you want to understand it for the sake of analyzing, this will take as many viewings as it took to understand The Matrix films or Christopher Nolan films, nonetheless enjoyable and eye-popping too! You may never look at your past life the same way again after seeing this.
MY RATING: 4 out of 5