IR Film Review: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE [A24]
There is a lot going on in "Everything Everywhere All At Once". And while some of it straddles the boundaries of storytelling and points of reference, it is a borderline brilliant film. It uses the texture of a multiverse that is heavily in the societal consciousness right now. But the way it works it into a story of existence and identity on a very basic level combined with martial arts, medium ratio change and visual style (which is effective but doesn't overwhelm the story) is what makes it work). To give too much away would be to spoil the surprise of it which to a point one can see in terms of jumping in the trailers. But one of the great beauties of the film is that it plays with form.
When it ends it first part per se, it seems unable that they (the directors) couldn't top that and keep it going but Daniels (two directors named Daniel) change it up and it is almost more dynamic and heartfelt elements than the first part. The story is not without its tongue-in-cheek and at times satiric nature but it also can play grounded with a sense of existentialism and knowing. Michelle Yeoh is perfect of course in playing this because she can move between all worlds. It would make sense that she would have pulled back on "Star Trek: Discovery" to do this film because it must have read pretty insane. The reviewer kept thinking "Southland Tales" because that film too used the absurd but lost its train of thought about 2/3rds of the way through. This locks it in to a point where it does make sense with the threads of what it is about.
The directors (and maybe even exec producers Joe & Anthony Russo) got two genre mavens who haven't done as much high profile or at least front of the camera work. Ke Huy Quan (who many remember as Short Round in "Temple Of Doom" and Data in "The Goonies") has worked more behind the scenes with fight choreography in his later professional life. It had to be something dynamic to bring him back or it was just the right time. His performance and how he places this man in certain perspectives has to work (even when the character is not the most aggressive or active). It is a specific modulation which is quite great to see after all this time. Kwan also has to have the emotional range and the fight skill and be able to switch modes (like Yeoh). He does. Then you add James Hong as the older member of the family which between "Big Trouble In Little China", "Blade Runner" and many more. Even in his old age, there is a dime turn that is beautiful and still razor sharp.
Stephanie Hsu also has a role that almost cannot be explained without giving anything away but a certain crux hangs on that and she needs to bring it considering whom she is working with. There are certain odes especially in a staircase sequence as well as some others which will be hard for film fans to miss but it works. A lot of the big sequences are all indoors, using details and becoming more insane as they go while still reflecting exactly what the path needs to show. Again the film is simple in its way but hard to explain without spoiling it. "Everything Everywhere All At Once" is a film to be experienced, maybe is not for all and should be seen in a theater (because it does make a difference on this one). It also maintains a complete originality while still have some derivative elements. The film (which A24 is good at) is allowed to be completely its own beast, warts and all, which here invariably works! A
By Tim Wassberg
