Every December, cinephiles across the globe prepare a list of their most anticipated films of the upcoming year. With these lists come films that mostly have an already established set of expectations based on the filmmaker’s history and the stars involved. Whether it be an original story or franchise intellectual properties, there is always reasoning behind the madness of anticipated film lists. However, as with every calendar year, there’s always a diamond in the rough that breaks through that captures the hearts of cinephiles and stands among the best films of the year that few talked about before the film’s release.
2022 has thrown haymaker after haymaker over the first four months. Through those haymakers lands one of the year’s most original and satisfying cinematic blows, Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once. Everything Everywhere All At Once captures the majesty and originality of cinema while bestowing a multiverse of madness that offers an existential character study examining human desires, relationships, familial lineage, and life’s choices.
Everything Everywhere All At Once follows Evelyn, a laundromat owner dealing with an audit by the IRS. Along with the IRS, Evelyn’s life is filled with turmoil between her marriage with her husband Waymond and her relationship with her daughter Joy. But, as she prepares to head to the IRS offices to meet Deirdre Beaubeirdra, an IRS inspector who offers quite a resemblance to a beloved Disney/Pixar film character, Evelyn’s life changes when another universe opens. She is greeted by someone who clarifies that this version of Evelyn is the key to saving the multiverse.
While the word multiverse has been used countless times within DC and Marvel comic book film properties, Everything Everywhere All at Once’s use of the multiverse is one of the best thus far. Rather than using the multiverse to plug on characters and properties previously unowned by the studio releasing these films, directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert use these universes as a vehicle for Evelyn not only to gain the talents and skills needed to fight this an ultimate battle but to establish an understanding and appreciation of the life this version of Evelyn has lived to this point. The multiverse is not used as a crutch but rather as a gateway to discovering the film’s rich themes and motivations.
Similar to Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kwan and Scheinert’s script offers unique and original ways of self-discovery. While Daniels never shy away from the ridiculous and hilarious, the duo never loses focus on the driving force of Everything Everywhere All At Once’s ultimate goal. At the same time, it’s too early to discuss the Oscar potential for Kwan and Scheinert’s screenplay, and it’s never too early to hope that it’s not forgotten by year’s end.
The inventiveness & creativity of the action set pieces throughout the film harken back to The Matrix and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon if a butt plug was involved. But, all jokes aside, Larkin Seiple’s cinematography is frenetic and matches the film’s overall tones and motifs. From the moments where Joy and Evelyn share an everything bagel to the heart-felt dash for my new favorite raccoon, Seiple’s lens never fails to capture the emotion each scene is attempting to encapsulate while homaging the great Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood For Love.
Now the masterful execution of Everything Everywhere All At Once’s screenplay is laid at the feet of the directors and this incredible ensemble. Of course, it’s never wrong to see Jaime Lee Curtis, and this film is no different. Curtis’s physical comedy is on full display throughout. Not only does Curtis aid in some of the biggest laughs of the film, but she offers some of the best emotional beats of the film.
If Curtis’ casting was a delight, then seeing Ke Huy Quan on the big screen was a joy, no pun intended. Quan, who is best known for his roles in The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, comes out of retirement to give one of the best performances. Quan’s Waymond offers a yin/yang balance to Evelyn’s crude and sometimes unloving temperament with a calm, de-escalating mindset that ultimately leads to Quan’s performance as one of the essential pieces of the EEAAO puzzle.
Stephanie Hsu’s take on Joy is both crucial and heartbreaking. While dealing with the pressures bestowed by Evelyn, Hsu captures the loneliness and anxiety a daughter/son encounters when the most critical support system in one’s life is lacking. In dealing with the generational expectations, Hsu’s Joy is nothing short of mesmerizing. It’s easily the breakout performance of the film.
Now, what’s a great film without a central figure embodying the film’s themes. Michelle Yeoh performs in a career that includes Crouching Tiger, Tomorrow Never Dies, Crazy Rich Asians, and most recently, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Throughout the film, Yeoh is tasked with playing multiple versions of Evelyn and effectively tackles that challenge with distinction and traits for each performance. Not just with the outfits but with her mannerisms and expressions, Yeoh embodies each personality but never lets the root of sadness leave Evelyn. Through this 2-hour 12-minute film, Evelyn relearns what it is to love and appreciate those closest to her, and Yeoh is the main reason behind that evolution.
Everything Everywhere All At Once asks its audience for a significant investment. There is no denying that there is plenty to take in. However, it’s an investment I’ve made twice before writing this review, and I’ve been rewarded with two emotional theatrical experiences. In the words of the late great Rowdy Roddy Piper, when you think you have all the answers, Kwan and Scheinert change the questions.
