EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE AT ONCE (DIR AND SCR: DANIEL KWAN AND DANIEL SCHEINERT)
Co writers and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known as the Daniels) first started wanting to make a movie about the possibilities of a multiverse in 2010. In the next few years movies like 2018's SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE came out, beating them to the punch premise wise. Fortunately, they kept at it, directing their first film together (2016's SWISS ARMY MAN) before finally getting the chance to make EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE in late 2020. And I'm sure glad they did, because they wound up making a multiverse movie that blows away every other attempt at the concept; it's a near perfect blend of martial arts, family drama, comedy and trippy surrealism. I can't think of any other film quite like it, and I love almost every minute of it. Obviously I wasn't alone, because the film won a whopping 7 Oscars, with star Michelle Yeoh becoming the first Asian woman to win a Best Actress award.
Considering the film's length and how many special effects shot were there, the fact that the film was shot in only around a month and had a budget of 27 million dollars is impressive. Its release last March saw it winning almost universal acclaim, and it was also a box office hit, making well over a hundred million dollars worldwide.
Yeoh stars as Evelyn, a middle aged Chinese mother who runs a laundromat with her good natured husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). At the film's start, she's in trouble: the laundromat is being audited by the intimidating IRS agent Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), her teenage daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is often at odds with her, and she's worried about telling her overbearing father Gong (James Hong) about Joy's lesbianism. On the way to the IRS office, Waymond suddenly starts acting differently, and he explains to her that he is now actually a different version of Waymond from an alternate universe. And he needs her help in stopping the multiverse hopping Tobu Tapaki (who looks like Joy) from causing permanent destruction to the multiverse.
My plot description of this film doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what's going on here, and how multiple viewings of this film are really necessary to catch everything. (I must admit, I was bit overwhelmed by first viewing of the film, and my reaction was muted, but with each subsequent viewing I've grown more and more fond of it). The important thing is that, even when the audience is off balance, the Daniels never are; the movie slyly and swiftly moves from action to drama to comedy without ever losing a beat. I love all the different looks for the different universes (one looks like a classic martial arts film, another is like the dreamy, gorgeous style of director Wong Kar Wai), and how, despite all the craziness, the story always sticks with Evelyn and her problems, from the mundane (getting her taxes in order) to the action oriented (fighting off a roomful of baddies with a policeman's shield) to the surreal (living in a universe where all humans have hotdogs for fingers, or another in which she's merely a rock). Also, the action scenes are wonderfully choreographed and feature some amusing weaponry (Waymond wields a mean fanny pack!).
At its core, I personally think this is a film about a woman realizing that she's losing her daughter to depression and possible suicide, and that she has to start caring about her more and criticizing her less. (Joy needs more joy). Along with that is her dawning realization that her toughness towards her daughter stems from her own father's harshness towards her (her family were never happy with her marrying Waymond). So she must push herself to, as her husband puts it, "just be kind" to her daughter while convincing her father to do the same. The movie wonderfully expresses this in both a special effect moment (Evelyn, Waymond and Gong all pull together to stop Joy as Tobu Tapak,i from jumping into the void) and a straightforward dramatic moment (Evelyn finally admits to Gong that Joy is a lesbian). Although the movie thankfully never spells this out, it's entirely possible that almost all of it is just playing out in Evelyn's head as she daydreams at the IRS office. Really, all the multiverses could just be thoughts that Evelyn is having about the choices she's made in her life and how things could have played out differently (making this the only martial arts movie I've ever seen that could be influenced by Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film WILD STRAWBERRIES!).
Originally, Jackie Chan was intended to play the part of Waymond, but I'm glad that he bowed out; having a well known star like Chan would have made this more of a star vehicle for him, when this story really is Evelyn's. Along with Yeoh winning, Quan and Curtis also won Oscars for their supporting roles, which is no surprise since their is a real joy to all of these performances, as each actor gets to play wildly different versions of their characters. I love the way that Waymond's change from mild mannered husband to alternate universe warrior is shown by his taking off his glasses, like Clark Kent turning into Superman, or how Curtis at one point gets to play a crazed psycho smashing down a door, not unlike the killers she's run from in her many horror roles. But even with all the quick character changes, the performances are also grounded; before the multiverse madness kicks in the family chemistry and dynamics between Evelyn, Waymond and Joy feel real and relatable, giving the audience something to hang on to when all the multiverse hopping starts. Really, if I have any objection to this film winning three awards for acting, it's that I would have given the Best Supporting Actress award to Hsu instead of Curtis. Oh sure, Curtis is great in the movie, but I think Hsu is even better, showing a wider range of emotions in her character. But that's no big deal.
SO DID THE ACADEMY GET IT RIGHT?
This is one time that I completely agree with the Academy's choice, really, I can't think of any other movie this year that even comes close. It's probably the best film in years.
