PLOT: A woman facing a family crisis with her marriage and issues with her daughter, must figure out a way to solve the many issues continually plaguing her. When things are at their worst, a magical chain of events leads her into a fantastical adventure filled with villains and heroes, googly-eyes and hot dog fingers.
REVIEW: Swiss Army Man was a quirky delight. The oddball feature film starring Paul Dano as a man stranded on an island and Daniel Radcliffe as a corpse was intriguingly weird. Filmmaking duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert created a memorable movie-going experience with their fresh take on a Weekend at Bernie’s kind of comedy. And now, the writing/directing team known as Daniels dares to tackle the subject of the multiverse. In their latest, Everything Everywhere All at Once, the modern-day concept of alternative dimensions is explored in a weird but satisfying way. If you are going into this flick thinking you’ll be watching a typical superhero movie with a slight twist, you are sort of right. Yet told from the vision of the Daniels, it becomes a far more nuanced and decidedly wacky flick. We’re talking hot dog fingers, folks. Let’s go deeper, shall we?
Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are Evelyn and Waymond Wang, a married couple dealing with the problems of a stale relationship. In addition to the marriage issues, their daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is frustrated by her parents’ fear of her own coming out to her grandfather, played by the legendary James Hong. With all the baggage going on, something strange is happening for Evelyn. While dealing with a very unpleasant government worker named Deidre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), somebody – seemingly identical to her husband – attempts to explain the idea of a real world multiverse, where other versions of themselves exist. While at first skeptical and in shock, she realizes that something is off when strangers appear to be in attack mode, including the less-than-delightful Ms. Beaubeirdra. Things get super strange, yet the small moments of humanity and heart are clear and present throughout the film.
Daniels’s latest is bonkers. When we hear the term multiverse, we generally think of perhaps the recent Spider-Man or the many other examples in superhero movies. And yes, this idea exists outside of the realm of caped crusaders. It would be tricky to give away too much, as it may ruin the joy out of this crazy flick. However, as ridiculous as some of the ideas presented here can be, it’s damn sure inventive. As we see the many different iterations of the characters and how they interact with each other in various situations, it becomes evident that there is more to this story. As the situation becomes more deadly, the family dynamic twists as we question whether or not Evelyn can take all of it on. By creating a relatable villain, the filmmakers offer a unique tale as heartfelt as it can be visually compelling.
Then there is the cast. Everyone brings the A-game to this wild tale. Michelle Yeoh is incredible here. She brings warmth and vulnerability and still manages to kick serious ass courtesy of all Evelyn’s likenesses. As her husband, Ke Huy Quan is delightful. The actor offers an unexpected sweetness yet transforms perfectly with each reveal of his other personas in the multiverse. The same thing is true with Stephanie Hsu. The family dynamic here is truly impressive. And it’s all the better with the excellent performance from the legendary James Hong. The cast is exceptional here, with a special mention of the excellent performance from Jamie Lee Curtis. Her work here is wildly entertaining, and her sequences with Michelle Yeoh are the oddest (and loveliest) things in the movie. That’s pretty much a good thing.
Both Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ably keep the bizarre nature of the film intact. Sometimes, the curiosity of it all felt slightly forced, and sometimes the humor fell flat. That’s not to say it’s a bad film, not even close. It’s inventive.You have to respect the push to do something truly unusual. And as quickly as the filmmakers go truly nutty with the concept, not all of the ideas presented work as well as they could have. Yet the sense of wonder and awe explored through Evelyn’s eyes brings life to this ambitious feature. It’s a genre-bending vision of humor, action, and a sense of whimsy that brings an lovely tone to the film. Instead of following a predictable path, this is a fantasy that melds into something that will please many and perhaps confound others by its brazen insanity. It’s a movie I liked much more after a couple of days of letting it all sink in.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a strange and inventive concoction. It’s filled with martial arts, impressively choreographed fight sequences, humor, and a loving tribute to family. When you hear the phrase “like nothing you’ve seen before,” you can say that here without feeling like you are missing something. I have truly never experienced a film quite like this. Daniels’s sophomore feature film is ludicrous, colorful, and frankly, it’s one I’d like to see again. We’ve seen a handful of remakes and sequels or popular canon top the box office over the past few months. It will be interesting to see in these unpredictable times whether audiences will be in the mood for something truly original, and this falls into that category effortlessly. Even if I have a few mild issues with the film as a whole, it would be nice to see fans seek out something like this when it hits theatres this Friday.
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