Here’s something I’ve been looking forward to—it’s the latest major outing from Michelle Yeoh, who successfully made the crossover from Hong Kong cinema to the west a while ago with the likes of Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger. Of course, here we have something very different from any of that—something that dabbles in the concept of the infinite multiverse, where every minute decision can splinter into something radically different, potentially in a plane of existence already radically different in ways that can hardly be conceived. Oh, and at the same time dealing with the everyday problems of familial bonds between plain old ordinary people. It’s Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.
Right off the bat, director Dan Kwan brings something I’ve seen more than a few comment is not exactly far off from many experiences of Asian Americans—Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, struggling to balance a failing business with the outlooks of multiple generations living around her. You’ve got the traditionalist grandfather played by the legend James Hong, from who she tries to conceal the relationship her gay daughter (Stephanie Hsu) is having—and that’s before getting into the increasing friction with husband Wang (Ke Huy Quan). Annoying and weird customers, flailing party plans, potential divorces…and this all culminates with a visit to an IRS office where a ruthless auditor (played by another legend, Jamie Lee Curtis) is all too eager to grill them.
That’s before Wang is suddenly possessed by the mind of an alternate self of his from across the universe. And before Evelyn suddenly has to confront interdimensional reality-warping threats right on top of her tax receipt issues.
Right off the bat you’ve got a great cast with no weak links, and you’ve got some hilarious action that ramps up throughout—you don’t need to worry about technical explanations when what the film rolls with lends itself to some utterly bugnuts creativity. You’ve got martial arts action where different skills are being transferred across the multiverses—and while it starts off somewhat conventional, it makes sure to escalate until we’ve got corgis on leashes being used as flying guillotines just to give one example, and much more best seen for yourself. Even throwaway lines are paid off with all the lunacy they entail, and I’m glad that not a single character is wasted—even those you think are just there to provide an obstacle get a proper fleshing out in their own way.
There’s other things that just about make sense in context but would make you sound like a crazy person if you try to explain them too much, like a bagel made of nihilism (yes, indeed). But entertaining as the madness is, it’d be more or less fluff with an emotional payoff—and that’s where the third act comes in. I can’t think of another film where issues of existentialism are combined with plain old emotional connections—while in the process spanning several simultaneous planes of reality.
For those that might feel lost and confused in an increasingly off-kilter world, I can imagine there’s plenty to relate to—and for those that have sometimes had strained relations with those close to them, even more so. All of it is presented with that kind of endlessly exuberant visual style that’s unafraid to tackle anything and everything—just the way I like it.
Considering it’s not exactly a high budget flick, I’m still astounded by just how damn much they crammed in here—so much that you only see for a split-second, and so much that you think might be just there for a moment only for it to come back in all the most impactful ways. I definitely intend to rewatch it, as soon as my mind gets done processing just the first part!
So yeah—all in all? Most definitely recommended, and if you fancy a cinema trip that’s a breath of fresh air, I can’t think of anything better right now. It’s not the only film dealing with matters of the multiverse right now, but, well, Marvel and Disney can stand to have a flick that makes slightly less than a septillion dollars. Here’s one that definitely lived up to the hype for me—whichever fork in reality you choose, give it a watch.
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