Everything Everywhere All at Once

Ok, the movie contains a lot, a lot. It contains impressive action, drama, SF, humor as well as numerous incredible scenes and shots. I give him a big plus for his incredible originality and idea. However, for me personally, the film was a little too much, to put it that way. In the context of the Oscars, it's also incredible to me that the film picked up so many important awards. Is this the best movie of the year?! Reading numerous reviews and comments, it's clear to me that I'm in the minority and that's why I'm surprised by all the hype surrounding the film. For some, this is even one of the best films ever made. Due to these expectations, I have to admit that the film did not impress me at all. It's not a problem for me to admit that it's up to me and that I can't understand the magnitude of the film, which will obviously be a cult classic tomorrow. But I am surprised that such a strange film won over so many people.

Having seen countless raving reviews about this movie both on IMDb, and even more so on Twitter, I thought "damn, I have to go see this ASAP". I went in expecting something incredible, movie of the year standard, but wow was I disappointed.

Literally 75% of the movie is fight scenes, like okay it was cool at the start but 2 hours in and still?? 'Everything Everywhere' is perfect for people with a short attention span because there's always something ridiculous going on. I understood what they were trying to do with the plot but honestly nothing stuck, it just felt shallow.

Don't get me wrong it's not a bad film, but it's nowhere near these 10/10 reviews that's being advertised.

I have trouble turning off my brain. Anxieties, worries, mundane to-dos, even positive things, sometimes feel like they're swirling around in a chaotic funnel cloud and I would like nothing more than to sit in physical and mental silence.

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" felt like the inside of my head. In a world of non-stop, 24/7 news, most of it bad, how is a person like me, who has trouble filtering out things that affect me directly from all of the other things that are just out there happening in general and over which I have no control, supposed to cope?

One answer is to decide that nothing matters anyway and give up caring. But that means deciding that my wife doesn't matter. And that my kids don't matter. And that art, and nature, and things that bring joy to my life, don't matter.

Another way is to decide that some things, ok maybe most things, don't matter, but that there are things that do, and those are the things that make it all worth it. I get to decide what those things are.

The first approach is nihilistic. The second approach is empowering. This film explores both approaches, and I was a sobbing mess at the end.

I will say there were times that I was a bit exhausted by this movie. It throws a lot on the screen and at the viewer, and occasionally it can't keep up with its ambitions. But this was mostly a home run.

Michell Yeoh does terrific work in this, but the MVP is Ke Huy Quan (Short Round from the "Indiana Jones" movies).

Grade: A.

A24 put some great stuff out but this isn't one of them, or I just wasn't in the mood to watch it.

It felt like it should be a series, they cram so much stuff in and it has a slightly budget feel. The leads are excellent, I especially liked the guy from Wayne's World (Casandra's dad, James Hong) and the elements of humour he brings to the film. His parts are about the only ones where the film sits and breaths, the rest is a convoluted mess.

The bombastic fighting was fine as a Kung Fu movie, it feels very much like a Jackie Chan flick and fights have good tension, but then they introduce ridiculous elements like middle aged ladies wrestling, reality warping shoot outs and go overboard with crude outlandish skits as a medium for transporting between realities and amp it up throughout the movie. Kudos for trying to make it work but it just doesn't land and comes across like a terrible Rick and Morty episode. Too eager to be too many things all at once.

I rate it a 5, which it shouldn't be as it's very well produced, original and clearly a lot of talent went into the movie. But the finished product is just punishing to watch.

"Be kind, especially when you don't know what's going on."

If only we could recognize that those who combat us in life do so out of hidden pain, and fight them with kindness. If only we could accept our kids for who they are, and say supportive things from the heart instead of trying to mold them. If only we could be content with the life we have, and set aside the idea of the countless other lives we might have led, had we made different decisions along the way. If only we could see that the flipside to life being meaningless and everything ultimately being sucked into the abyss is the freedom that comes from that, that we can do anything with the time we've got.

Like the first word in its title, this film feels like everything. While watching it I thought Stephanie Hsu was everything too, but then again, so was Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis. The homage to Wong Kar-Wai with Ke Huy Quan making his enlightened speech is extraordinary, and the fact that James Hong was still getting it done at age 93 was wonderful. I also loved how both mother and daughter, troubled as they were with their upbringing, each found comfort in a kind and patient partner, and Tallie Medel's character was a nice touch.

The film threatens to go off the rails with its madcap multiverse hopping in the first part, but it's all a setup for the second part, which is incredibly powerful. It was impressive that it managed to be so entertaining along the way, with its fast-paced action and the wild ride it takes us on. It's one that rewards a rewatch to, as its full of little details and references. Just a great film, lots of fun, and from the heart.