Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniels, 2022)

[brundlefly]

Michelle Yeoh: Into the Michelle Yeoh-verse. Presumably with less farting than Daniels' last feature.

[domino harvey]

Michelle Yeoh: Into the Michelle Yeoh-verse. Presumably with less farting than Daniels' last feature.

What if John Wick but Michel Gondry

[therewillbeblus]

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Imagine if someone decided to remake The Matrix through the creative regurgitation of Detention, only emulating our current age's zenith of pervasive loneliness -segregated individualists swallowed up by the infinite domains of digital, social, historical, geographical and temporal spaces- as kaleidoscopic candy shells with phantasmagoric layers breaking down to the soft core of a very moving, intimate drama inspiring the urgency of the present. Imagine a hybrid between an existential tone poem and emotional celebration of limitless 'possibility' from love, via the crowded multigenreverse of sci-fi-action-comedy-melodrama, the spectrum of ultrasilly absurdist gags to heartfelt sincerity stretched as thin as the attention spans of its principals and its viewers. This is a film that recognizes objective reality’s meaninglessness, brings us to the brink of nihilism (visualized by a kind of bagel), and then locates the potential to reframe such forsaken hostility back to the value of subjective reality right in front of us. It's a film where Michelle Yeoh gives her greatest performance, where the generational trauma of American immigrants encapsulates universal divides and opportunities to find harmony, and where references to 2001, Ratatouille, WKW's filmography, and even Super Smash Bros. 64 will make you laugh, cry, smile, and fall in love with the art form all over again.

The Daniels have a hypervigilant pulse on that overwhelming splitting of our focus typically gravitating away into half-measures applied to all the peripheral areas of our mini-worlds, and choose to aid us in an inversion process toward increased mindful perceptiveness to our immediate surroundings. It’s all the movies; all the realities, feelings, thoughts, experiences, boiled down to 'now', for the audience of now. It's also the best movie of the year, and I doubt we'll see anything as clever or imaginative or innovative in quite some time, if ever.


My screening had a Q&A with the Daniels, which was the best one I've ever attended. They were incredibly personable, hilarious, informative, and gave great insights to the process. A few highlights:

-The film took about six years of work, and the writing process begun as a reaction to 2016's election year and Trump taking office, particularly the subsequent contradictions and social numbness disconnecting our country. The movie wound up being a therapeutic exercise to "show ourselves how to get out of the chaos." I believe the ethos of the film was described by one of the filmmakers nearly-verbatim as "Nothing makes sense, everything is absurd and hostile, so let’s be kind and hold onto each other."

-The significance of an Asian American family was personal to Daniel Kwan, who touched on generational trauma having experienced it as a victim- but also, halfway through the project ~three years ago, becoming a father and putting down roots and starting to empathize with the other side. He realized that if we don’t start talking about these hot topics now, this conflict and harmful cycle will just keep repeating. They decided to use the 'multiverse' concept to illustrate one of the most difficult human experiences: 'changing ones mind', and how we often need to have our lives altered to hone in on small moments. The multiverse was also key for an immigrant story - generationally passed-down ideas of “what if” and the feeling of having one foot in each world, spread thin and walls up.

-Due to the small budget, they hired YouTubers to choreograph all the fights- who weren't classical training in fighting, but rather were just film geeks who had memorized all Hong Kong action films. They also have cameos in the film during arguably the most ridiculously crass (and certainly raunchiest) scene.

[DarkImbecile]

This is quite delightful, hyperactively playful and inventive without ever being tiresome, yet also reaching for significance both cosmic and personal. I don't know that I can add anything new to the deserved raves the film is getting for the creativity and heart flowing through the script and direction, but it is worth mentioning how expertly Kwan and Schienert balance the extremely specific details of first-generation immigrant life with poignantly universal observations about our contemporary social, political, and family structures — expertly enough that there were noticeable tears being shed in multiple directions around me at my packed showing the other night.

The impressive versatility with which its directors jump between and blend tones, influences, and formal techniques (just keeping an eye on the shifting aspect ratios becomes a psychedelic experience at times) is exceeded only by Michelle Yeoh's truly spectacular demonstration of the range and depth of her abilities as a performer. I've certainly never seen a single role that allowed her to be so dazzlingly multi-faceted, but she nails every opportunity to kaleidoscopically display her capabilities for graceful movement and striking beauty, self-deprecating comedy both physical and verbal, and movie-star gravitas and emotional depth. What a gift for her to be presented with a role like this at this point in her career, and what a gift for audiences that she absolutely seizes it and exploits it so fully.

Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, and the great James Hong also take full advantage of their meaty supporting roles, which makes me think that for all their conceptual verve and technical creativity, this directing pair's real strength may lie in their generosity with their performers, which I can only hope attracts even more top talent to their future projects. I don't know that this will be the best film I see all year, but it seems likely it will be the most fun — and as we drift through a particularly enervating and disconcerting branch of the multiverse, that carries a lot of weight.

[therewillbeblus]

In the directors Q&A, the Daniels were asked if they had a backup in the event that Michelle Yeoh passed on the role, and in what was (likely, you never know with these guys) a uniquely playful response, they said Daniel Kwan's mom, as a first generation immigrant and clear-aspect of the autobiographical nature of the film, just to add an extra 'meta' element to the soup

[DarkImbecile]

Walter Chaw’s review is worth a read for those who’ve seen the film

[jsteffe]

Walter Chaw’s review is worth a read for those who’ve seen the film

That review that brought tears to my eyes and wonderfully articulated why it is a great film.

[Finch]

I was very moved by the film, especially the finale. Very dense but I prefer films that I can discover more details in as I watch them again over time. I love how compassionate and colorful this film is, and how the Daniels hit so many different tones so effortlessly; it goes from scatological humor to somber observations how small and irrelevant we are in the grand scheme of things. I love that there is an American film that gives Michelle Yeoh top billing; I love that her daughter Joy is not a token lesbian seen for a split second in the background but a fully fleshed out character *; I love that they not only asked Short Round from Temple of Doom to come back but gave him a substantial part and some kickass moves; I love that the Daniels had the conviction that a substantial chunk of subtitled native dialogue would not sink the film and that A24 would let them do so. I'm giving this film five out of five googly eyes!

* Meanwhile, WB cuts six seconds of gay dialogue about Dumbledore's relationships out of the latest Rowling disasterpiece and maintains that the "spirit of the film is still preserved" but then I also think if you were only comfortable devoting a mere six seconds to this aspect of his character you might as well not have bothered.

[beamish14]

I love that they not only asked Short Round from Temple of Doom to come back but gave him a substantial part and some kickass moves;

Jonathan Ke Quan is having a MAJOR career resurgence. He's going to be in the Disney+ show American Born Chinese, which also stars Yeoh.

[jsteffe]

The idea of refracting a family drama through the prism of a multiverse action film is inspired and its execution shows genuine scriptwriting and directorial talent. I also loved that Joy had her own, fully formed character trajectory as Finch points out, and was even central to the action.

There was a trailer for the new Doctor Strange film beforehand which looked formulaic and unimaginative in comparison. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first Doctor Strange film, but based on that trailer they are just reshuffling plot devices used in other Marvel films. (OMG, universes are colliding and the fabric of reality is coming apart!!! OMG split identities!!!) Hopefully there is more to the actual film than that. But it only served for me to underscore how much thought and creativity the Daniels put into their own multiverse narrative.

[therewillbeblus]

At least one of the Daniels said they hate multiverse films (I think Daniel Kwan enjoys them), but the idea of the (il)logic was formed around a prompt of “what if in the opening scene of The Matrix, in order for Trinity to escape the bad guys, she nonchalantly took a little kid’s ice cream cone and shoved it in [some inappropriate, unexpected place] and then disappeared,” or something of that nature

[Finch]

I had the same impressions, jsteffe. I was pleasantly surprised to see Joe and Anthony Russo listed as EPs in the end credits for Everything Everywhere All At Once but it also brought into sharper relief how much better the Daniels handled characters, shifts in tone and overall pacing than pretty much everybody in the MCU and DCU (James Gunn comes close with the first Guardians).

[DarkImbecile]

I love that they not only asked Short Round from Temple of Doom to come back but gave him a substantial part and some kickass moves;

Jonathan Ke Quan is having a MAJOR career resurgence. He's going to be in the Disney+ show American Born Chinese, which also stars Yeoh.

Some clarification on his name from this lovely GQ interview:

One thing I noticed about your comeback: starting in the late ‘80s through the early ‘00s, you were billed as Jonathan Ke Quan. For Everything Everywhere, you’ve chosen to go by your Chinese birth name. That feels like a meaningful decision.

It was a big deal for me to go back to using my birth name, Ke Huy Quan. That was the name I was credited with on Indiana Jones. But by the time I got to my late teens, I was working on a sitcom and the warmup comedian would butcher my name every week. It was seen as difficult to pronounce, so I was encouraged to go with an American name. I was Jonathan for many years, but it never felt like that was me.

When I decided to return to my roots in acting, my name was the very first thing I was positive about. I thought, if I work hard enough and get my name out there enough, one day people will learn to pronounce it. For me, it really completes the puzzle.

[beamish14]

I love that they not only asked Short Round from Temple of Doom to come back but gave him a substantial part and some kickass moves;

Jonathan Ke Quan is having a MAJOR career resurgence. He's going to be in the Disney+ show American Born Chinese, which also stars Yeoh.

Some clarification on his name from this lovely GQ interview:

One thing I noticed about your comeback: starting in the late ‘80s through the early ‘00s, you were billed as Jonathan Ke Quan. For Everything Everywhere, you’ve chosen to go by your Chinese birth name. That feels like a meaningful decision.

It was a big deal for me to go back to using my birth name, Ke Huy Quan. That was the name I was credited with on Indiana Jones. But by the time I got to my late teens, I was working on a sitcom and the warmup comedian would butcher my name every week. It was seen as difficult to pronounce, so I was encouraged to go with an American name. I was Jonathan for many years, but it never felt like that was me.

When I decided to return to my roots in acting, my name was the very first thing I was positive about. I thought, if I work hard enough and get my name out there enough, one day people will learn to pronounce it. For me, it really completes the puzzle.

Thank you for that. The sitcom he's referring to is Head of the Class, and I wonder if he was pushed out of it. His character never really had much to do on it.

[Finch]

There is going to be a UHD of the film in Germany, dated for August, and there's supposedly one coming for the US in June but I have not seen any retailer offering specs for the latter yet.

[domino harvey]

Imagine if someone decided to remake The Matrix through the creative regurgitation of Detention

Detention's co-writer liked it!

[Finch]

Walter Chaw interviews the Daniels

According to them, one "religious country" asked for one scene to be cut entirely, and it was not the sex toy joke.

[Finch]

The film's editor talks to Indiewire

[Finch]

UHD and Blu-Ray dated for June 14 (as per Target pre-order)

[Finch]

the Daniels on Twitter have confirmed that this is not going to be a barebones disc from Lionsgate:

Since people are wondering, this thing will be loaded with plenty of extras. Directors’ commentary (done during the peak of press tour so you will sense that our brains are mush), BTS featurettes, bloopers, deleted scenes, etc.

[therewillbeblus]

Excellent, as mentioned upthread, these two gave one of the funniest and most insightful Q&As I’ve ever seen, which was very diverse regarding all aspects of the film’s construction, thematic relevancy, and Tatiesque Easter eggs contained throughout. I can 100% see that dynamic energy and engaging explanations on the creative process translating well into a commentary. They also talked about some ridiculous scenes that were shot and cut that I hope make the deleted scenes sections

[therewillbeblus]

Tax Season zine by the Daniels, for sale on A24's site

[TheChubbyEmo1991]

Ke Huy Quan gave an amazing performance. It's criminal that he's been sidelined for 30 years. Never thought he'd have the chops for such a serious adult role.

Walter Chaw’s review is worth a read for those who’ve seen the film

An excellent read. I'm an Asian American guy as well. My parents' marriage was too dysfunctional for these types of expectations to take hold, and I felt very unconditionally loved by my mother. I'm lucky. There were other issues that sort of overshadowed any culturally driven concerns.

That being said, I guess I also don't see Evelyn as being that bad overall. There's definitely insecurities that she projects, but it seems that they make their way out given the level of stress she's under. I honestly think she's holding together decently given how much she's carrying with her. She's definitely not like some I've seen in real life, nor is she like the mother in the article. I think The Daniels wanted to provide some sanitization for the big screen and keep things more "cute" and "quaint". She's honestly a good mother even if she doesn't achieve the type of dynamic self discovery that she does.

[therewillbeblus]

Daniel Kwan was open about sympathizing with both her and the daughter characters, especially since he became a father during production on the film. The message doesn't seem to be intending to blame agents for generational trauma, but to promote the urgent need of altering our process of engagement- having conversations with the hope that we can get outside of our rigid perspectives to cultivate greater intimacy and change where we can.

Several Asian-American audience members at the Q&A I was at were in tears over relating to the material during their 'questions'. Generational trauma was a huge topic the Daniels highlighted and dissected, and that audiences responded to, and I imagine they'll talk about it on the disc commentary somewhere

[Computer Raheem]

Spaghetti Baby Noodle Boy