Everything Everywhere All at Once

Can one ever put aside the hype of a film before watching it? It's one thing to hear some glowing reviews but another when it seemed that every film awards organisation was tripping over itself to send plaudits its way and this the reception to Everything Everywhere All at Once that released in 2022. I missed this in the cinemas but heard it was outdoing Marvel at its own game around the same time as the sequel for Doctor Strange which really caught my interest so I had indeed high hopes before watching yet this wasn't quite the "slam dunk result" I had hoped for.

The story follows Michelle Yeoh's Chinese immigrant who lives a hardworking life in America where everything seems to be pulling her from every angle with an aging father dependent on her, a husband considering whether divorce would be best for them both and a daughter not following the path she had hoped for by finding love with another girl, all the while managing a crumbling laundrette business. And then suddenly during a difficult meeting over the company's expenses, a multiverse whole appears with a different version of her husband and he desperately needs her help that sees them on a journey with glimpses into what life could have been for them both.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, EEAAO is a highly kinetic adventure and with lots of moving pieces and moving moments but does demand the audience embrace all the quirks of the film otherwise you will find yourself left out in the cold as the story races ahead. And despite many of the film's merits, including a great turn from Yeoh, I just couldn't gel with this. The initial setup was interesting but quickly becomes exhausting with a 139 minute running time that indulges in one too many ludicrous moments and fight sequences.

The cast still do deliver on many of the dramatic moments but I can't understand Key Huy Quan or Jamie Lee Curtis' Oscar wins. It is great to see Quan back on screen and he does deliver a great performance but the buzz surrounding this all would suggest this was something greater than a film quick to jump for shock humour gags. However there is an interesting overarching plot here and with a little less noise and bit more time spent with the characters then I think we might have a film that is less divisive.

You will know if EEAAO will be for you in the first 30 minutes and I do wish I had a better time with this film as it is an original, inventive piece of cinema but that can't always guarantee unanimous praise and alas I am that guy who couldn't see what all the fuss was about. It's still great to see praise go to an indie film like this though and I hope it will keep the cinema alive with films that aren't all sequels and franchises.