Everything Everywhere All at Once...
...and why you need to watch it at least once. Seriously, why haven't you?
It was 8 pm, I think. I didn’t have work that day, so I stumbled around Vancouver, looking for something to indulge myself in. I found this small movie theatre in Surrey that was playing a bunch of movies for $3. “Wow, that’s cheap,” I remember thinking as I started picking one. I remember one of my friends telling me about Everything Everywhere All at Once (let’s call this movie EEAAO for the sake of convenience), and I saw it on the list. “Why not,” I thought to myself as I purchased a ticket and entered the tiny hall that could barely accommodate fifty people. Apart from me, there were two aged women and a couple - a total of five people in the theatre. It was rather thrilling, might I add.
Okay, now about the movie… (and I’ll try my best to keep spoilers out of my text)
It’s directed by Daniel Kwan, who also directed Swiss Army Man back in 2016.
It’s phenomenal in a very, very special way.
The movie combines elements of science fiction and reality to create something magical, something that will implore the soul inside your crushing reality to feel something. And be prepared to feel something, for I’ve watched this movie about 10 times to date and it never fails to make me cry. Maybe it’s the repeated references to ADHD (which the protagonist clearly struggles with) or the portrayal of ‘tough love’ in Asian families, but on multiple points throughout my first watch, I was mostly going “WTF!”. The movie doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and at the same time, takes some things too seriously (for the sake of its own good). Character growth is immense over the duration of the film, and the art style? Left me gasping for air at times, and I’m not even overstating it. There are a couple of sequences where I was staring open-mouthed toward the screen, and when I sat down with my friends to watch the movie again, I observed the same expression on their faces during the exact same sequences. It was beautiful.
If you are one of those kids who struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with your parents, or if you were a parent that had to communicate through an imaginary yet extremely real barrier with your kids, EEAAO will hit home in a way you won’t even anticipate. No, really. Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu carried this movie all the way to the end. I don’t want to discredit any of the supporting actors as well, since Jamie Lee Curtis killed it.
If you’re a fan of cinematography, you’ll appreciate the tiny details spread through the movie like sprinkles on ice-cream (or chocolate chips, if you’re into that). The movie effectively utilizes foreshadowing and metaphors to create a foundation upon which rests the central theme of the movie, and that is a parent’s love for their children (and how far they’re willing to push for them). I laughed, I cried, I was in awe, and before I knew it, I was crying again.
Above all, don’t forget that EEAAO is strongly built around science-fiction themes, so a lot of things may not make sense during the first watch. And remember, when you DO watch the movie, please let me know what you thought about it. Did it live up to your expectations? Did it exceed them, or are you still on the hinge? I’d love to discuss it.
Also, I wrote a poem on New Year’s Day. I can’t not share it with you guys, so here you go. It doesn’t have a title yet, by the way.
where do we go
when our eyes wander
and our thoughts run slow
From the tree of life
the fruits of our day
hang rather low
I’m in love
with the journey
to the land of dreams
where I long for peace
through peaceful means
I’m in love
with the warmth
that engulfs my limbs
I’m in love
with the quiet
that follows the strings
I’ll see you guys next week. Stay hydrated, and stay warm.