“Every rejection, every disappointment has led you to this moment,” says a character in the spectacular indie film ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ It crosses multiple visual styles and genres. For cinephiles looking for originality in a story, this one fits the bill. This film exists in another dimension but it is not just a chaotic mind trip. It has meaning. It reminds us of the beauty and zaniness life has to offer. One of the big metaphysical questions is if life has no meaning than why can’t we be kind to each other? There are other themes explored but too many to cover here. All I can say is go see this movie. It will blow your mind.
Frazzled Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) and her meek husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) own a failing laundromat. Evelyn compiles a ton of business receipts to prepare for a meeting with an IRS caseworker, Dierdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis). There is a strong possibility that the business will be charged with tax fraud. Suddenly, Evelyn is forced into a storage closet and her husband Waymond tells her he comes from a parallel universe. The universe is being overrun by an evil force and he believes that there is a version of Evelyn in the multiverse that can fight and save the world.
This is where the film gets interesting. We get a glimpse of Evelyn’s other lives. She is a chef at a Benihana restaurant. She’s a Chinese opera singer. She’s a movie star. She’s a martial arts expert. Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh brilliantly pulls this off. She has been a martial arts action star for decades. She is well-known for doing her own stunts on the set. Evelyn’s husband played by Ke Huy Quan guides her through the multiverse. Quan is best known for his role as Data in the 80’s adventure ‘The Goonies.’ It is bittersweet when Evelyn slips into those other lives. This is the core dilemma she faces moving from one life to another. She is captivated with the possibility of being a skilled martial artist or a glamorous movie star. She explores these “what-if” paths not taken.
The action fight sequences are amazing. The cinematography is stunning. The acting is impeccable. Beyond the dazzling action packed scenes is a moral core to the story. You have this housewife going through a mid-life crisis. She is not only saving the world as an ordinary hero. She is taking an important journey. It is a reminder of what is important in her life. Sure, it is nice to think she could have been a glamorous movie star but at what cost? This would mean, she would never have married her optimistic husband Waymond and had her spirited daughter Joy that resembles her at a young age.
That’s the beauty of this film. We all choose our own paths in life. Those decisions we make (some thoughtful and some rash) form who we are as a person. The film works due to Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan’s strong performances. The growth of Yeoh’s character through the film is extraordinary. She achieves enlightenment when she steps into each characterization. It reminds you that even though our lives may feel mundane at times, it is the ordinary people in our lives that matter the most.
