It may be too early to call The Daniels, ‘Everything, Everywhere, All it Once’ the best film of the 2022, but considering it’s one of the best films of the past few years I am confident we will not see anything better for a while. The story is centered around one woman who discovers she is key to saving a fractured multiverse.
The film is so seamlessly written and executed it is nearly flawless. This feat is even more impressive considering the complexity of the script and narrative. The script has to establish a dynamic relatable protagonist, Evelyn Quan- played impeccably by Michelle Yeoh- and establish her character in a relatively short time, then switch gears and establish not only multiple multi-versal iterations of her, but also develop each of the unique characters and their interpersonal relationships in the various universes.
The film is an awe inspiring juggling act of mixed-marital arts, storytelling, characterization, and ideas. It is also extremely kinetic, utilizing a lot of dolly/truck, tracking shots, and smooth camera movements to quickly but impactfully convey its themes and story. The opening sequence alone breezes along packing into the visuals a lot of information about character in a very short time.
Despite a lot going on, 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' is lean in terms of exposition at any given moment and sharp in terms of drama. It delves out both in economic and creative ways. Only the absolute essential information the viewers need is doled out scene by scene during the film. There’s a lot of complex issues about generational trauma and existential dread that are made palatable and memorable by being conveyed through distinct visuals, offbeat humor, stunning action, and poignant pathos.
The stunts and choreography are executed with precision and the fact that Michelle Yeoh is doing her own stunts only adds to how impressive her performances are. Kelly Hu Quan, who portrays Waymond Wang and his iterations, also delivers on his performances. He too does his own stunts and he deftly bounces between a compassionate, mild mannered, ‘dad-jokes’ persona to a hardened, serious, martial artist type.
Only time will tell if 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' joins the ranks of cinema classics, but for now it is a must-see film that audiences will be talking about for some time.
MY RATING 5/5 STARS
Check out other great films starring Michelle Yeoh like 'Crazy, Rich Asians' and 'Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings. all available at The Brown Deer Public Library.
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