Everything Everywhere All at Once

"Be kind, especially when you don't know what's going on."

If only we could recognize that those who combat us in life do so out of hidden pain, and fight them with kindness. If only we could accept our kids for who they are, and say supportive things from the heart instead of trying to mold them. If only we could be content with the life we have, and set aside the idea of the countless other lives we might have led, had we made different decisions along the way. If only we could see that the flipside to life being meaningless and everything ultimately being sucked into the abyss is the freedom that comes from that, that we can do anything with the time we've got.

Like the first word in its title, this film feels like everything. While watching it I thought Stephanie Hsu was everything too, but then again, so was Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis. The homage to Wong Kar-Wai with Ke Huy Quan making his enlightened speech is extraordinary, and the fact that James Hong was still getting it done at age 93 was wonderful. I also loved how both mother and daughter, troubled as they were with their upbringing, each found comfort in a kind and patient partner, and Tallie Medel's character was a nice touch.

The film threatens to go off the rails with its madcap multiverse hopping in the first part, but it's all a setup for the second part, which is incredibly powerful. It was impressive that it managed to be so entertaining along the way, with its fast-paced action and the wild ride it takes us on. It's one that rewards a rewatch to, as its full of little details and references. Just a great film, lots of fun, and from the heart.

Firstly I should say I thought the actors did put in some very good performances and I can see why they were nominated although as to whether they deserved to beat some of their competitors is another matter.

I have to say I found this film to be tedious and almost unenjoyable to watch. It feels like a film made for the TikTok generation - no overall coherence with nuggets of scenes rammed together. Is this a film I would ever bother watching again - absolutely not.

Yes it is different - in much the same way The Artist was (and who talks about that film anymore?) but that doesn't make it good. It aims for a profound message whilst its style is overwhelmingly superficial. It's a film with little artistic merit or dare I say beauty (I am talking about the scenes and cinematography here not the actors) and it definitely did not move me except to pray it was going to finish.

In short it barely ticks the boxes of what I'd consider to be essential criteria for a great movie. Maybe this is the first of a new wave of this type of film and I am not getting it but when it had finished I felt pretty much nothing.

There's a point here where we are swept up in sensory overload, where so much stuff is thrown at us that we tune it out. I reached a point about two-thirds through this where I couldn't get my mind back in it. Have we reached a point where we have no expectations of a conclusion. When one has someone playing multiple characters in multiple settings, there needs to be something tying it together. The protagonist needs to be someone we identify with who has wishes and hopes that lead us on. She seemed as confused as the storyteller and the husband. I guess I'll read some more about this film and hope with guidance to try to figure it out a bit. Obviously, all these universes and all this actions (way too much battling in my estimation) are leading somewhere. I thought the film had ended about six times. I don't mind being brought back in, but I wish I understood where we just landed. Yes, there is a lot going on and it is violently splashed on the screen. But I ended up exhausted and unsatisfied.

I FINALLY sat down to finish watching this movie. I had started it when it first came out to stream and turned it off about 20 minutes in, I found it so boring.

But, last night I decided to sit down and finish watching it to see if it lived up to all of the hype and Oscar accolades...to me, it didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I do feel Mechelle Yeoh did a great job with this very complicated role, so perhaps she deserved it...but the rest of them, ehhhhhh maybe, maybe not so much.

This movie TOTALLY lost my husband, he just couldn't keep up with the different story-lines in different dimensions, and the fast-pace of jumping around from dimension to dimension often game me the "what in the world is going on" feeling. I get it....everything all at once, but sometimes way too much.

This movie, for me, didn't make sense at all until the last 20 minutes or so when, at that point finally, the writers basically spoon-fed the viewer the meaning of the movie, because (in my own personal opinion) even they knew people wouldn't get it on their own.

As for Jamie Lee Curtis, I also think she deserved her Oscar for this one. Hers was also a pretty complicated character in oh so many ways and a huge departure from many roles she has played.

So was this an Oscar worthy movie....eeeehhhh, not so much. Were there good performances? Yes. Was this an original movie? Yes, I can appreciate that too.

Was it over-hyped? Most definitely.

Starting with what I did enjoy about this movie.

1. The setting of this movie was indeed a more accurate representation of an Asian American household. The family dynamics sounds about right. I like that Asians are getting more spotlight.

2. The concept/theme of this movie is rather novel and therefore interesting. Although I think it could have been played out much more sophisticatedly.

3. The parent-child relationship is well portrayed. The perceived lack of validation from parents felt by the child, the poorly communicated love of the parent, the process of gaining awareness and emotional growth for both the parent and child is inspiring.

Things I didn't like 1. It is a very bizarre movie, you could even say chaotic. It's as if they tried to combine every single meaningless detail together and gave up filtering out what's actually worth or necessary to the main plot. Tried too hard to make it funny/original/emotional/relatable that it ends up being neither of those things very well.

2. The movie is also unnecessarily long.

Those two points combined makes this movie just a long, confusing, and sometimes boring mess. The novelty makes it watchable/bearable, but to me, it's nothing more than that.