I'm not sure I've ever done this is a review before. And if I have, it wouldn't have been very often.
But, stop reading this. Right now. And instead, go and watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. Find somewhere it's playing in theatres, look it up on stream services.
Just go and watch it. Immediately. Consider that the short version of my review.
Okay, so now it should just be those of us who have seen the movie left.
Hi, how you doing? Good? Excellent. Let's get into it, shall we.
First off. Holy fucking shit. This movie is absolutely amazing.
The delightfully named duo of writer/directors, the Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) have absolutely hit it out of the park with this movie.
I love Michelle Yeoh at the best of times, but the role of Evelyn Wang is quite possibly the best performance (performances?) she's ever given in a movie.
In fact, this movie is filled with outstanding performances... Ke Huy Quan (as Waymond Wang), yes, Data from Goonies and Short Round from the second Indiana Jones movies... I did freak out slightly when I realised who he was, who manages to match Yeoh beat for beat throughout the story, Stephanie Hsu (as their daughter Joy) who absolutely crushes everything she's given and Jamie Lee Curtis (as a very dowdy IRS agent) who is chewing ALL of the scenery in the best possible way... not to mention James Hong (as Evelyn's dad) aka Po's Dad from Kung Fu Panda and... basically 450 other projects... who is just a treasure, and still acting in his 90's.
Honestly, though, even the small roles are excellent. And I want to specifically call out Tallie Medel as Becky, Harry Shum Jr as Chad and Jenny Slate as... Dog Mom. Plus a number of the stunt performers from Shang Chi.
The only... microscopically minor complaint I have is that I wish they'd used some of those additional characters in the same way that they used the main cast. Repeated them in different contexts. I get why they didn't... but for me it would have tied things together a little more. But, honestly, it's barely even a complaint, it's more that it would have been an additional bonus.
The place where this movie shines... no, wait... this movie doesn't shine. This movie fucking GLOWS. The place where it glows the brightest is the script. This is a smart movie. This is a layered movie. This is a simple story masquerading as a complex idea. And it's a complex idea presented as a simple story.
It's one of those movies that you watch for the first time and pretty much need to just sit and go... "well... fuck" for about a week and just let it wash over you. And then watch it again. And every time you watch it, you'll pick out some other tiny detail you hadn't noticed before. Or you'll get a reference you didn't get before. Or just soak in the sheer brilliance of this movie.
There are already tiny facts I didn't pick up the first time through that I've seen mentioned in other places. And yes, of course I immediately smacked my forehead and went "of fucking course!".
What's interesting is that this movie is, at it's core, how you do the core story in Turning Red correctly. That movie did not stick the landing at all. It went in entirely the wrong direction, for me at least. This movie is that exact same story (more or less). But done right. Yes, of course, the two audiences are completely different. It's still basically the same kind of story, set within the same cultural framework.
It's just very hard for me not to compare them in my head (even discounting the fact that James Hong is in both movies).
Putting that to one side, one of the things that I love most about this movie is that it makes small references and you chuckle and think "oh that's silly" or "what the fuck is this now?" and then the Daniels bring that small thing back later in a way that's emotionally significant or ties into the core of the movie and it's themes or is the conclusion and expansion of a throwaway joke you never expected them to turn into a full-on part of the movie.
It's also very weird to say that one of the most emotional and impactful parts of character development in this movie occurs between two rocks at the top of the cliff. But it's true.
Also, the other major one involves googly eyes.
That's the thing about this movie, the attention to detail. I specifically want to shout out production designer, Jason Kisvarday, art director, Amelia Brooke, set decorator, Kelsi Ephraim and costume designer, Shirley Kurata. And, honestly, the entire art department and hair, make-up and costume departments.
Because everything (everywhere, all at once... sorry, I couldn't resist) about this movie is beautiful and specific and everything about the world feels thought out and placed with purpose and intent. And, like the story, things are layered into the background (or, honestly, the foreground) in ways that you don't expect to be relevant later... but holy fuck, they absolutely are.
Also, Kurata... I feel like after this movie, there should be directors breaking down your door (metaphorically speaking) to get you to be the costume designer on their movies. The costumes in this movie... are... art. And they're also completely mundane, when they need to be mundane. And, in one specific case, they're one of the most beautiful champagne coloured gowns (by Elie Saab) I've ever seen, worn by Yeoh.
But there are a set of costumes on one particular character that are just... not only the absolute most and entirely to much, but at the same time are complete and total perfection and help inform the character in such a beautiful and appropriate way.
This movie has a lot of practical effects. Not least of all because there were only seven people, plus the directors, doing the VFX. And none of them were trained in VFX. But they use the effects they do have wonderfully, and do a lot of in-camera effects or prosthetics and save their CG for times when they absolutely need it to be CG.
Coming back around, the thing that makes this movie exception is that it's a beautiful, simple story about a family, told in a meaningful way... against a backdrop that happens to be completely bananas.
And it made me cry. Significantly.
Also, if you haven't seen this movie and you didn't stop reading when I told you to, it's all your own fault (even though, obviously, I don't do spoilers, or at least not major ones)... but absolutely go and watch it now.
yani's rating: 5 googly eyes out of 5
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