A Multiverse of Possibilities in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

 

Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a dazzling, touching adventure that embraces the meaning of life and family as seen through the eyes of its star, Michelle Yeoh, in the role of a lifetime.

Evelyn (Yeoh), owner of a struggling laundromat being examined by a tax auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), has a failing marriage and strained relationship with her daughter.  Longing to escape life’s chaos, she is visited by an avatar who calls upon her to take a leap of faith and become a hero to save the world.  As she begins her wild journey in an upside down multiverse of different outcomes where every action has possible consequences, an emerging threat comes from within her family. With the fate of the world in the balance, can Evelyn be the ‘chosen one’?

The film’s plot engenders virtually every genre, shifting between reality and science fiction amid a world with endless possibilities.  Though it spontaneously shifts into a myriad of subplots, the film never loses sight of its emotional center. 

The Daniels are clearly having a ball with Yeoh, who makes the most of this dream role, the culmination of her career and talent including her martial arts skills in some over-the-top fight scenes.  The film recalls elements of The Matrix and even Marvel’s ‘What If’’ concept of multiverses.

At once unorthodox and irreverent, and at times convoluted yet never boring, it’s a visual overload through the prism of life.  Ultimately about new beginnings, its timely message of love, sacrifice, acceptance, and connection will resonate emotionally, and the Daniels’ ambitious imagination carries an imperfect film to euphoric, affecting heights. One thing’s for sure, you’ll never look at a bagel the same way again.

**** of **** stars (for Yeoh fans)