Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

What “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is about depends on where, in time and space, you're looking at it from. You know, like which universe … ?

From ours, it looks like the tale of harried Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) who lives above the laundry she owns in a cramped apartment with her ineffectual husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). She's frazzled trying to plan a new year's party for the laundromat clientele that her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) doesn't want to attend unless she can bring her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel). Evelyn's figuring that won't go down so well with her father Gong Gong (James Hong), who has recently arrived from China. 

As though all that weren't enough, she's got an appointment with the IRS agent from hell (Jamie Lee Curtis), for a variety of tax irregularities. Among them are all her business licenses.

She doesn't understand the difference between a business and a hobby, her husband tries to explain to the IRS agent, who tends to have smoke coming out of her ears. Except then, out of nowhere, in the blink of an eye Waymond Wang is replaced by someone who looks just like him, but comes from an entirely different universe and possesses extrasensory, as well as superhuman, powers.

Imagine “The Matrix” meets Monty Python – only very, very Asian. This wiggy, often hilarious bit of time traveling to a whole bunch of parallel realities, encompasses quantum physics, wholistic psychology and existential philosophy, blended together with a heaping teaspoon of psychedelia. At other moments it might be confused with Jackie Chan slapstick, a martial arts farce.

At least I think that's what it's about. Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, aka “the Daniels,” it's a top contender this movie awards season. This may be because it's brilliant … or possibly because film-award pundits are afraid to admit they don't get it, either. 

In its universe, selves aren't limited by the choices they made, but instead are defined by the all choices they've had. All those roads not taken, all the “what-if's?” exist simultaneously. 

Oh, so the film's title is meant to be taken literally … Who knew?

But now Evelyn finds herself tasked by those faraway forces to, uh, save the world. To do this, she scrolls through one variation of herself after another – teppanyaki chef, opera singer, stone on a canyon wall, action movie star, woman with sausages for fingers … and countless others, to meet whatever challenges arise.

The mind-bending plot twists unfold at breakneck speed with lots of dizzying quick cuts between all the fantastical settings. There's lots of bloody violence, but it's played for laughs. The settings themselves range from splendid to ridiculous to just plain silly. And who's the guy with the raccoon on his head … ?

But underneath all the visual razzmatazz are more recognizably human emotions and relationships. The unbreakability of a mother's love, for example, especially when it's not appreciated. Or the fallibility of modern myths about strong women and weak men. Or a simple plea for everyone to just be kinder to each other.

It's heady stuff, playing games with not only Evelyn's mind, but the audience's, too. Is the eternal struggle between good and evil just elaborate camouflage, disguising Evelyn's far humbler and more human feeling that she must conquer the world just to provide a safe space for the people she loves?

Either way, Michelle Yeoh is up to the mighty requirements of the role. Not only does she have to portray endless funhouse mirror distortions of herself, but she does it through time, from a young woman to an older one. Along with all the psychological nuances come the martial arts and physical requirements for this amazing actress and kung-fu goddess who, before becoming a “Crazy Rich Asians” matriarch, actually launched her career in Jackie Chan Hong Kong action comedies before hitting her stride in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Besides providing a spectacular showcase for her, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is fun on its own terms. Granted, the writer-directors could have shaved a half-hour of quick-cut montages and no one would notice, but it still offers some mental gymnastics, lots of laughs, and the occasional moment of heartfelt emotion.

And a guy with a raccoon on his head.