Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
When the underdog is actually overhyped.
Presentation:
The film has amazing visuals shot on Arri including some of the most creative and resourceful editing from the masters Daniels. The indie-ish film has no right to look so good and is one of the best representations of the zany multiverse including one of the most evocative sequences with hundreds of unique frames within a minute. Very impressive visuals and editing especially for such a short budget.
Story:
It is a pleasure to see the Daniels produce such a widely acclaim filmed, especially as Asians are underrepresented in Hollywood. There is only a desire to see Daniels succeed and this film really encapsulates their wacky silly nature. Though the film doesn't take itself too seriously, the heart of the film, the relationship between the mother and daughter seemed a bit too easy, like a puzzle piece glued in to artificially pull everything together. As someone that completely understands the Asian sentiment and tribulations of having a tiger mother, the story hangs on the balance of mother and daughter, and I didn't feel an emotional connection from the supporting lead performance.
Conclusion:
The balance between seriousness, silliness and cheesyness are very thin for this piece. The core of the story, the relationship, fell short for the magnitude of the context.
Recommendations
Warm, nostalgic melancholy.