Everything Everywhere All at Once
It has been two days since I have seen this movie and yet I still have not come to the point where I can talk about it in a way that makes any sense.
The only way I have been able to describe the movie so far is that it’s a roughly two hour long action comedy drama. The name really fits because it is about everything. Success, failure, choice, the nature of meaning, what we owe to each other, why we are here, who we are, and what makes life worth living. It’s also a generational drama, a wuxia film, and a shameless knockoff of ratatouille.
It’s also a movie that I am afraid of spoiling the plot for you in spite of the fact that I am fairly sure that the film is unique enough that you couldn’t possibly “get it” no matter how much I talk about it.
It’s also the first movie in such a long time where the ideas didn’t fly over peoples heads and so much of the audience was stuck after the credits just trying to recover from the experience while wiping the tears from their eyes.
This film is so far out in front of all other choices that I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s going to be my pick for best film of this decade. And you should try to watch it in theaters while you can.
I also saw it this weekend, and cannot describe it. I saw it with some friends, a few of which are film geeks, and the first comments they had where "I have no idea how to describe to someone what I just saw, but it was incredible".
The best way I've come up with so far to describe it (no spoilers) is:
Which is ment as a compliment. There are a hundred insanely creative ideas in this movie, and they shouldn't work much less work together, but somehow they do.
edit: Also, I feel compelled to buy googly eyes.
I was so tempted to go and see it last night, but I was too tired. Hopefully I can try to go see it next week. It looks so good!
It’s a movie that is definitely better if you are better able to notice details. Besides that, any movie of this length is bound to make you even more tired.
It is on the longer side. That said, when I was watching it the only reason I noticed the passage of time was because I needed to pee, but absolutely did not want to leave at any point.
I agree with you 100%. This film took me through an existential crisis and back again. What a great experience from a film. These guys really raised the bar in my opinion for what a film should/could do.
Just bought tickets for a showing on Friday for my partner and I, thanks to the comments in this thread. I'll check back in with impressions once we see it! :)
I was finally able to watch this last night. It's the most creative new movie I've watched in ages (though I may well have missed several). I immediately recommended it to a bunch of people, but also had no way of truly describing it at a high level that also did it justice. It's a movie of the year candidate for me personally.
Spoiler
Some things that really stuck with me:The scene with the rocks
The full grown adult launching himself at an "award"
The core themes about tough family relationships--this is not a neglected space by any means, but the way they went about it in this one was insanely good and had no business working!
There are so many great themes and life lessons throughout this movie.
spoiler-filled analysis
I was shocked when Joy revealed that she was suicidal and the thing that she was looking for was someone to understand her first. And at the same time I found it really touching that that person ended up being her mother.
But more than anything I love what it is that prevents Evelyn from giving up and joining her - Waymond. The guy who has essentially spent the whole time being called a loser by everyone ends up being the source of strength that saves everyone.
And that bit ties onto another message. The movie has Evelyn getting more powerful by gaining the experience of other versions of herself, but the thing that gives her the true strength, the one that lets her save herself and her daughter, is her being able to see things through her husband's perspective.
I also love the explanation as to why this version of Evelyn is so powerful. "You've failed at everything! That means you have infinite potential!" It sure makes me feel better about the life I've lived at least.
I watched this movie about a week ago now, and I was totally blown away.
I have not once had a movie affect me emotionally like that. I had cried at two film showings before, but this film had me sobbing, and for no small amount of time. I thought about it constantly for days after, and still think about it regularly.
I thought that it was a beautiful film. It is worth the cost and effort to see it in theaters, and in my opinion it's best to go in knowing as little about it as possible.
Ah, there's a thing I wanted to talk about here:
Spoiler
I'm wondering if anyone else connected the googly eyes to neurodivergence/autism? I've seen plenty of folks who put them on knives and whatnots to make them seem less scary or to give objects a face that they can talk to. It seemed pretty conscious to me, especially with the whole "googly eye as third eye" thing at the end of the movie, but I was wondering if other folks resonated with it that way. Between queer family acceptance and accepting neurodivergence, I was absolutely sobbing*more spoliers
I suppose it could also have that meaning, but I don't think it's the central meaning. I think the googly eyes are meant to signify a changing of perspective, particularly to see the negative things as positives. Look at how Evelyn is so upset about the clothes being taken upstairs in bags with those eyes on them, and how Waymond was telling her "they're happier up there!" It's one of many ways that Waymond is constantly cheering for Evelyn, and when she puts it on her forehead as a third eye it symbolizes how she is now able to see the world through his positive perspective.
That being said, I haven't heard of this practice before, so I don't really see it. Though that doesn't mean that it can't have been an intentional choice as well.
even more
There's an example below, though your interpretation makes much more sense. When I think about the neurodivergent parts of me, I feel like I see the world from this gorgeous perspective that I spend a good bit of my time offering to other people.Thanks for your perspective :)https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismTranslated/comments/q4m47b/today_i_learned_if_i_put_googly_eyes_on_my_stuff/