[Quick Summary: A Chinese laundromat owner, who could be the hero to save the universe, is thrust into an adventure to explore all the lives she could have lived.]
I'm not surprised that people have exited this film saying, "What was that?"
A few things have helped me understand what they were trying to do:
- Writers/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ("The Daniels") wrote this script after seeing a double feature of The Matrix and Fight Club.
- Their frequent collaborator, cinematographer Larkin Seiple, described their scripts as so surreal that he felt it was his job to ground the story in the ordinary [to make it seem familiar.]
- Kwan said in an interview that he was scrolling through his cell phone, and it reminded him of different universes...
...which is what the main character Evelyn is experiencing in the scene below.
NOTE:
- This scene is particularly good at conveying the surreal feeling physically of being in an elevator (but one's mind elsewhere).
- I really like how Waymond flows from surreal to ordinary in a few sentences.
INT. IRS ELEVATOR - THAT MOMENT
....DING! Evelyn is now standing outside of her laundromat with a few suitcases and Gong Gong sitting in a wheelchair, looking clearly disappointed.
DING! Evelyn sorts tax receipts earlier today! DING! Joy shut the car door on Evelyn. DING! Waymond sighs as they enter the elevator DING! The elevator door closes -
Evelyn blinks. She is back. She exhales, shell shocked.
Waymond shoves the papers he was writing on into her hands.
ALPHA WAYMOND: The moment you are situated in your meeting, follow these instructions, but remember: no one can know. Don't even talk to me about this because I won't remember.
EVELYN: But I-
He shushes her and places a hand gently on her cheek. Evelyn shrivels under the intimacy.
His phone BEEPS. He closes the umbrella, shoves everything into his bag, and strikes a natural pose.
ALPHA WAYMOND (side of mouth): Talk to you soon.
His head goes limp.
DING. The elevator opens. Waymond's head lifts up and he looks around disoriented.
WAYMOND: Wow...what a fast elevator...
He walks out pushing a snoring Gong Gong, leaving Evelyn grasping for understanding.
As she exits, her gaze lingers on the janitor closet to her right.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I really liked that the story relied on people, not machines and gadgets, for the a-ha! moments. It felt more real.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
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