Everything Everywhere All At Once

Storytelling

    The storytelling of the film is kind of an overused trope about a mom not understanding her child, but the directors dive much deeper into that concept and expand on it. Not only does the mom (Evelyn) not understand her daughter Joy, but Evelyn is so consumed by all the business of life that she doesn't ever take the time to understand herself. She is living the worst version of herself that never followed any of her dreams, which is the reason why she doesn't pay attention to or get along with Joy. I like the message of the film, where in the end nothing matters so you should just do what fulfills you in life.

Cinematography

    After watching Everything Everywhere All at Once a second time I can definitely say that it is one of my favorite movies. I think the fact that it is complete chaos and all over the place is what makes it so different from other films. The setting/environment is constantly changing so you can't focus on anything for longer than a minute before it changes. Personally, this keeps my eyes on the screen because I won't ever get bored of a scene. I also really like the fight choreography because it reminded me of a cross between Doctor Strange and the John Wick movies but with more humor than blood and gore. Another part I liked about the cinematography was the close-up shots. In a lot of the scenes/shots where the camera was focused on a single character's face, it was either extreme close-up or everything but their face was out of focus. I think this aspect of cinematography gave it that fast-paced action movie feel.

Cultural Significance

    This is one of the largest films to date that features, represents, and celebrates both Asian American culture and the LGBTQ+ community. The film is from the perspective of an Asian American immigrant woman, and her daughter who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. One of the main plots of the film is the relationship between them. Evelyn is hesitent to accept that Joy has a girlfriend because that is not traditionaly accepted in their culture. Evelyn doesn't want to explain this to her father (Joy's grandfather) because she feels he won't accept it. By the end of the film Evelyn finally accepts Joy for who she is and proudly and sternly tells her father that Joy and Becky are together, not just good friends. It shows the growth that Evelyn went through and that culture and traditions can change with time.