And The Kitchen Sink

Usually with my reviews, I’ll talk a bit about the background of the movie, do a brief plot summary, and then give my impressions on the actors, director, and any other outstanding feature of the movie. Recently I saw Everything, Everywhere, All The Time, and for this review I thought I’d start with the plot summary.

It can’t be done.

I can give you a brief introduction to set the scene, to tell you where the movie starts. Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) is trying to figure out her taxes before heading to an appointment with the IRS. The auditor there, Dierdra Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), is about at the end of her patience with Evelyn and her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and has asked that they bring their daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), to translate. Joy and her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel) come to Evelyn and Waymond’s laundromat, but an argument between mother and daughter leads to Joy and Becky leaving. Evelyn and Waymond set out for the IRS office along with Evelyn’s elderly father Gong Gong (James Hong). When they arrive, they head for the door…

And that’s the end of what can be easily summarized. From that point on, the story is like being in Christopher Nolan’s mind while he’s on an acid trip. Think of a mashup between Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kung Fu Hustle, and Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and then make it about 10 times stranger. The plot revolves around other versions of the characters from parallel dimensions leaping into the bodies of those on Earth, while Evelyn begins leaping into other versions of herself on those parallel worlds: a kung fu master, a singer, a Benihana’s type chef, a successful movie actress, and maybe a couple of dozen more. She’ll need every skill she can glean from her other selves to defeat the big bad – a version of Joy intent on destroying the whole of reality.

Sounds totally weird, doesn’t it, and it is. But even with how weird it is, the movie’s heart is twenty times larger. In the end it’s an incredibly poignant affirmation of the humanity in each of us, whoever we may be, even if you are hiding under (or in) a rock.

I should probably mention the googly eyes – but I won’t.

The writer/director team of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert were known for their work in music videos, where they simply went by the name Daniels, working with Tenacious D, Kimbra, DJ Snake & Lil Jon, among others. Their previous feature, Swiss Army Man, won the award for direction of a drama at Sundance, and it was well received on the festival circuit, though it was a step along the unusual plot path. With Everything, Kwan and Scheinert made a break for the far end of the field, and somehow, they scored a touchdown. It may have helped to have Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Captain America: Civil War; The Avengers: Infinity War; The Avengers: Endgame) serving as producers, since they know about making complex, special-effects-filled movies that still connect with the audience in a deeply personal way.

There may be another actor other than Yeoh who could handle the role of Evelyn, but after seeing the movie I can’t imagine anyone else doing it. Even as the strangeness is dialed up to 12, Yeoh anchors the story in reality and humanity. It’s fun to have James Hong in a meaty role, since he’s one of the great character actors, with over 450 credits on IMDb in a career that’s spanned 65 years. On the other end of the career arc, Stephanie Hsu has been building up a solid resumé, and has had a recurring and growing role on one of my favorite streaming series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” She’s able to go toe to toe with Yeoh and hold her own, and even though her Joy turns into a heavy character, she retains the sympathy of the audience.

Yes, the movie is strange, and yes, it’s bizarre, but it’s also a heartfelt meditation on family and the choices we make, and you may find yourself tearing up a time or two. I’d suggest you see Everything, Everywhere, All the Time in a theater, just so you can immerse yourself in it. It’s worth taking the dip.  

Wonderful, Rich Movie

Slowly but surely, Hollywood is learning that audiences want to see good films that touch on other cultures. The box office powerhouse Fast & Furious series has made billions, performing strongly around the world with its diverse cast. This past spring, Black Panther roared past a billion on its own with its Africa-centered story and cast. Now we have Crazy Rich Asians, based on the bestselling book by Kevin Kwan.

With a beloved book, there are major risks. The expectation is that the book will always be better than the movie – that’s pretty much a given – but when the screenwriters and directors are dedicated to making the best movie possible, it can come close to matching the source. Two recent and totally different movies that illustrate that are The Help and Gone Girl, though probably the best example is Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The good news here is screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim have done a stellar job with the adaptation, and director Jon M. Chu has put it on the screen with glorious visuals.

After a short but effective prologue, we meet Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an economics professor who uses poker to illustrate her lesson. She meets up with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) at a bar in New York City. Nick is scheduled to head to his family home in Singapore for his best friend’s wedding, and he asks Rachel to accompany him so she can meet his family. However, Nick and Rachel have been spotted by a couple of women who know his family, and in a delightfully executed scene the couple’s picture zips around the world through social media and winds up on the phone of Nick’s mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), before they leave the bar.

Rachel is from humble beginnings, having been raised by her single mother, Kerry (Kheng Hua Tan), who worked hard to become a successful real estate agent. She doesn’t realize Nick’s wealth until they arrive at the airport and Nick receives first-class treatment, including private sleeping quarters for the flight half-way around the world. As they travel Nick explains about his family, though it can hardly prepare Rachel for culture shock of stepping into the top level of Singapore society. Rachel does have one ace in the hole with her schoolmate Peik Lin Goh (the effervescent and delightful Awkwafina) who knows that world, even though her nouveau riche family is several levels below the Youngs.

Wu has mostly worked on television, including for the past few years on the hit “Fresh off the Boat,” but she fills the larger screen beautifully as Rachel. She’s well-matched with Golding who’s charming and understate in the role of Nick. Yeoh, of course, is Asian cinema royalty and can communicate paragraphs without the tick of a muscle on her face. It’s hard to think of anyone else in the role of Eleanor. The rest of the cast sparkles, though a standout is Gemma Chan as Nick’s sister Astrid, a fashion icon who also has a warm, loving heart. Chan will be filling movie screens for the next few months with the main role in the adaptation of Martin Amis’ London Fields, performing with Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie in Mary, Queen of Scots, then entering the Marvel Universe in the highly-anticipated Captain Marvel.

Chu has a marvelous touch with the story, maintaining a subtle balance amid the opulence and indulgence. Despite the different culture, these are characters to which anyone can relate, giving the story a universal appeal. That, of course, is one of the strengths of cinema when it’s done well – it takes the audience to worlds that viewers would never experience themselves, yet makes the exotic both understandable and intimately familiar.

Crazy Rich Asians accomplishes that goal beautifully.