[newzooreview]

I watched the first 30 minutes of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" a few weeks ago and was at a loss. I have yet to go back to it.

Am I missing something?

The acting was flat or at a Lifetime-channel standard, and there was little for the actors to work with in the script. It plopped me in the middle of a guy thinking about divorcing his wife, but it's hard to get a feel for them as people. There seems to be some family tension with the daughter and her girlfriend. And then suddenly, the husband appears in his wife's waking delusions or surreal events during her visit to a tax office.

I like science fiction and enjoy a good drama or comedy, but the setup in the first 30 minutes needs to be present. Instead, it's just a bunch of people who have been given little character development other than a back story who suddenly are involved in some dimension or time-shifting confusion.

I stopped watching. It didn't make me curious. There needed to be build-up or groundwork laid for the multiverse stuff. Instead, it just seemed like a gimmick layered onto lousy writing.

Well, I must be missing something if this is the best picture.

[VinceT]

It is not conventional, but that is what I liked about it; found it to be a fun movie.

[BobM]

Yeah, I felt the same way. We watched in our livingroom with my daughter and I walked out halfway. I just couldn't take it anymore. Totally baffled with the hype behinf this movie, but then I'm also baffled with what todays generation considers humor. Their funny is not my funny.

[WGH]

Well, I must be missing something if this is the best picture.

A lot of people don't get it, a friend said it took her two viewings to get through it. I read a commentary that said old people have the biggest problem understanding the film, my friend is 74.
I loved it the first time and I'm the same age.

"Living" starring Bill Nighy is excellent and easy to follow. Bill was nominated for this years Best Actor Oscar.

[wushuliu]

EEAAO was so moving my gf watched it twice just weeks apart. It's now one of her favorite films ever. I loved it but then again Michelle Yeoh was a fixture of my youth when I first got into martial arts/HK action films (hence my profile name); same for Ke Huy Quan and my love of Spielberg (Temple of Doom, Goonies). Same w/ James Wong (Big Trouble In Little China also one of my personal faves) and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The film is ultimately about family and healing generational trauma - especially between mothers and daughters, and probably some other layers that may or may not be obvious. Probably not the most accessible film for the audiophile demographic.

It's one of the most original films to break through in ages and the Oscars were well deserved.

[artur9]

I think the humdrumness of the first part is intentional to make the shock of the subsequent parts more visceral.

I liked it, was a lot of fun but I consider the loops in my Froot Loops to each be a universe of its own.

[newzooreview]

Well, I went ahead and finished it.

It's like the SyFy and Lifetime networks joined forces to film a heavily contrived remake of It's a Wonderful Life. The movie is like a soap bubble: many swirling, frenetic colors on the surface but hollow inside. It doesn't handle its core themes with originality, subtlety, or depth. If the surface doesn't sufficiently distract the viewer, then the empty substance inside becomes apparent.

Stephanie Hsu was the best of the actors, but there was only a little to work with in the script. I liked her in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as well.

[Tyson]

EEAAO was so moving my gf watched it twice just weeks apart. It's now one of her favorite films ever. I loved it but then again Michelle Yeoh was a fixture of my youth when I first got into martial arts/HK action films (hence my profile name); same for Ke Huy Quan and my love of Spielberg (Temple of Doom, Goonies). Same w/ James Wong (Big Trouble In Little China also one of my personal faves) and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The film is ultimately about family and healing generational trauma - especially between mothers and daughters, and probably some other layers that may or may not be obvious. Probably not the most accessible film for the audiophile demographic.

It's one of the most original films to break through in ages and the Oscars were well deserved.

I agree man.  I also grew up on a lot of those films and the love this movie had for that era was evident. 

I also think it hits much harder for younger people that have never experienced a world without the internet.  I think this movie plus Bo Burnham's "Inside" both tackle these themes of overwhelming information and choice in very intelligent manners. 

[AllanS]

My wife and I are of early and mid 1960’s vintage.  We both enjoyed it but I have to admit I probably missed the message so it wasn’t one of those movies that I thought much about afterwards. Some movies like “Nomadland” stick with me for awhile.  This wasn’t one of them.

[RonN5]

I thought the title of this thread had to do with the audio gear resale market

[Mike B.]

I made it all the way through it. Partly because it was such a convoluted tale. I kept wondering who would think it up. I found out last night while watching the Oscars. The two guys who wrote and directed it are a strange pair IMO.
At the end the intended message is revealed. Such a simple idea made in a very long complex way.

[Letitroll98]

Well, I went ahead and finished it.

It's like the SyFy and Lifetime networks joined forces to film a heavily contrived remake of It's a Wonderful Life. The movie is like a soap bubble: many swirling, frenetic colors on the surface but hollow inside. It doesn't handle its core themes with originality, subtlety, or depth. If the surface doesn't sufficiently distract the viewer, then the empty substance inside becomes apparent.

Stephanie Hsu was the best of the actors, but there was only a little to work with in the script. I liked her in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as well.

I liked it as a free watch on whatever streaming service I watched it on, but Oscar winner, no way.  I was really upset Tar was ignored.  I think it was a case of virtue signaling to award asian actors, who have been shamefully ignored in the past.  I'm okay with that as this was a good opportunity to right that wrong, but Best Picture?  It's a bad joke.

[rbbert]

IMHO one has to watch this movie at least twice to really "get" it.  For most of us, the first watching is necessary to assimilate the SF aspects and once that overview is known the second watching will allow the viewer to better notice and appreciate the finer details that were probably missed the first time around.

Anyway, as a 70 y.o. long time fan of SF I think a movie like this has been too long in coming and am gratified that more complexity (as opposed to Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.) is being rewarded.  And Jamie Lee Curtis deserves that Oscar.

[wushuliu]

I liked it as a free watch on whatever streaming service I watched it on, but Oscar winner, no way.  I was really upset Tar was ignored.  I think it was a case of virtue signaling to award asian actors, who have been shamefully ignored in the past.  I'm okay with that as this was a good opportunity to right that wrong, but Best Picture?  It's a bad joke.

Yeah well Ordinary People and Terms of Endearment are boring AF IMO but here we are. Overall if you look at the history of Best Picture winners EEAAO falls right in line with what would typically win - family drama and/or historical/cultural relevance (including disabled) is a recurring theme among winners. This really should not be a surprise.

[VinceT]

Is it that is just a little hard to follow?

Kung fu and the multiverse, what is not to like?

This discussion reminds me of music, we all have individual tastes. My TV and movie intake is not nearly as snobby as my musical tastes. Some of the stuff musically people like here I would never get into. Electronic, classical, modern pop, rap, hip hop = Lame. Ok, I just offended about 88.5% of audio circle.. but you get my point. It is hard to say this or that sucks, it is all personal taste.

[wushuliu]

As far as I'm concerned Gladiator remains the worst Best Picture winner in modern memory. Maybe they were virtue signalling to 50s Roman epic fans but boy was that undeserved. Good blockbuster, but Best Picture?

Crash is a close second.

[Tyson]

And maybe when Parasite won they were virtue signaling to Korean Americans.  Because, you know, when something wins that I don't like, virtue signaling is always the underlying reason. 

/sarcasm

[wushuliu]

And maybe when Parasite won they were virtue signaling to Korean Americans.  Because, you know, when something wins that I don't like, virtue signaling is always the underlying reason. 

/sarcasm

Yeah, virtue signaling and, er, other terms I'm sure some are dying to use do a disservice to the overall experience and purpose of the Oscars. Being disappointed by the wins has always been half the fun. Russell Crowe *clearly* should have won for The Insider and Gladiator was the excuse to make up for the snub. It's all rigged!

[borism]

Since you already brought up Gladiator:

De gustibus non disputandum est. There is no accounting for taste. 

[Letitroll98]

And maybe when Parasite won they were virtue signaling to Korean Americans.  Because, you know, when something wins that I don't like, virtue signaling is always the underlying reason. 

/sarcasm

And the subtle dig about racism will be informed that my family is partially Asian.  Just because I think the academy is overly sensitive to social issues doesn't mean I didn't think the actors deserved their Oscars.  I thought either Banshees or Tar were ahead of EverythingEAAO in Best Picture.  I thought Blanchett was more deserving, but I'm not upset that Michelle won, it was heartwarming to see her speech.  And I believe the academy was looking for an opportunity to right past wrongs, I thought that was what virtue signaling is.  But I'm old and often miss the meanings of new fangled sayings.