Hi! I'm back. Much like Ke Huy Quan's character in the movie at hand, I am too lazy busy to provide full exposition here at the outset--just know that this is now a blog about things I'm watching and the themed food items that they inspire. Or at least this post is, no one is making any promises here, maybe I just show up again in two years with a post about how I'm super into competitive billiards (and, one assumes, the themed food items that it inspires).
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Directors: Daniels
Had I seen this before: No
I was concerned going into this because I listen to a lot of movie podcasts and read a lot of critics and any time there is an overwhelmingly positive response to something before I'm able to see it I am inevitably disappointed (this also works the other way--when something is getting a lot of "meh" reactions I tend to find things to like about it). (What's up Nightmare Alley!) Expectations going in are absurdly influential on my poor suggestible brain, and Letterboxd is going what can only be described as "apeshit" for this film, so again...concerned.
Plus, of course, it's impossible for me to relate to the protagonist. Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a middle-aged woman confronted with the fact that her current existence involves the most wasted potential and missed opportunities possible in this or any universe. This literal worst version of her is harried and often frustrated and bad at expressing love and worried about her daughter(s). She describes herself as "stubborn, aimless, and a mess." Difficult to contemplate such an existence. A true test of empathetic imagination.
Okay, so...clearly at least one of the themes of this movie spoke to me deeply. I also found that I was often having a very good time--I don't want to give anything away, but there is a running gag with a specific animal that I genuinely couldn't get enough of, and a completely silent scene that is one of the most unexpectedly wonderful things I've seen in a long time--but I was also often a little stressed out or restless due to the pacing and the sheer quantity of stuff. Which means it is probably a movie I would like more on second viewing when I can spend less time struggling to keep my head above water and more time rolling the name of Jamie Lee Curtis's character around in my mind (Deirdre Beaubeirdra, say it soft and it's almost like praying) and being happy to see Short Round return as a wonderful grown-up actor.
Line I repeated quietly to myself: "Even smaller pieces of shit."
In conclusion: I am a sucker for movies that make characters go through a bunch of weird or impossible trials just to realize that they love their family or whatever. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my all-time favorites; Anna and I had just watched The Wizard of Oz a few hours earlier and it's kind of the same deal. This movie is like the most maximalist possible vision of Plath's fig tree. What if a bunch of other versions of you had grabbed every fig and you could harness their skills for some wildly inventive fight scenes? Every choice matters; nothing matters; kindness matters; more is more is more is more.
Homemade Everything Bagels from Sally's Baking Addiction
If you have seen the film you will know that I did not have to do much creative stretching to tie in a representative food. The bagel is crucial. It's everything. And we live in a universe where cows still exist and cream cheese is readily available and I think it's important to recognize and celebrate that.
