🧡 = Technical Merit (Writing | Editing | Acting | Choreography)

🧡 = Artistic Vision (Symbolism & Metaphor | Substance)

🧡 = Personal Affect (Emotional Response & Resonance | Message Poignancy)

A tale of two halves.

***SPOILER ALERT***

In spite of some laughs courtesy of Jenny Slate and the delightful Jamie Lee Curtis (who, it turns out, has impeccable comedic timing), the first half's frenetic, oppressively anxious sensibilities were beginning to make me question what the fuss around EEAAO was all about.
I couldn't help but think about how in the hands of a Stephen Chow or a Spike Jonz or even a Terry Gilliam, the film's Matrix-inspired absurdist humor could have truly soared. It also didn't help that the pacing made it feel like the tension was at a 10 throughout-- culminating in an exhausting watch.

Then came the second half (Everywhere) and wow.
I did not expect this emotional impact as the film slows down and hones in on the human drama at its heart.
Stephanie Hsu delivers a heartfelt performance to match Michelle Yeoh's, the plot crescendos masterfully into existential tragicomedy, and the blend of genres is elevated beyond the sum of its parts.

Ultimately, it's a matter of preference, and I personally find sweaty, claustrophobic, drab settings incongruous with the type of humor (or overall aesthetic) I tend to enjoy. The second half's beautiful, moving existentialist message, however, more than made up for it, and made for an overall touching film.

PS: The film's editors deserve a raise for their superhuman hard work.

Life Changing/ Mind Expanding🪬