6 minute read
ARTS & CULTURE
by The Peak
MULTIVERSE GALORE Everything Everywhere All At Once shows us the weird and wonderful
Get tickets to one of the wildest rides through the multiverse, driven by an astounding AAPI lead cast and crew
MAKENA LEYH // SFU STUDENT
From the company that created witty comedies like Spring Breakers, heart-wrenching dramas like Moonlight, and terrifying horror films like Hereditary, A24’s most recent cinematic release is truly one to remember. Currently screening in theatres since its debut in early April, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a thrilling concoction of creative production design, a touching storyline, hilariously choreographed fight scenes, and endless interdimensional madness.
The incredibly talented Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, a first generation Chinese American woman whose life is quickly slipping out of her control. Her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), is in the middle of filing for a divorce and her disapproving father (James Hong) has just flown in from China to visit them. Evelyn is struggling to accept her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), and her new girlfriend, and her family-owned laundromat is in deep financial trouble with an IRS audit. Evelyn’s world is turned upside down and inside out when she learns about the multiverse and how all of the infinite parallel universes are in danger of being eradicated.
Directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively referred to as Daniels, take their audience on a wonderfully weird journey where fanny packs and pomeranians make fantastic weapons, an everything bagel is something to be afraid of, and butt plugs are something to be fought over. As absurd as it may seem, the chaotic nature of Everything series of microaggressions, rather than overt intolerance. Throughout the film, we get to watch the tension in their relationship rise and fall as the mother and daughter duo slowly come to realize that they can learn from one another, and maybe they aren’t so different after all.
As a film major, I tend to be quite critical of blockbuster movies. However, Everything Everywhere All At Once exceeded my high expectations from the glowing critics’ reviews. Leaving the theater, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of excitement and inspiration after witnessing such a cinematic treasure. The film’s artistic use of cinematography and production design proved just how powerful the film medium can be. Within a meager two hours, I felt the devastation of a failing marriage, travelled to a universe where people have hotdogs for fingers, and so much more.
Everything Everywhere All At Once promises a hilarious, actionpacked adventure for the critical or casual viewer, and is a great way to support Asian American and Pacific Islander folks in film!
Michelle Yeoh’s shocks and awes audiences with her most recent performance. SCREENSHOT: A24
Everywhere All At Once is one of its greatest strengths. Over the span of the film the audience learns to accept and appreciate the oddities rather than question them. One of the film’s most memorable scenes consists of a heartfelt conversation between two rocks on the cliff of a desert canyon. Yes, two actual pieces of stone silently communicating with each other genuinely brought a tear to my eye.
The way the Daniels communicate their thrilling yet sentimental story about a woman’s complicated relationships with her family members, particularly the generational divide between her and her queer daughter, is so fresh and riveting that it is impossible to look away. Evelyn’s skepticism of Joy and her new girlfriend is realistically portrayed through a
As absurd as it may seem, the chaotic nature of Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of its greatest strengths.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is currently showing at all theatres, and will be digitally released to Prime Video and iTunes on May 17, 2022.
MONDAY MUSIC: FOR THE MELANCHOLIC TRANSITION INTO SUMMER
Written by Cristina Liao
As the weather gets warmer and the first bloom of spring fades away, summer is peeking around the corner. These songs are perfect for the feelings I associate with the season: melancholic summer nights where the sun stretches into twilight or singing from the car window on a roadtrip. Get ready for a summer of high emotions.
By Ruth B
IMAGE: Columbia Records “If By Chance” by Ruth B is a melancholic summer song, but it’s one of those pieces that you have to listen to on a July night at a cabin. If you can’t be there, this song helps you imagine it. The production on this piece features a mix of piano and orchestral elements. From the lyrics, one can tell that it’s about the singer telling her ex-lover that they’ll always have a chance even if they are with someone new. With lyrics such as, “And I don’t mean to be selfish / But my heart breaks every time / That I see you smile / ‘Cause I know that it’s not me,” this is definitely a song that will get you in your feels on a warm night.
By Lizzy McAlpine
IMAGE: AWAL Lizzy McAlpine’s soft and beautiful voice on “Apple Pie” matches the sappy emotions that can be felt in the months between May and August on a chill morning. This is a song from McAlpine’s debut album in 2020, Give Me a Minute, and it encompasses the feeling of summer love. With minimal production and gorgeous lyricism, McAlpine croons about wandering through homes and missing somebody. She mentions her real home is with a person who can be presumed to be her lover.
By Katherine Li
IMAGE: Katherine Li More and more music can be discovered through TikTok. I initially found out about Li through her TikTok account, and thought that “Never Had A Chance” was a gorgeous piece by an independent artist. While being quite a sad song, it is one for the quiet and lonely summer nights. Similar to “If By Chance,” this has more of a melancholic feel and is about missing someone even if you had never been in a relationship with them.
By Dean Lewis
IMAGE: Island Records “Falling Up” is a perfect carpool karaoke song, that you scream out of an open car window on the highway. With the upbeat production, this is a sure hit for your dance party. According to Indie Band Guru, Lewis’ song “speaks to the loneliness and claustrophobia that can be relatable to the current pandemic. But it also speaks to frustration, anxiety, and the struggle to be truly content in life.” If you want a more acoustic feel to it, Spotify has guitar and piano versions of the song.
By Wrabel
IMAGE: Big Gay Records The song “london” is a chill, easy-to-listen piece about missing someone in the summer. The singers talk about how when it gets cold in California, they think back to that winter in London. When they miss London, they’re missing that person. While the lyrics to this duet can be melancholic, it can also be understood as uplifting at the same time. The lyrics convey that they are still in love even if the relationship didn’t necessarily work out. As this song is a duet, it seems to show both perspectives of a relationship. The lyrics convey a cutesy summer feel for a montage of main characters running through a field of flowers.
