[With 2022 all wrapped up and we’ve had time to let the previous year sink in, it’s time for our fifth annual Golden Cages Awards! Over the next two weeks, the staff at Flixist will be announcing the winners in sixteen different categories that range from all different genres and categories before ultimately revealing what our best film of 2022 was. So sit back, relax, and come join us as we take one final look at 2022 and see the notable movies the year had to offer.]
Whenever I watch a movie, I don’t really tend to focus on the writing of it. I mostly just sit and experience the film without ever really thinking about the dialogue until after I watch the movie so nothing interferes with my ability just to let the film wash over me. If there are quotes or lines that stand out to me, it’s usually after the fact, but as I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once, I couldn’t help but acknowledge how powerful some of the lines are within the movie.
It goes to show the talent of the screenwriters/directors The Daniels for weaving so many interesting topics and ideas in a ball of chaos. You have discussions of nihilism, existentialism, generational trauma, acceptance, and love, and none of it feels like it’s too difficult to grasp. The script just makes sense and anyone who watches it can at least understand a few of the ideas that they were trying to get at. Plus you have the script deftly weaving between these grand ideas about life and existence while simultaneously making a Ratatouille joke and making me marvel at the dialogue of rocks.
But there were two moments inside the movie that really stood out to me, if only because of the beauty of the lines. The first is the explanation by Jobu Tupacky on why life has no meaning and how they wish to destroy all of it because of the frivolous nature of existence. And then you have one of the first scenes of the movie where Jamie Lee Curtis draws Evelyn’s attention to her buttplug of a trophy and says she has to deal with a lot of bullshit to get it. Two diametrically opposed moments in the script in tone and execution, but they perfectly summarize what it’s like to actually experience the screenplay for Everything Everywhere All At Once. It’s chaotic, but there’s a masterful beauty to the chaos that cannot be matched, making it the perfect recipient for the 2022 Golden Cage for Best Screenplay.
