4/25/22. E.E.A.A.O.: Movie visit by James P. McCabe

"Don't wish for China... when it comes, you're not going to want it!" - unnamed Two Leaf Gallery member.

Be that as it may- Is everything you've heard about this film true? Pretty much... Michelle Yeoh and friends had the sellout Sunday afternoon crowd well in hand, from the sound of it! I had just a few things I wanted to add; the 'message', such as it is, is hardly a new one. If you only have two minutes and thirty eight seconds to spare, you can hear how Ray and the Kinks deliver it in 'Oklahoma USA' ( from Muswell Hillbillies). If you have two hours and twenty minutes (yikes!), then you can see how 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' says almost exactly the same thing, in its own way. Although Michelle's perf is rightfully praised, I think it's more likely that Oscar gold will find its way to the admirable Jamie Lee Curtis. And like most head trip movies, this one takes a while before it kicks in. There's a scene where the screen is filled with a close up of Michelle in full traditional Chinese opera make up... she breaks into an emotional aria... and from then on, E.E.A.A.O. is the movie I expected it to be.

Stay with it until the end, and if you haven't gotten what's been going on, see if Michelle doesn't explain it all with her very last line. JPM. 4/25/22

Rated R: I won't give it away by saying why. JPM.