Even if they sometimes had no idea what the directors were up to, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis put their talent to work in the abundant and completely delirious universe of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, nicknamed The Daniels . The actresses did not regret it.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant who has been living in the United States for a long time, supports her family by running a modest laundry. This anti-heroine is one day summoned to the office of the Internal Revenue Service, the American equivalent of our revenue agency, to answer for irregularities. Who would have thought that such a banal starting point could inspire a perfectly crazy story, where all these “ordinary” characters have several alter egos, and where parallel universes jubilantly collide for more than two hours?
Yet this is what Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have succeeded in doing. six years later Swiss Army Manin which Daniel Radcliffe embodied a living dead with very powerful flatulence, “the Daniels” turn up with Everything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once in French version). Two years after filming wrapped, their second feature film was recently released – finally! – at the opening night of the South by Southwest festival.
“Their script was so original, strange and wacky that I immediately wanted to know what these two guys had done before,” said Michelle Yeoh during a videoconference interview with The Presswhich also featured Jamie Lee Curtis. Swiss Army Man gave me a little idea of their way of thinking. I then requested a meeting with them because I wanted to judge for myself if these guys were madmen who should be interned or if they were real geniuses. Just spend a few minutes with them to quickly get an idea. They are crazy, yes, but in a brilliant way! »
Real characters
The one that was revealed to the Western public thanks to Tomorrow Never Dies, a James Bond from the Pierce Brosnan era, was also delighted to read a screenplay for a more mature actress of foreign origin. Present in all the shots, Evelyn Wang is a type of character that the cinema rarely dwells on.
I said to the Daniels: “You know, despite your madness, I cannot say no to you!”
Michelle Yeoh
Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays the tax collector Mme Wang, for his part, specifies that he instinctively understood her character for having met “officials like her” during her life.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENTRACT FILMS
Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once)
“But reading the script, she adds, it was impossible to imagine what this film could look like. I didn’t even have the slightest idea until it was presented at South by Southwest. I knew the performances would be good, because I had witnessed it, but since my character is not always present, it was still difficult to imagine. During filming, I had no idea what the Daniels were doing. Michelle, did you understand? »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENTRACT FILMS
Michelle Yeoh is the headliner ofEverything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once), a film by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan.
“Honestly, not the whole thing, no. As an actress, my job is mainly to try to understand the character I have to play and to make it real. Because if I don’t, the public won’t be able to believe what’s happening to Evelyn, no matter what parallel universe she’s in. Afterwards, am I able to understand all the technical prowess and special effects? When the Daniels explain to me that if I touch this man, I will see his face explode and confetti will come out of it, I tell myself that they are crazy. Anyway, I take a deep breath and go. Often I looked confused, but they told me that was exactly the look they were looking for. This shoot was very physically demanding too! »
A clear vision
The filmmakers’ years of experience in the world of video, and the virtuosity they display in the field, have certainly contributed to their effectiveness on the set, noted Michelle Yeoh. Their vision was clear – if not always understandable to the actresses – and digital effects were kept to a minimum. The filming, which lasted 38 days, ended on March 17, 2020, when the entire planet was in shutdown due to the pandemic.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENTRACT FILMS
A scene fromEverything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once), a film by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan
“We know that the film will end up on the platforms at some point, but the best way to see it is really on the big screen, in a room”, argues Jamie Lee Curtis, delighted with the success that has obtained Everything Everywhere All at Once at South by Southwest.
First of all, there is reason to salute the Daniels and the distributor, A24, who believed so strongly in a theatrical release that they did not hesitate to wait for two years. They trust the public and understand that to be appreciated at its true value, a film like this must be the subject of a collective experience.
Jamie Lee Curtis
This unforeseen delay allowed the filmmakers, who were no longer pressed by a deadline, to refine the editing – frenetic and hallucinating – of their feature film.
“The screening at South by Southwest was overwhelming,” adds Michelle Yeoh. The magic of cinema operates when you see a film in a room with other spectators. Feeling people vibrate in unison is a great experience. »
Everything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once in French version) hits theaters in Quebec on April 8.