It is no secret that the mobile phone has become like another appendage in our modern society. In a post-pandemic world, this matter has only become exceedingly evident. Seemingly inspired by this, “Everyphone Everywhere,” directed by Amos Why comedically yet intimately explores our dependency on the handy device.
Everyphone Everywhere is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
The narrative splits its focus between a few characters. Chit Chung, a graphic designer, forgets his phone while on a trip to meet an old friend. Meanwhile, Raymond Ho faces family troubles amid his phone's recent hacking. Lastly, a woman named Ana waits in a private kitchen, witnessing her husband cheat on her through a security app.
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Ostensibly, a film that centers around phones may not sound exciting, but the imagery used to convey such interactions makes for an engaging display. The movie translates digital correspondence into face-to-face conversations. Adding to this, visual flares accompany whom characters talk to. Through this, Why visualizes aspects of messaging such as anonymity and perceived appearance, creatively adapting digital communications into the medium. Moving from visuals to audio, several lyrical tracks back up scenes. The varied ear-pleasing soundtrack not only fits every scene but also enhances every mood.
The characters are the backbone of the movie, thus making the actors' performance imperative. Endy Chow brings charm and energy to Chung. Rosa Maria Velasco plays Ana who offers a compelling range for the actress. One of her best scenes features her character calling out a hacker's scam. She speaks casually, scolding them, while, at the same time, empathetically wants a good life for the scammer. Velasco successfully presents subtle intricacies that convey her character's mixed emotions. It is also this writing that gives the characters depth.
The extensive cast of characters provides many different perspectives that entertain. Unfortunately, perhaps because the movie is so busy, the first act introduces two characters- a hacker and an e-girl- only to have their conflicts fade until resurfacing in the epilogue. Additional screentime featuring these two could have benefited the film considering they are just as amusing as the main cast. As is, Why handles the shifting perspectives well. He never follows a character for too long, switching at the right time to keep the audience eager to see what will happen next. Eventually, all storylines collide at a satisfying climax. While the events that move the plot are simple, that simplicity allows the characters to shine in both comedy and drama. The empathetic, real-feeling characters are easy to laugh with in awkward circumstances and feel for in their personal struggles.
Amos Why takes an entertaining and intimate look into our reliance on phones. However, the focus on technology acts as a means to examine human conflict. Phones are just as related to the characters' past as they are to their present. “Everyphone Everywhere,” is about the discontent one may face when neck-deep into adulthood. While the past may provide a nostalgic comfort, a satisfactory future must be reached by overturning the mistaken ideals of one's youth. However, one thing that remains unaltered in the face of the aging world is the protagonists' friendship with each other. In effect, the phone becomes a symbol of interpersonal connections through which the movie teaches that, in an ever-changing world, relationships will remain for those who preserve them.
