Swiss Army Man is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a theater. It's not too often I come out of a film saying that, and believe me Swiss Army Man is brimming with originality. The film opens with our lead character, Hank, stranded on an island about to hang himself when a body washes ashore. Hank's curiosity gets the better of him so he forgoes his original intentions and investigates only to find it's a corpse. One caveat though, it's a farting corpse named Manny played by Daniel Radcliffe. Hank begins to use Manny for a wide variety of things like utilizing Manny's flatulence as a boat, hence the name Swiss Army Man, and educates Manny about life with some valuable life lessons interspersed.
Now I know the idea of a movie revolved around a farting corpse sounds bonkers, but trust me... once you get past the bizarre premise, you will be blown away by all Swiss Army Man has to offer (Pun fully intended). Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert helm the feature in addition to formulating the screenplay and they did a remarkable job in both capacities. The Daniels don't hesitate and invoke some very bold creative decisions that, while odd at first, only add to the brilliant over arching themes of Swiss Army Man. The two injected a relatable message with far-reaching implications that couldn't be more timely about acceptance and whether we should actually be insecure about insecurities utilizing Manny as the perfect communicator of said themes. Manny's the perfect conduit since he's a farting corpse and what can be more embarrassing than that?
Kwan and Scheinert dare to ask questions pertaining to what makes something weird only to respond with the truth that other people's perceptions dictate weirdness and that's how people become insecure about little things like farts. The film also has a thing or two to say about emotion and the meaning of life itself and it's just amazing how the filmmakers took something ridiculous, a farting corpse, and used it to communicate meaningful ideas about life. The pair also manages to stir up a number of laughs thanks to the Manny character, and I'm not talking about fart jokes but actual clever situational comedy you won't see coming.
Swiss Army Man is also impressive technically boasting beautiful cinematography and incredible editing. One of the best things about Swiss Army Man is its score composed by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell. The songs are almost all a cappella recordings featuring the lead actors and background chorus chanting with harmonies that brought chills down my spine. I seriously left the film wanting to buy the soundtrack and have listened to it quite a bit already, it's only $9.99 on iTunes if you're interested and I'd highly advise checking it out by listening to the sample tracks or listening to it on Spotify.
Paul Dano gives an incredible performance as Hank serving as a relatable entry point to this strange premise. Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame turns in what I consider his best performance to date as Manny the farting corpse. I know it sounds extremely odd but the physicality of the role is quite unique and his comedic line delivery is spot on. The chemistry between Radcliffe and Dano is freaking remarkable as they just play extremely well off one another. I don't want to discuss performances too much further or anything else for that matter for fear of giving away some key plot points and surprises.
However what I feel I can safely express is that Swiss Army Man is exceptional and right now stands as my favorite movie of 2016, a bold claim considering I'm a Marvel fanatic and loved both Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book. It shocks me that the film was booed at Caanes Film Festival and critics walked out of the Sundance Film Festival debut in response to the farting corpse as I found myself in awe at every turn and the film grew on me as it progressed.
Swiss Army Man made me laugh, it made me tear up a little, and most importantly it made me think. Very few films these days have that power and that's not a quality that should be overlooked. In this mediocre summer movie season, Swiss Army Man may be just the palate cleanser we need right now since every moment dared to embark on executing something I'd never even imagined could conceivably happen in the cinema.
I think the only fitting way to conclude this review is saying that you should stop what you're doing right now and watch the Swiss Army Man trailer as that's a very accurate depiction of what you're getting into when you watch the film. If you can get past the silly premise, go as far as buying a ticket and checking it out for yourself since I don't think I can shout higher praises to Swiss Army Man thanks to it's incredible direction, smart writing, beautiful message, terrific performances, and a remarkable soundtrack.
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