Review of Swiss Army Man (2016) by Stefano%20 D — 03 Mar 2017

Swiss Army Man.

If you have never had the experience of sitting down to watch a movie, and, halfway through, think to yourself, "What in the crap is this movie?", then go watch Swiss Army Man to have such an experience. You will be instantly taken aback by the strange but enjoyable movie which catches you and your attention off guard.

What starts out as an intriguing movie with stars such as Harry Potter (yes, I know his real name is Daniel Radcliff...) and Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), the film quickly takes a turn for the worse as the whole premise of the movie relies on the weird and unnatural use of a human corpse. Now, don't be alarmed. It is done in a way that makes you laugh and builds character development, but at the base of it all is the weird and unconnectable storyline. Unless you actually can connect to this storyline, in which case, you need some serious help...

It all start when Hank (Dano) decides to end his life, after finding himself stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean. As he is fitting the crudely-made noose around his neck, he sees off in the distance a body wash up onto shore. This body belongs to none other than Manny (Radcliff). He has since passed, but with the help of a little hope and a major miracle, Hank is able to ride Manny's farting corpse like a motorboat back to the mainland. That, in essence is what Swiss Army Man is. It takes the outlandish idea of the dead and somehow makes you feel connected to Radcliff's corpse. It is very much like the movie Lars and the Real Girl, in which Ryan Gosling's character Lars falls in love with a blow up doll. The relationship works and you love them for it. Dano and Radcliff pull of the same kind of insane chemistry that only a stranded madman and a dead body can share. It is magical.

One thing that Swiss Army Man did well was to utilize music and color to enhance to macabre idea of the overall film. The music was well done, with performers like Andy Hull from the band Manchester Orchestra, and the visual aspect of the movie did unbelievable on scenes focusing on Hank's (Paul Dano) memories. The bus scenes, whether that was the actual bus memory or the creation of the memory in the woods, were some of the most enjoyable scenes overall. These scenes were the best examples of cinematographic beauty and artistry in the entire file. The lights and appearance of scenes being memories, as well as the ability to express emotions through color and music were handled extremely well throughout the movie.

Overlooking the premise, or the whole dead body used to survive in the woods, Swiss Army Man was a success in my book. It is very clear that the directors knew that it was going to be strange, but ran with the idea knowing that they could make up for it by creating a beautiful movie. Swiss Army Man is much more than just a highly acclaimed Sundance film, it is a film from which important life lessons should be learned. Or at least basic wilderness survival skills...