Review of Swiss Army Man (2016) by Andrew M — 08 Nov 2016

What is Swiss Army Man? It's a film that's easy to write off as the "farting corpse movie" as it's been so unfortunately dubbed by many, a surreal fever dream that's one part Cast Away and one part Weekend at Bernie's, conceived by a millennial Michel Gondry or a Spike Jonze. It comes from a directing duo crediting themselves as Daniels, a pair of oddball short film and music video directors. It all sounds like a recipe for disaster. But perhaps, the easier question to ask is: what isn't Swiss Army Man?

It's a story of friendship. Lost and alone on a deserted island, Hank (Paul Dano) wants nothing more than someone to share his time with; he, of course, finds that in Manny (Daniel Radcliffe), a recently washed up corpse. It's an unconventional relationship, but simultaneously a beautiful one. Much of the development of this relationship comes simply from the conversations they share: Manny, unfamiliar with how the world he occupies works, must learn of the many facets of society from a seemingly world-weary Hank. The resulting topics include hiding farts, things to do when riding the bus, and masturbation: these talks between Hank and Manny find the delicate balance of crass humor and surprising thoughtfulness. What solidifies this relationship is the chemistry of Dano and Radcliffe, who truly understand their characters down to the smallest and most subtle character traits. Dano really sells the melancholic nature of Hank, and Radcliffe's largely physical performance is so dedicated and so charming. It's an easy thing to say without truly meaning it, but this is casting that is quite literally perfect.

It's a story of love. A recurring topic of discussion between Hank and Manny is the photo wallpaper of Hank's phone, a picture of a young woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) that they both seem infatuated with. The bus conversation comes back to play here, as we learn of the woman's history with Hank, or lack thereof: Hank has admired her from afar for so long, but has no strength to do anything more than fawn over her without actually speaking to her. What Hank can do, however, is live through Manny, who has his own admiration for this young woman, and ultimately help Manny do the things he can't bring himself to do. It's a familiar idea, the manic pixie dream girl, but this is a film that is too smart to fall into the trappings of that trope. If anything, it becomes more of a deconstruction of the trope as the story progresses, especially in the third act, and this relationship ultimately helps both Manny and Hank learn more about what it truly means to love.

Perhaps most of all, it's a story of self-discovery. At it's core, this is a story about accepting who you are. Everyone farts, so why hide it from those we claim to be our friends? So what if we're all weird in our own ways? Why conform to what society accepts as "normal" if it's not truly who you are? Hank and Manny both struggle in truly assimilating into societal norms: Manny (re?)entering society for the first time, Hank struggling to enter a society that doesn't seem to want him. It's all about release: release of our oddball tendencies, no matter how they fit into the views of society, so long as they make us happy. How fitting for the farting corpse movie.