This is probably the weirdest movie I've ever seen.
I mean, it's not as if I was expecting a movie that centred around a farting corpse that essentially has super powers to be a low-key drama, but in many ways, it was exactly that. Swiss Army Man has an incredibly strong grasp on comedy, and ingeniously finds a way to make humour which could be so low-brow and stupid in another fit right in with the discussions on the various elements of society that repress us in order to run smoothly. The movie really shines in the scenes related to the exploration of life, even though it's presented in such a ridiculous way.
This movie was also directed by the guys who made Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What" video, which makes a lot of sense.
This is mostly Paul Dano's movie, and he's fantastic. I've always liked him, even though I've only seen him in small roles in movies like Prisoners or Looper, but I was always impressed with him. Here, he plays Paul, who is one of the most human and relatable characters I've seen in a long time. The movie explores the various insecurities that he faces, as well as why they have such a large part in his life. We learn about all of it through his conversations with the dead body he calls Manny, played by Daniel Radcliffe. As the movie goes on, Manny is trying to remember what makes up life, and Radcliffe plays this childlike wonder perfectly, but also has to play it very deadpan and straight-faced, since his situation doesn't allow for a whole lot of movement. This is probably Radcliffe's best performance to date, because he isn't even a character, but he made me care about a corpse more than I probably ever have before. The bond between these characters that gets formed is one that I really didn't want to see end, even though it's between a man and a dead body.
As the movie goes on, we learn more and more about Hank's life, in so much detail that I felt like I knew this guy. His past experiences, his family, his hopes, his dreams; all of it contribute to make Hank a full, three-dimensional character, and really gets the audience on his side. But the best thing is that he isn't just this perfect guy who's too shy for people to understand how great he is; he has flaws, he's done things that go directly against the rules that society set in place. Ironically, it's only because of the effect that those rules have on him that he does those things. The world made him into what he is, and through Manny, he starts to realize just how deep those effects run.
If there's one word I could use to describe this movie, it would be "creative". This movie really is unlike anything I've ever seen, especially during the scenes where Hank uses Manny's body for various tasks. Whether as a jet-ski, a grappling hook, or a gun, reality and fantasy is blended in such a way that it's not clear whether the things are really happening. How Hank relays information to Manny about various parts of life are also very creatively done, and gives the film a very unique look.
The soundtrack is the element that really gives this movie a unique feel. It's composed entirely of different layers of noises only sung by human mouths, and whether it's just "instrumental" music, an original song, or a cover of a song, it's woven into the story masterfully. The movie begins with it, and I was surprised by how much the simplicity managed to elevate so many scenes so high.
The only thing I didn't really like about this movie was the ending. It wasn't terrible or anything, and it made sense based how the characters and story were building, but it ended on a note where I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to think. I guess it's just open to interpretation, and I can't really be mad just because the movie didn't end they way I expected it to.
In the end, Swiss Army Man is fantastic. It's one of the funniest and most heartfelt films of the year, with a ridiculously strange yet perfectly human story. It's very well-written, remaining consistently hilarious and thought-provoking throughout. There comes a point later in the film where Manny asks Hank "Why are we even trying to get home? It sounds like we're not allowed to do anything there."
And he's right. So many of the things that can make people who they are aren't accepted by society, or we repress them because we're worried that people will stare or laugh at us. As a character, Manny represents the part of everyone that asks "why?". Why can't we sing as loud as we want, why can't we talk about whatever we want, why can't we do something as simple as fart around other people?
I didn't expect that much insight from a farting corpse.
I mean, it's not as if I was expecting a movie that centred around a farting corpse that essentially has super powers to be a low-key drama, but in many ways, it was exactly that. Swiss Army Man has an incredibly strong grasp on comedy, and ingeniously finds a way to make humour which could be so low-brow and stupid in another fit right in with the discussions on the various elements of society that repress us in order to run smoothly. The movie really shines in the scenes related to the exploration of life, even though it's presented in such a ridiculous way.
This movie was also directed by the guys who made Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What" video, which makes a lot of sense.
This is mostly Paul Dano's movie, and he's fantastic. I've always liked him, even though I've only seen him in small roles in movies like Prisoners or Looper, but I was always impressed with him. Here, he plays Paul, who is one of the most human and relatable characters I've seen in a long time. The movie explores the various insecurities that he faces, as well as why they have such a large part in his life. We learn about all of it through his conversations with the dead body he calls Manny, played by Daniel Radcliffe. As the movie goes on, Manny is trying to remember what makes up life, and Radcliffe plays this childlike wonder perfectly, but also has to play it very deadpan and straight-faced, since his situation doesn't allow for a whole lot of movement. This is probably Radcliffe's best performance to date, because he isn't even a character, but he made me care about a corpse more than I probably ever have before. The bond between these characters that gets formed is one that I really didn't want to see end, even though it's between a man and a dead body.
As the movie goes on, we learn more and more about Hank's life, in so much detail that I felt like I knew this guy. His past experiences, his family, his hopes, his dreams; all of it contribute to make Hank a full, three-dimensional character, and really gets the audience on his side. But the best thing is that he isn't just this perfect guy who's too shy for people to understand how great he is; he has flaws, he's done things that go directly against the rules that society set in place. Ironically, it's only because of the effect that those rules have on him that he does those things. The world made him into what he is, and through Manny, he starts to realize just how deep those effects run.
If there's one word I could use to describe this movie, it would be "creative". This movie really is unlike anything I've ever seen, especially during the scenes where Hank uses Manny's body for various tasks. Whether as a jet-ski, a grappling hook, or a gun, reality and fantasy is blended in such a way that it's not clear whether the things are really happening. How Hank relays information to Manny about various parts of life are also very creatively done, and gives the film a very unique look.
The soundtrack is the element that really gives this movie a unique feel. It's composed entirely of different layers of noises only sung by human mouths, and whether it's just "instrumental" music, an original song, or a cover of a song, it's woven into the story masterfully. The movie begins with it, and I was surprised by how much the simplicity managed to elevate so many scenes so high.
The only thing I didn't really like about this movie was the ending. It wasn't terrible or anything, and it made sense based how the characters and story were building, but it ended on a note where I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to think. I guess it's just open to interpretation, and I can't really be mad just because the movie didn't end they way I expected it to.
In the end, Swiss Army Man is fantastic. It's one of the funniest and most heartfelt films of the year, with a ridiculously strange yet perfectly human story. It's very well-written, remaining consistently hilarious and thought-provoking throughout. There comes a point later in the film where Manny asks Hank "Why are we even trying to get home? It sounds like we're not allowed to do anything there."
And he's right. So many of the things that can make people who they are aren't accepted by society, or we repress them because we're worried that people will stare or laugh at us. As a character, Manny represents the part of everyone that asks "why?". Why can't we sing as loud as we want, why can't we talk about whatever we want, why can't we do something as simple as fart around other people?
I didn't expect that much insight from a farting corpse.
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