'Swiss Army Man' Review

Image via comingsoon.net

In a year filled with sequels, reboots and talking animals, indie films have stood their ground and turned in some fantastic films thus far. While audiences love seeing their favorite franchises continue to make quality sequels, or filmmakers want to reimagine certain films and tailor them to today's world, there is a thirst for originality. Unfortunately, big studio films have to weigh risk and reward, thus often making them play it safe and continue playing in a familiar sandbox, so to speak. However, with films like The Lobster and now Swiss Army Man, these low budget films with big ideas have the ability to take numerous risks since they aren't trying to break the box office. Instead, the concentration is on making a work of art that those involved believe in. This film is a work of art, and like any masterpiece, no one person will view it the same way.

Swiss Army Man follows the story of Hank Thompson (Paul Dano), a man who has been stranded on an island in the Pacific and sees no other way to escape his situation, so he attempts to commit suicide until he looks to the shore. Thompson then sees the body of a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) who he later calls Manny, and together they try to find their way back home. In the trailer, this film looks pretty bizarre since it involves a farting corpse, and the premise itself is one you have to read a few times. When the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival some people walked out of the theater. In fact, as I walked out of my screening, this woman said, "That is probably the worst movie I've ever seen," and I completely understood that. This film is definitely not for everyone and if you're the type of viewer that wants to be hooked from the beginning, you may want to follow their lead. I must say, though, those who left deprived themselves of a movie experience like no other. I found myself smiling throughout this film because I was finally watching a film that was original and one that I had no idea where it was taking me. As an audience member, you are along for the ride. Also, there are plenty of laughs in this film, and no, they don't revolve around farts. There are moments between Dano and Radcliffe's characters that are absolutely hilarious and make them extremely likable. The bond that forms between these two characters is quite memorable, especially since it works as a study on modern society in some ways.

Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are at their very best in this film. A role that requires you to, essentially, play off of a dead person, and BE a dead person is no easy task. Also, when an actor stars in a film like this that is very risky, and very odd, they have to do it for something more than a paycheck. Just by viewing the trailer, I think, one can easily tell that their hearts were into this project because they knew how special this film was. Forget about audience reactions or how the film is being received critically, but based on the pure artistic elements and the originality of it all, actors like these who love going out of their comfort zones have to feel at home with a film like this. Actors like Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are the rare cases that will find longevity in their careers because of the projects they select and the way they approach them.

The direction of this film was one of the best things about it when you look at the characters and the story being told. Making an audience believe what they're watching on screen is always a daunting task, especially when you've got a guy riding a farting corpse like a jet ski. However, in this film, everything worked. The writing was also felt very natural. I never felt like they were trying to make this film too smart, or too layered. However, the ending of the film is the one aspect I'm still struggling with. Furthermore, the visuals were fantastic and, by far one of the most interesting parts about the making of this film is that almost the entire soundtrack is performed by Radcliffe and Dano.

Swiss Army Man is refreshingly original, surprisingly heartfelt and funny at the right moments. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe poured their hearts into their performances, Radcliffe going as far as saying it may have been his favorite role to date. With that being said, this film is not for everyone, but if you're even minimally intrigued, I suggest you go see it. If you don't like it, you probably farted in the theater.