Already known as that Daniel Radcliffe farting corpse movie which opened this year's Sundance festival to a mixed bag of reviews. There were walkouts and some audience members were disgusted by what they had seen. Swiss Army Man was always going to be a hard sell
So was all the hype and talked justified. Directed by newcomers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (or the Daniels) who persuaded Paul Dano to join the cast with the one line synopsis, "the first fart makes you laugh and the last fart makes you cry." Dano plays Hank a man stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Out of hope and ideas he is preparing for the end. That is until he spots the dead body of Radcliffe's character (later to be known as Manny) washed up on shore. At a closer inspection the rotting corpse is letting out a high amount of gas. How much gas I hear you ask? well enough for Hank to ride the dead body across the ocean like a flipping jet ski, and all this in the opening 10 minutes. In the next 90 minutes or so It all gets a little bit crazier. Hank befriends the dead man now known as Manny who begins to slowly come back to life. Even learning to speak. Together they set upon having an adventure to get home. Learning about life, love, sex and Netflix.
Paul Dano is an actor who always commands the screen. From being in teen comedies like 'The Girl Next Door' to his more serious roles from 'Little Miss Sunshine' and 'Let There Be Blood'. I feel he always puts everything into a role. He crosses from mainstream films to the indie stuff with ease. Dano always has strong chemistry acting opposite other good actors which brings out the best in him. Daniel Radcliffe, who himself has roots in big blockbusters (Harry Potter) but has been applying his trade in the more diverse end of cinema does solid work here. Playing a part as far away from the young wizard as humanly possible. the man just doesn't want to be pigeon holed, and who can blame him he doesn't want to be defined. Here as Manny he truly brings out the heart and soul of the dead man that he is playing. For such a huge star that he is, he has too completely lower his self esteem and let his ego go. This is a role many would turn down. A dead body with a built in penis-radar would just be a step too far for some. It's a credit to Daniel Radcliffe that he brings the character to life (no pun intended).
So is it just a farting corpse movie? Does it work? Is it any good? Radcliffe himself declaring that there is so much more it than a dead body passing wind and he promises that you haven't seen anything like this before. The truth is that it's a bit of both. The farting does play a very central role and he is right you have never seen anything like it before. This is a unique piece of cinema. The Idea and visuals sometimes do look like a well made music video, but the strong script and good casting raise it up another level to a film which should be taken very seriously.
The soundtrack for me was a standout point. All the songs are all acapella and are written and recorded by Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and Robert McDowell. It's some Pitch Perfect stuff taken to another level. Dano and Radcliffe both lend their vocal talents and the end result is something quite magical. The song 'Cotten Eye Joe' will have all kinds of new meanings.
Take what you want from the meanings of the film and there are a few floating around the Internet. Just soak it all in and let the film wash over you. Swiss Army Man will evoke all kinds of emotions. Laughter, tears, warmth, sadness. A strong script, a strong cast, coupled with strong visuals make this a film which should be enjoyed by the masses. Not just passed over for being that farting corpse movie.
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