Review: Swiss Army Man (2016)

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Firstly, do not let the above picture deceive you, this film is 100% a comedy, and it's likely one of the most absurd ones you will ever watch. The film stars Paul Dano, a very talented actor who's penchant for odd roles is whole-heartedly utilized here. Opposite Dano is Daniel Radcliffe who seems to be taking the furthest role possible from his recent, and famous stint as Harry Potter. Here, however, he is not The Boy Who Lived, but more aptly, The Farting Boy Who Died.

You see, the film is about Hank (Dano), a seeming castaway who is on the brink of suicide. All that saves him is a corpse that he finds that has washed ashore (Radcliffe). The corpse is very much a corpse, except it has the unique quality of... being able to fart... constantly. Yes, you read that right... Throughout the film, Dano finds that the corpse (whom he names Manny) may also have some other equally-absurd talents that may just help him survive in the wilderness, hence the title. Oh, as well, with the help of his new deceased company, Hank goes on a rather emotional journey coming to terms with the real-life hardships that caused him to leave society in the first place.

I will not talk about what transpires in the film too much in order to save some of the many fun surprises, but suffice it to say that the two leads really are the entirety of this film. Yes, Radcliffe really does simply play a corpse but he does so remarkably and entertainingly well and much of the great comedy is centred upon him. Dano, as always, is a real star here bringing high comedy and real drama to his role (which makes sense as he is the only living character). The two also have palpable chemistry making this one of the more fun films you will watch in a while. The only real negative I would say about this film is regarding its ending, which I am not entirely a fan of. I will not say more than that and leave it up to you to form your own opinion on. On paper, this film is quite similar to Cast Away, just replacing Wilson, the volleyball, with Manny the farting corpse. Swiss Army Man has a tangible and hilarious momentum to it, backed by a great soundtrack. The plot may turn some people away from it, but, really, I recommend it to anyone who wants to feels like watching a quirky, wholly unique comedy that is very much outside-the-box and founded upon two great performances by Dano and Radcliffe.

Comments

Review: Sound of Metal (2020)

Sound of Metal (2020) TLDR: Easily one of the best films I have seen in a long while. Grounded by an absolutely stellar performance by Riz Ahmed (and co-star, Olivia Cooke), Darius Marder's Sound of Metal is a moving and deeply-empathetic look into the journey and struggle to find peace with one's self through the lens of a musician who loses his hearing. Have no doubt, if you are not yet familiar with the names Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke you are about to be. Both actors - Ahmed in particular who leads the film - are transcendent in Darius Marder's Sound of Metal. Ahmed plays Ruben, a heavy metal drummer, in a duo group led by guitar/singer, Lou, played by Cooke. The two are as much a pair off-stage as they are on it. It is clear from early on that they are all that the other really has in life and they are content to travel across the country in their RV together playing shows and making ends meet as best they can. However, all goes awry when Ruben - who batters his eardr

Review: Soul (2020)

Soul (2020) TLDR: For a year where many may feel like they have lost a little piece of their own, Soul has arrived to remind us all what's most important in life. This is a Pixar film that is arguably more important for adults to watch than kids: it is beautiful - in both story and art, it is quirky, it is heartfelt and, as these trying times endlessly push on, it reminds us that there is still a lot of good in this world to enjoy and reflect upon. Note: some spoilers below. It takes a little bit of time to ease into Disney/Pixar's Soul. Though the film starts out in a lush and beautifully rendered NYC filled with delightful jazz music as we follow Joe around his everyday boroughs, things very quickly run astray. Suddenly, we are thrown into an abstract world filled with Picasso-like wiry characters and massively heady existential concepts like 'where do we come from', 'the great beyond', and much more. If it's not immediately apparent, it soon becomes clea

Review: The Before Trilogy (1995, 2004, 2013)

The Before Trilogy TLDR: As a whole, and in each of its separate parts, Richard Linklater's 'Before Trilogy' is the cinematic experience in its absolute finest form. The story of Celine and Jesse speaks to the core of the human experience - surprising joys, inevitable obstacles and eventual pains, and, most importantly, the mystery and intrigue of love - and it does it in an affecting way that, almost unlike any other film, is simultaneously theatrical and also remarkably raw and realistic. "It's just, people have these romantic projections they put on everything. That's not based on any kind of reality." - Jesse, Before Sunrise Even more than the multitudes of other incredible introspective bits of wisdom and philosophy that Celine and Jesse converse in across the three movies, this quote perhaps sums up the trilogy best of all. What are romance movies other than certain individuals' projections of what romance - often, idealized romance - is. Most o

Mike Goes To Movies

Search This Blog