Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe Shine in the Oddity that is "Swiss Army Man"

   Finally, the time has come that I can sit and write about this movie. I first heard about Swiss Army Man when reading about the entries from Sundance many months ago. It was a film that garnered reactions on both ends of the spetrum: people gave it a stading ovation, and some walked out in disgust. This intrigued me, even before knowing what the premise of the film was. Then I read the premise: a man stranded on an island, at the brink of giving up the ghost, befriends a farting corpse that has mystical powers that could possibly help him get home. Freakin' bonkers, right?! When the first trailer dropped, I was completely beside myself, questioning what I just saw...and how long it would be before I got to see the remaining movie. I ventured out tonight as excited to see this movie as I was for some of the year's early blockbusters. No joke, I wanted to see this movie as much as I wanted to see Batman v Superman or Captain America: Civil War. It hooked it's barbs of intrigue deep into my psyche and didn't let go. Now, after finally seeing it I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that this movie did not disappoint, and I left the theater a happy camper.

   Swiss Army Man is indeed the tale of two people, or one depending on your take on corpses. Paul Dano plays Hank, a young man stranded on an island whom we are introduced to while he attempts to take his life. Before the curtains fall on Hank's life, he notices a body wash up onto shore. Upon investigating he finds that it's a corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe. This is no ordinary corpse. Dubbing him 'Manny', Hank discovers that his new found friend has the gift of gas. This dead body farts...a lot. So, what do you do with a farting corpse? You ride it like a jet ski. No freakin' joke. That's the start of the movie. This opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the film, and as the adventure continues the oddity only increases. Soon, Hank learns that Manny has many different 'talents'. He can spit clean water, launch things from his throat, karate chop whole logs in half, and many, many more insane things including a certain...navigational tactic, one that I'll save for your own viewing. As Hank and Manny's relationship grows, so does Manny's abilities.

   What threw me for a loop was how heartfelt this movie was. Hank is a lost individual and Manny is, well, dead. Manny wants to remember what life is and Hank teaches him as they travel in search of rescue. This movie carries the weight of a straight-up allegory about living a life plagued with lonliness and isn't afraid of that idea. Manny is as much a metaphor for the perserverance of the human spirit as he is a fully dead corpse. There are significant connections between his mystical powers and the growth he makes when Hank discovers them. I found that so refreshing. Hank's journey is very much mirrored in Manny's and they need each other, even though throughout most of the movie it's hard not to wonder if Hank is just completely delusional and is imagining everything. Whether he is or not is up for you to find out for yourself.

 
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are absolutely fantastic. I think that Radcliffe's performance in this film is nothing short of brilliant and easily the best I've seen from him. He's able to deliver such raw and intimate emotion without moving and barely emoting. It wasn't hard to connect with his character because, believe it or not, he made a farting, magical corpse relatable. The fact that I just wrote that sentence is completly insane, but it's true. His couterpart is equally great. Paul Dano plays close to that line where you don't quite know if he's insane or just fine. Everything that happens to these two are disturbingly fantastical, and it's not hard to go along with them, and I credit their performances for making such a unique experience come to life.

   This movie is clearly like no other movie out there. Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Swiss Army Man marks their feature film debut and what a way to break into the industry. The story and the various elements are engaging and witty. There is no real boring or slow moment in the film. It's a brisk 95 minutes and every moment is worth it. Coming from a music video background, the Daniels have a keen eye for subtlety and suprise, and every frame speaks to the moment and isn't wasteful or bland. Speaking of music, one of my favorite aspects of this movie is the soundtrack. Throughout the movie Hank or Manny (or both) will start to sing or make up a song and suddenly it becomes the track. Seriously, it's as if Manny and Hank make up and sing the soundtrack of their adventure. It's not a musical or anything, it's just this really cool way of blending the various aspects of the movie. It's quite comical and moving all at the same time.

   I honestly can go on for days about this film. After just the one viewing, I put it in my top 5 of 2016 hands down. It's one of the most interesting, different, and weirdest films I've ever seen. It's originality is its greatest strength because most movies that come out now lack that. Look at this weekend's new releases: You've got The Legend of Tarzan, the hundredth adaptation of the Tarzan story; The Purge: Election Year, the third in a trilogy of films I'm suprised made it past one; and The BFG, a CGI-fest that I'm sure will be fun but probably won't bring anything new to the table. It's got Speilberg behind it so who knows. I know these are gross assumptions, for upon writing this review I have yet to see these films, but I can't help but favor the movie bloated with originality. So, in spite of the plethora of films you'll find at the cinema this weekend, I urge you to give a farting corpse a try and see Swiss Army Man. It'll be quite the experience.