Swiss Army Man (2016)

Swiss Army Man is a Sharp Reflection on Loneliness

            Swiss Army Man feels like a half-remembered dream. It’s an extremely odd film that will definitely make viewers ponder just what they are watching, But the film, even more strangely, finds moments to pull at your heart strings at the most unlikely points in the story and will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll. The film begins with Hank, played by Paul Dano, about to hang himself after being stranded on an uninhabited island. No information is given on how he got there, only that he mentions running away from his life. Hank’s plan to kill himself goes awry when a dead body, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, washes ashore. Hank, believing the dead man to still be alive, is ecstatic, thinking that he finally has a friend to talk to. Unfortunately, and hilariously, he finds that the man is not only dead and decomposing but is also farting uncontrollably. Still, he tries to strike up conversation, but quickly becomes annoyed at the constant flatulence and tries to hang himself again, only to find out that the farting corpse has enough energy to propel itself through the water. Soon, Hank is riding the body like a jet ski away from the island, something I’d never thought I’d see in a movie, but glad that I did. As the two continue their journey home, Hank learns that the body, whom he comically christens Manny, is capable of a multitude of skills, including having access to an unlimited water supply for Hank to drink from, using his teeth to help Hank shave, being able to launch a harpoon from his mouth, and other abilities, that are just as hilarious and jaw-dropping as they are disgusting.

            Manny also gains the ability to speak, but again, no answer is given as to why. Is Hank imagining it? Or does Manny have some sort of supernatural powers like the miraculous tools of a Swiss army knife from which the film takes its title? For Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film’s directors and screenwriters, answering the question doesn’t seem among any of their priorities. Manny has no recollection of any memories and it’s up to Hank to help him rediscover the joys of being alive with mundane activities such as listening to music and riding the bus. Hank manages to build elaborate sets out of discarded garbage and broken tree limbs to re-enact these fantasies. What Manny really wants is to know what it feels like to talk to a girl and fall in love, after seeing a picture of a girl on Hank’s phone, who is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And in the film’s best scene, Hank dresses up exactly like the woman to make Manny’s desire a reality. But the duo must still get home and their strange and ridiculous, albeit beautifully shot journey, is not without its conflicts.

            Despite all the weirdness, Swiss Army Man is nonetheless a very well executed film. As mentioned earlier, the cinematography is beautiful, excellently capturing the fauna of the wilderness that Hank and Manny must travel through. The musical score, which was composed by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell, is also particularly good in helping to accentuate the film’s whimsical tone and Dano and Radcliffe both lend their voices to the music. But their performances are even better. Dano is great at showing the initial sadness and annoyance of Hank’s character and becomes even better at the role as Hank sees Manny as a true friend and learns to appreciate life again. But it is Radcliffe’s performance as Manny that steals the show. Although he was previously most well known for playing Harry Potter, Radcliffe bravely sheds away any innocence of that character. There were times when I was watching this movie, being completely astounded that “The Boy Who Lived” took the role of an immobile, gas-filled corpse, who has dialogue about what pooping is and shows us all what one should not say to a girl to when trying to flirt. The answers he provides are a bit too risqué to repeat here, but it provides one of the funniest moments in the film. I’m happy to see Radcliffe take roles like these, which along with his turn as “Weird Al” Yankovic in the aptly named Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, shows that he has tremendous skill and talent in comedy.

            Yet, Swiss Army Man is not without its flaws. The Daniels, for much of the film, seem to be heavily focused on a lot of very sexual comedy. One joke about self-pleasure early on is a riot, but when it’s repeated later and the directors/screenwriters try to make it slightly more emotional and serious, it isn’t very effective. Another plot point involves the use of a certain part of the male anatomy one too many times, the final instance of which is bound to make everyone uncomfortable. While many of these jokes are funny, it becomes a little tiring after a while, and one begins to feel just as annoyed as Paul Dano’s character who accurately sums up what we’re all thinking in a single line: “I can’t believe we’re having a conversation about this.”

            This is the reason though, why Hank is compelling and likeable. It’s easy to relate to a character like Hank because everyone feels like they’re alone, without any friends at times. Even Manny is relatable to a certain extent in that we all have that one weird friend who we get annoyed with but might be the most loyal friend who understands us the most. Maybe some of us are that weird friend. I don’t think the directors may have read into this as deeply as I have. Maybe I might be reading into the film too deeply, but for some reason, it has connected with me emotionally, and that is everything I could possibly want in a movie. Of all things, a movie about a farting corpse brought tears to my eyes. For all the right reasons.

            Swiss Army Man is not for everyone, far from it. Some may be turned off by its offbeat tone and its sexualized comedy. We’re a long way from Weekend at Bernie’s here. But the film is definitely worth watching for Daniel Radcliffe’s brilliant performance. This was also the first film from the directing duo known as the Daniels and just six years later, they would win multiple academy awards for Everything Everywhere All At Once, and the similarities between the two are hard to miss. But while EEAAO boasts a huge ensemble cast, Swiss Army Man thrives on its two men show. And also, like EEAAO, Swiss Army Man boldly and bravely takes big swings. Ultimately, it’s a film about friendship and finding friends in the most unlikely of places and most unlikely of people. Even if that friend is a farting corpse.