Swiss Army Man (2016)

[CJohn]

Discuss it

[Jake Gittes]

Not big on this - it's occasionally funny and beautifully shot, and both Dano and Radcliffe are fully committed, but for me it absolutely became the kind of a precious indie movie it seemingly tried to rail against early on, complete with slow-mo shots, lonely sadsack dude protagonist(s), whispery/triumphant soundtrack and insights spoken out loud. There are hints throughout of something darker and genuinely anarchic and irreverent, but it never arrives at that place, and the ending felt twice as long as it needed to be. As far as this week's films about friendship and farting go, I'm team BFG all the way.

[Kalderic]

It was so solid up until about 2/3 of the way through the film. I went in expecting to hate it, being drug by a friend of mine, but I actually found it kinda charming. I feel like towards the end is where it all fell apart though when they tried to explain everything and it almost felt like everything the movie was working so hard for us to feel and understand was slapped away in place of an almost cliche ending. But it was still really well acted and beautifully shot. Overall, well done, but not something I am going to make an effort to see again.

 

B-

[Ezen Baklattan]

Kinda shocked to be the first rave on here, but HOOOO BOY this is a good one. More tomorrow.

[Webslinger]

Having now seen it, I fully understand the wide array of reactions Swiss Army Man has received ever since it debuted at Sundance earlier this year, and I'm definitely in the camp that enjoys it heartily. The premise is incredibly bizarre, but everyone involved on either side of the camera is totally committed to wringing as much comedic and dramatic mileage out of it as they possibly can. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are both spot-on in their respective roles; Dano is believable and quietly heartbreaking as a troubled man, and Radcliffe displays great comedic aptitude with his childlike reactions to all that occurs around him. At first, I was giggling more than I probably should at the immature gags; by about the midway point however, I was so taken with the dynamic between the characters that I genuinely cared about what happened to them. Admittedly, the film does misstep to some degree in a third act that does too (edit: curse you auto correct and your lack of knowledge on "to/too") much to inject a real edge into the surreal nature of all that comes before, but the film as a whole is still so strangely fun and moving that I couldn't wipe the smile off my face when I left the auditorium.

 

B+

 

Without spoiling any of the dialogue, I can also say that the discussions on masturbation make for hands-down the funniest dialogue in any 2016 film to date. 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Webslinger

[UrosepsisFace]

I absolutely loved it. Much better than the wide-release movies this summer. Was Dano insane? Was he even shipwrecked? Did he kill Radcliffe or did he really just find him?  Either way, through self-reflective psychoses or magical buddy corpse, we get a story about being at peace with who you are.  My favorite movie this year after Sing Street.

 

A

[Blankments]

Despite what the industry trends may tell you, there will always be an audience for something new. Something bold. Yet sometimes people are afraid of the new. It's different, it's weird, why can't we just go see something safe instead? This epitomizes Swiss Army Man, a film that is the farthest thing from "safe" as possible. It's brilliantly creative, with constant twists and turns that allows its absolutely insane opening to just be the beginning of the lunacy.

 

Yes, it's funny. Heck, it's probably the funniest movie this viewer has seen this year. The script is littered with a few pop culture references that, thanks to their specificity, are absolutely delightful. Fart jokes are just the tip of the iceberg in crassness here. But the Daniels do something remarkable: by removing all the societal norms of what's okay to talk about and also actually having one of the film's main characters be deceased, they have made a film that feels more human than anything out there. It's a joyous time, sure to put on a smile on anyone's face if they're willing to buy into it. Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) is discovering the world for the first time with Hank (Paul Dano) as his imperfect tour guide, while we too are seeing the Daniels' vision of the world for the first time. Both the characters and the audience will feel an emotion rarely felt in cinema: Wonder.

 

But there's a serious message here, and one that needs to be heard. Manny may be innocent but Hank is not. Manny has never known our world, but Hank has lived in far too long. This reviewer won't name this theme outright just because it's revealed slowly within the film itself, but it adds quite a bit of meaning to the film that absolutely elevates it to the next level. It might force the climax to be a tad stretched out, but when you're spending time in this world, what reason do you have to complain?

 

Dano does an excellent job as the lead, but Radcliffe gives the best performance of the year so far as Manny. He is the main reason we feel the exuberance exploding from Manny and into Hank's life. The Daniels' direction and writing is also exquisite, delivering punches in feeling and huge laughs just on how they block the actors in a scene, or decide how long a shot must be held. Matthew Hannam's editing and Andy Hull and Robert McDowell's score should also be commended as they both add so much to what makes Swiss Army Man work.

 

Swiss Army Man shouldn't exist. No person could've heard this idea and thought it would work. We have to thank the Daniels for their vision and their producing team for taking a chance of Swiss Army Man. It is the most splendid of 2016 so far, mixing humor and emotion perfectly, while also delivering something no one else could've thought up. Swiss Army Man champions originality within in the film and in the film industry, and the Daniels are going to be forces for years to come after this. An unusual gem I will savor for years to come. A+

[MovieGuyKyle17]

Swiss Army Man: This film is such a unique film as in I really can't compare it to much. This film is definitely not for everyone but if you like the trailer I would recommend giving this movie a try. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe both give fantastic performances and have a really nice chemistry and even though it took me awhile to get with the film, the ending really pushes this film to being great.
Grade: A-

[Ezen Baklattan]

It's been two weeks and the movie is still fresh. With this and their amazing short film Interesting Ball, Daniels excel at utilizing comedic absurdity to explore deep human truths on a macro and micro level, and it feels genuine and almost a mix of childlike-imagination and truly mature understandings. Swiss Army Man is about everything: parenthood, honesty, relationships, imagination, hope, humanity, wonder, life, fear, sadness, and just about every other idea in the sun - it's as versatile as its titular deutragonist. By the end of the film, you feel heartbroken and hopeful, and you realize that the two don't contradict each other: Life can be weird, but there's true magic and true love, and maybe even genuine authenticity to the madness of it all. Swiss Army Man exposes it to the world, and the results couldn't be more amazing.

 

10/10

[Goffe]

Surprised how tedious it was considering its out-there premise. Middle act was especially insufferable with the swiss army corpse gag being repeated ad-nauseam and Dano explaining how the world works in a bunch of innocuous sequences.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Goffe

[filmlover]

I have to give this movie props for being the strangest movie I've encountered in eons (my friend who rented it from Redbox couldn't believe he had paid even $1.50 to watch this lol), but it was too all over the place to succeed in my books. At times it's very annoying and downright bizarre, and there are times where it's very sweet and sad. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe give strong, committed performances that make the movie watchable throughout, but overall, too much of a mixed bag for me. C+

[Webslinger]

So... when I saw Goblet of Fire in IMAX last weekend, I burst out laughing at one point (somewhere amid all of that film's dealings with the boy wizard's hormones) when I thought of Manny's promise to think about Hank's mom when he masturbates. Aside from the climax (hehe) of Sausage Party, I still haven't laughed as hard at anything in a 2016 movie. 

[Dementeleus]

Yeah, it didn't really work for me overall, though there were occasionally moments I liked. It felt like a student film on steroids. 

[RobinHood26]

C+ (78)

[dashrendar44]

Average white nerd problems by way of Sundance's indie movie 101. Paul Dano can sell that quirky life lesson shit in his sleep by now.

Edited February 16, 2017 by dashrendar44

[Blankments]

On 2/16/2017 at 0:48 AM, Telemachos said:

Yeah, it didn't really work for me overall, though there were occasionally moments I liked. It felt like a student film on steroids. 

if you want to see a real student film on steroids, send me a PM

 

like seriously, calling this (or any other major indie/Hollywood release) a student film is really ridiculous to me; student films are TERRIBLE

[Dementeleus]

7 hours ago, Blankments said:

if you want to see a real student film on steroids, send me a PM

 

like seriously, calling this (or any other major indie/Hollywood release) a student film is really ridiculous to me; student films are TERRIBLE

 

Technical aspects aside...  

[Napoleon]

Crazy movie B+

[IndustriousAngel]

7/10, B+

Less absurd but more coherent than a Monty Python feature, fun and touching even if the "gag" gets a little old towards the end - there are some lengths in there; it's one of those movies that remind us that a 90 minute running time is NOT compulsory even if every filmmaker seems to think so.