Swiss Army Man

The Jury Prize for Best Directing caused more than a few controversies at this year's Sundance Film Festival with some audience members walking out, while others complained about the film's uncouth behavior. What might get lost in the mix is how impressively this unique and uncompromised debut feature can be seen through completely opposite lenses.

One way of responding to SWiSS ARMY MAN could be to contagiously laugh at the screwball actions of Hank (Paul Dano), a man stranded on a desert island with a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe). Another way would be to question Hank's reliability as a narrator and view this surreal, spiritual spiral as an existential journey into complete madness. Either way, Daniel Radcliffe's performance as a dead body is the kind of profound achievement you might expect from a Harold Pinter or Samuel Beckett play.

Swiss Army Man is not just the most infamous film at Sundance this year; It is the perfect Hollywood calling card for first time filmmakers Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinart, as well as being a completely neo-sincere film. Movie lovers should put aside all of its buzz and just experience it for themselves. Love it or hate it, it's one film from 2016 that most definitely will not be forgotten.

Review taken from 2016 Sundance Film Festival wrap up.

It was a very different movie, very very different.

It was interesting to see Daniel in such a movie.

"If my best friend hides his farts from me then what else is he hiding from me, and why does that make me feel so alone?"

Never would I expect a farting talking corpse would've turn out to be a good movie. Even on paper, this idea sounds awful, but it's one of those things that manages to work out. I always hear people complain that movies just ain't that original anymore, with the endless reboots and the unnecessary squeals. And then you get something like this that's so different. Something so bizarre, weird and original that it's executed in a way that it actually works as a movie.

There's something deeply beautiful and very relatable about "Swiss Army Man" that I know a lot of people won't agree. It isn't for everybody. I mean, just look at the reviews for Sundance and the reports of walk outs during the movie. But then again, what do they know.

Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan bring a sweet and a very surreal study of the human condition that's done so uniquely. Making farts jokes seem so poetic.

This is Daniel Radcliffe at his best and while he's character may be dead, there's still heart within him. Paul Dano who really has been impressing me over the past years is really great in this. Radcliffe and Dano brought a sense of friendship and a real chemistry that after awhile it kinda over shadows the wackiness of whats going on. Some people may find the scenes between them too disturbing or creepy, and I can totally understand that. But it's something that's hard to explain really. Even if you try to put together why something like this worked, but it never fully clicks in your head as the correct answer. Well, what can I say. Movies make you feel something man.

Overall rating: I'm no gonna lie, I teared up a bit while watching this. Yes, a farting corpse movie actually made laugh, cry and think differently on things.

WOW.

Usually, fart jokes are associated with bad raunchy comedies in the likes of Adam Sandler's recent career, or really uncreative family movies. Insert, 'Swiss Army Man' – the Sundance title that's generated the most vocal reaction amongst festival goers for it's ridiculous, now infamous, farting dead body played by Daniel Radcliffe. This is only how the film begins, and let's just say it toots even louder from there.

Paul Dano plays Hank, a man lost on an island. Right when he's about to give up on life, he discovers the aforementioned farting body and finds an unexpected answer to why his life is worth living. He discovers that many elements of this body can help him survive and find a way back home, and keeps himself sane (or perhaps insane) by talking to it.

The writer/director duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as "the Daniels", have a reputation for ridiculous and highly entertaining short films and music videos, and this feature represents a conglomerate of numerous ideas that sound bad yet somehow all work. As Hank develops a relationship with the dead body (one that starts out similar to Wilson in Cast Away), the intriguing absurdity keeps you engaged for the rest of the film. This is the type of film best seen with little information beyond the initial premise, as it is full of mystery boxes waiting to be unraveled. Thanks to the great use of locations and production design, the world- building is fantastic and the wackiness becomes downright fun.

On top of being a silly movie that doesn't pretend to take itself seriously, 'Swiss Army Man' sneaks in themes of societal behavior and what is considered weird vs. what is normal. It's rare to find a movie that is so unpredictable in an engaging way, and because the movie begins with something so ridiculous and only goes deeper from there, it allows for limitless ideas on what is going to happen next and continues to be fun to watch. The reason the film may be polarizing is because of how silly it all is, but going in knowing it will be this way is all you need to jump in and enjoy the show. There is little more to say without giving too much away – essentially, if you can accept absurdity and be along for the ride, this movie may just sneak up and treat you to a great time overall.

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I didnt like it, but it has it's perks: it's definitely original, daring, weird and fascinating (up to a point, for me at least).

The story: Paul Dano is stranded on a deserted island and wants to kill himself. Just at that very moment Daniel Radcliffe washes ashore. They become best buddies in the most unique way possible. Seeing is believing.

For whom might this movie be interesting? For die hard art house fans of bizarre (really weird) drama comedies. Potter fans better move along...