Swiss Army Man (2016)
-Watched at the SIE Film Center in Denver-
Do you remember the review I wrote for that cinema-atrocity, Horns? The review where I determined Daniel Radcliffe was “actually one of the worst actors I’ve ever seen in a film.” Well, I will say this with a bit of caution, but I think he was just casted in the perfect, career-saving role as a...magical farting dead guy.
As for co-star Paul Dano, watching him was like falling in love all over again. This man can really make you FEEL, you know what I mean? His acting leads me to believe he’s gotta be one of most passionate dudes out there. Yes, I googled “is Paul Dano single” and no, he’s not. In fact he’s had a girlfriend for 10 years-who would ever leave him?
Dano and Radcliffe star as Hank and Manny, an odd duo of stranded-at-sea man and washed-ashore dead man. When I watched the trailer, I thought hmm, this looks kinda weird, and I think I’m into it. And then I watched the film and it was so much more than I could have ever imagined. The storyline and character development veered into a place of beauty and deep, honest life reflection. I walked away contemplating friendships, language, human fragility and the power of imagination. And here I thought I was just going to watch a sort of funny movie about Paul Dano riding on the back of a farting dead guy across the ocean.
There have been so many fantastic indie films out lately, and this could certainly be placed towards the top of that list. The film is written and directed by first time feature makers Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. They took risks in the plot, editing, soundtrack, and even in casting Daniel Radcliffe, honestly. I hope they never pull back the reins in their future filmmaking endeavors.