Swiss Army Man: Review & Analysis
Lately I’ve been noticing how low my movie standards have gotten. Why? Because it’s so damn hard to find a truly good movie nowadays that I often forget what that actually is. I watch good movies all the time, I still love the art. But yet, it’s so rare to find something as exquisite as ‘Swiss Army Man’ that it truly becomes an extraordinary experience.
I’m don’t follow independent cinema that much. I admire independent directors and creators who find the gut and the strong will to produce a film. Especially when it’s as good as ‘Swiss Army Man’. The movie was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and stars Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. It’s a movie about acceptance, love, and sorrow. Oh, and a dead man farting.
I constantly talk about the significance of films that are both entertaining and meaningful. I think that the movie industry is currently filled with either deep dramas that are only suitable for a certain audience or actions/comedies that don’t really make sense. The industry is currently missing those entertaining films that bring you joy and that don’t make you feel too melancholic, but that also give you something new and present some meaning to the audience. ‘Swiss Army Man’ is that kind of movie. And that’s why it’s so rare and so special. It entertains you, but is simultaneously tremendously impactful.
‘Swiss Army Man’ gave the one of the widest smiles I’ve had while watching anything. It’s profoundly beautiful and fills you up with light. While watching it, I also thought about how low my standarts have gotten on comedy and humor. ‘Swiss Army Man’ is, without a doubt, one of the funniest films I’ve seen. The humor is very original and I liked the fact that it was built on the actors’ performances and how they react to things and not on catchy phrases and witty puns like most comedies nowadays.
The ideas that ‘Swiss Army Man’ poses about society and how people should live their lives are very bold and, quite honestly, so far I haven’t seem them expressed through cinema.
***SPOILERS BEGIN***
The movie explores the idea that people truly live because of love. That’s why Manny, the dead man, comes to life and becomes more and more a real person as Hank begins to love him. For example, when they fall off the bridge and into the water, Hank kisses Many because he needs air. But also, Hank’s kiss actually brought Manny back to life because he was also drowning. Furthermore, we can see how Manny becomes more and more a real person as his ‘relationship’ with Sarah grows and as he begins to remember what it feels like to love.
However, as ‘Swiss Army Man’ goes on, it poses the idea that it’s not only love that makes us human, but our quirks and our negative sides as well. The movie strives to send a message about acceptance; it wants to presents the idea that we are only human once we accept our quirks. That’s why Manny becomes a ‘real person’ only once he feels sadness. It’s why at the end Hank farts in front of everyone. It’s why Manny constantly farts. I think that Manny is actually a ‘swiss army man’ because he not only accepts, but emraces his quirks. Because he has the guts to fart in front of other people, his farts become a symbol of acceptance and love. Because of that, Manny, as a dead body, is far more superior than all of human kind.
The only thing I didn’t like about ‘Swiss Army Man’ is how in the end Manny and Hank find themselves at Sarah’s house. I get that it’s not supposed to make sense, but it still felt a bit weird to me. Also, the fact that everything they’ve built (like the movie theater and the car) was so close to Sarah’s house in the woods. I just can’t think of a reasonable explanation of why that is, so please, if anyone has an idea, comment below.
***SPOILERS END***
Overall, the plot of ‘Swiss Army Man’ is brilliant. It poses new ideas and does so through a very fantasticc and original story. It’s also both entertaining and meaningful, which really is something that we should admire.
Hank, one of the two main characters of the movie, is beautifully built and developed. He changes because of hope and learns the lesson of acceptance. He goes through fantastic character development and is created in a way that he is a symbol for all of human kind perfectly. Manny, the dead guy, is amazing. He is far superior to us as a dead man and is created in a way that he serves his purpose perfectly. Manny’s character development is one of the best I’ve ever seen: he literally goes from a dead body to a real person through love and sorrow and it’s all justified. Brilliant.
The only thing I didn’t find extraordinary in ‘Swiss Army Man’ was actually the directing. It’s still good, but there is nothing really special about the way the movie is made. The film does it’s job, it sends a message to the public and it makes us laugh, but, again, it’s not made in an eye-popping way. The cinematography is fine, again, nothing brilliant, but it does underline the tone of the movie. The soundtrack is amazing though. There are multiple scenes that wouldn’t have nad their charm and wouldn’t have been as good if it weren’t for the music in them.
Paul Dano is great as Hank. He does an exquisite job presenting the characters’ struggles and feelings. Daniel Radcliffe is Oscar worthy. I have no idea what it’s like to play a dead man, but believe me, it must be really hard. Daniel Radcliffe wasn’t Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Swiss Army Man’. He wasn’t a person. As I was watching the movie, I simply forgot it was an actor I was watching. He is amazing in this role, you can’t see a trace of the real actor left, just… a dead man. Daniel Radcliffe is Oscar worthy as Manny (he won’t even get nominated probably because the Academy is bias, but damn it, he is f*****g Oscar worthy).
I’ve seen a lot of movies. ‘Swiss Army Man’ is one of the best movies I’ve seen. It’s both entertaining and meaningful, something very hard to find these days. It presents new ideas to its audience through an extremely original plot. It’s beautiful and funny. It shows us a new perspective on what life is and how we should live. And, most importanly, after I watched it, I left the theater with a wide smile and in chills. That hasn’t happened to me in a very long time.
- Plot: 4/4
- Characters: 3.5/3.5
- Directing: 2.75/3.5
- Technical parts: 2/3
- Acting: 3.75/4
- Does it know what it is?: 1/1
- Did I overall like it?: 1/1
Total: 9/10
Thanks for reading,
R. L.