Swiss Army Man (2016)

User Review

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  stickaroundblog

  7 / 10

  "What the fuck!" is probably the phrase that best describes 'Swiss Army Man. Not your conventional adventure story, Swiss Army Man probably doesn't grasp your attention initially but it will leave a lasting and possibly disturbing memory.
  
  
  
  Swiss Army Man brings probably the best performance from Daniel Radcliffe as Manny; although he essentially plays a corpse, his face must remain fairly rigid and body limp, which was done wonderfully well. He has a naivety instilled in him by Hank (Paul Dano) which gives him a sense of childlike wonder at the world, told through Hank's eyes. After washing up on the beach Manny unintentionally saves Hanks life by his involuntary passing of gas and the two embark on their journey.
  
  
  
  The two are trying to make their way to civilisation by using Manny's wonderful abilities as a Swiss Army Man, all the while Hank teaching him the ways of the world and sharing his stories with him and his love for a woman he is infatuated with. The film is a strange blend of being wonderfully weird and so innocent to being creepy and somewhat sinister. The contradiction of emotions you get is unlike any film you have seen before. Performed as if part of child's imagination with toys coming to life, childish humour and a sense of wonder. You get lost in the world they create and it is not until the final act that you come to the realisation of Hank's journey.
  
  
  
  What you get with Swiss Army Man, is an interesting story of friendship and loneliness and the power of the human mind. The performances are very well done with Daniel Radcliffe's amazing portrayal of an animated corpse and you can feel the desperation oozing out of Hank. It is a film that will leave you contemplating what it is you actually just witnessed. Whether you believe that Manny's actions are that of his own or not, is open for debate.

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