Starting a revolution here. So a few days back I watched Swiss Army Man, which was actually what gave me the idea of doing a review stuff blog thing at all. I figured it would give me a place to get my voice out there, and force at least someone to read what I had to say, even if it was just someone's cat who accidentally stepped on a keyboard, or the hundreds of people who stalk me and feed on my every word like a symbiotic parasite. That's real right? Like, I didn't dream that up, did I?
I don't know if you're like me and get legitimately excited for upcoming things that you're interested in, but I really do and I tend to tell people about it, so I can get some sort of (hopefully positive) response. In the lead up to watching Swiss Army Man, I explained to several people how excited I was at getting to see 'Harry Potter play a dead farting corpse with super powers,' and in hindsight, I see that not everyone has my unclouded vision for good things, so I would probably go back and just say that it's a cinematic experience the likes of whcih havent been witnessed so far. I'm not going to BS you though, and the movie is beginning to end dick and fart jokes quite literally, so it's only fair to give you realistic expectations.
The theater for this one was pretty bare, as you can imagine. It was just me and one other fart fanatic, which is fine. We don't need pencil pushing normals ruining our quest into the land of oddities. It played in one of the smaller theaters at Aksarben, which worked well as it wasn't necessary for it to be in a larger venue just due to the type of movie it was.
Here's what I liked about it. The acting was spot on, as both Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano did an amazing job delivering performances that were at the same time funny, sad, and able to draw our empathy. It weaved in humor to discuss topics that a lot of us have felt throughout life, such as loneliness, depression, social anxiety, and lack of self worth. You spend a lot of the movie trying to figure out if this is all a dream, or if Hank really is talking to and interacting with a semi-sentient corpse, but in the end, does it really matter if either he or the audience grow as a result?
The underlying theme for the whole movie is that Love is the answer, and you cant really be anything at all until you believe in yourself, and believe that you're worth it. It seems silly to think that a movie that includes a dead guy's dick being used as a divining rod, of sorts, could tackle a complex issue like that, but it does a good job of it. Without throwing out any spoilers, I will say that the ending is something like you've not experienced before, but well worth the price of admission.
I didn't really find much wrong with Swiss Army Man. It was simple and likable, crude yet endearing, and a lot of fun to watch. Since it is quite the surreal experience, it's almost like you go on the adventure with Manny and Hank as they try to get Hank home. Along the way, they grow and gain a greater understanding of relationships and the people in general, and if you take the time to see it, so will you. This gets 4.5 out of 5 shoe boxes for being weirdly awesome.
Red Band Trailer to excite, appaul, and confuse: Swiss Army Man
But...but...HOW MANY SHOE BOXES??
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ReplyDeleteFixed! I get excited sometimes and forget important things, like where I left my keys, or where I left my prosthetic leg. (Just go with it. No one will know the difference)
ReplyDeleteTrying to convince my wife to see this one.
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