Movie Breakdown: Swiss Army Man

Pre-Screening Stance:

When it comes to Swiss Army Man, the only thing I really know about it is that it’s a movie with a lot of farting.  Does that mean it’s good?  Or does all the farting equate to something unwatchable?  I honestly have no idea.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Let’s just go ahead and get a couple of things out of the way.  Firstly, yes, the film features a lot of farting.  You know that fake movie in Tropic Thunder where Jack Black plays a bunch of characters who fart a lot?  Well, there’s probably more farting in Swiss Army Man.  Secondly, yes, the film is totally weird.  It’s about a troubled, lost man who discovers and befriends a dead dude, and then he uses the corpse as a multi-purpose tool in order to save himself.

Now, with all of that out of the way I can get on with telling you if it’s worth your time or not.  AND?  It is.  While Swiss Army Man is sure to weird out most who see it, the film is charming, funny and heartfelt.  Personally – and I realize this thought may be as equally bizarre as Swiss Army Man – I couldn’t help but find it to be a nice but super strange companion piece to Where The Wild Things Are.  Both feature people desperately trying to work things out, both feature an imagination-driven world (that may or may not be real), and both have an important message to deliver.  In Where The Wild Things Are the message is in regards to children and how they develop/process their emotions, and in Swiss Army Man it’s about finding love, friendship and acceptance.  You should check it out.

One Last Thought:

Daniel Radcliffe’s post-Harry Potter career choices have been interesting (Horns, What If, Victor Frankenstein, Swiss Army Man).  I like that he genuinely seems to be taking on projects simply because he finds them fun and/or interesting.  It’s kind of like what Elijah Wood has done since he tossed that pesky ring into the fires of Mount Doom.