Swiss Army ManNo man is an island...but occasionally, one makes a passable jet ski. Swiss Army Man is a strange, unsettling, but also touching comedy about love and how much it can affect you when you don't have it. Stranded on a desert island and at the end of his rope (literally), Hank (Paul Dano) is saved from his isolation by the sudden appearance of a corpse who washes ashore, who through a series of bizarre events, begins to talk, and who tells Hank his name is Manny (Daniel Radcliffe). As Hank tries to return to civilization, he discovers that his resurrected companion possesses an array of special gifts to help him survive.
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The first time we see Hank, he is preparing to kill himself, because he has been stranded and is alone. But over the course of Swiss Army Man, it is revealed that Hank has been alone--in the social sense--for likely all his life. He is a little strange, and that is before he begins talking to a corpse. His past is revealed through a series of brief memories, including riding the bus and admiring a girl named Sarah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), whom he is so infatuated with that he has snuck a picture of her, which occupies the home page of his phone--a phone he uses sparingly in the hopes that he will find a signal when he is within range of home. When Manny begins to talk--or when Hank begins to hear Manny speak, depending on how you want to look at it--Manny indicates that he has amnesia, to which Hank tries to impart his wisdom and teach Manny what it is to be a human being. Supposing that Manny is actually endowed with the spark of life--like a saltwater-infused Frankenstein--it is interesting that Manny revisits the topics Hank discusses, constantly asking him questions he doesn't understand...the same questions Hank himself doesn't understand about society. Manny is the perfect friend, not because he cannot contradict Hank, but because he actually listens, and not just in the sense that he doesn't talk when Hank talks. Manny is invested in Hank's problems, the very problems which drove him to runaway in the first place, leaving him stranded in the Pacific. Manny is a friend because he helps Hank when he needs it, although the nature of Manny's "gifts" is often weird and even gross. Manny's defining characteristic as a corpse is that he remains exceedingly flatulent, a "quality" which is immediately useful to Hank who, in a moment of bizarre insight, uses Manny's body as a propelled vessel to escape his desert island for the mainland. And that's not all! He slices, with a tomahawk chop to make firewood! He sparks flames by snapping his fingers! He even manages to provide "fresh" water for Hank to drink, having absorbed rainwater through his mouth while he "slept", which Hank expels and drinks by pressing on his lungs. Yes, it is gross, but it does keep Hank alive, something he was determined to avoid from the start...until he found a "friend".
Although most of Swiss Army Man is comprised of Hank and Manny in the woods, we learn a lot about Hank by what he chooses to share with Manny, and how Manny--as a foil for Hank--reacts to the unspoken needs of Hank. Hank shares very intimate details of his life, embarrassing situations, ones which he feels great shame in acknowledging, but is more open to do so when his companion is already dead and, in theory, can't judge him. It's not hard to imagine that Manny's responses are really a side of Hank's subconscious, the id which expresses the wish for Hank to be able to be frank with his needs and express his need of love more fluently in the world. Hank talks of his strained relationship with his dad, one which has devolved into solely sending automated e-cards for their mutual birthdays. Hank talks of the trash they find in the woods, and why it was discarded, to which Manny makes the conclusion based on his description that Hank is "trash". In reality, this is how Hank views himself, and his journey in the wilderness is also one where he is forced to confront himself and redress his own values. Hanks view of the world and happiness comes from pop culture references and memories from his past. He talks of his wistful fantasies about the women in the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. He hums the theme to Jurassic Park, claiming that Manny should remember that movie, even going so far as to act out a shadow puppet theater version of it for him, while they share popcorn popped courtesy of Manny's "talents". Swiss Army Man even periodically breaks into musical numbers, with Hank and Manny singing their blues away, making up music on the fly. The adventure Hank and Manny embark upon is kind of like a cross between Cast Away and Weekend at Bernie's; there's even a scene where Manny dons sunglasses while he and Hank simulate the bus experience from the "real world", trying to build up the courage to speak to Sarah, as Hank shambles Manny down the aisle to sit next to her (who is, in fact, Hank in drag). The greatest irony of Swiss Army Man is that Hank comes to value his life in a new way and learn about who he is from a cadaver presumably endowed with sentience, someone whose life is already over. But then, maybe in this magical, life-affirming adventure, it's less important that Manny's been dead, but that he's still a true friend to Hank, and one shouldn't be too choosy when it comes to true friends.
Recommended for: Fans of a funny and off-kilter comedy, but also a movie which should prompt an introspective look at how we define love, friendship, and our own values in life.
Although most of Swiss Army Man is comprised of Hank and Manny in the woods, we learn a lot about Hank by what he chooses to share with Manny, and how Manny--as a foil for Hank--reacts to the unspoken needs of Hank. Hank shares very intimate details of his life, embarrassing situations, ones which he feels great shame in acknowledging, but is more open to do so when his companion is already dead and, in theory, can't judge him. It's not hard to imagine that Manny's responses are really a side of Hank's subconscious, the id which expresses the wish for Hank to be able to be frank with his needs and express his need of love more fluently in the world. Hank talks of his strained relationship with his dad, one which has devolved into solely sending automated e-cards for their mutual birthdays. Hank talks of the trash they find in the woods, and why it was discarded, to which Manny makes the conclusion based on his description that Hank is "trash". In reality, this is how Hank views himself, and his journey in the wilderness is also one where he is forced to confront himself and redress his own values. Hanks view of the world and happiness comes from pop culture references and memories from his past. He talks of his wistful fantasies about the women in the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. He hums the theme to Jurassic Park, claiming that Manny should remember that movie, even going so far as to act out a shadow puppet theater version of it for him, while they share popcorn popped courtesy of Manny's "talents". Swiss Army Man even periodically breaks into musical numbers, with Hank and Manny singing their blues away, making up music on the fly. The adventure Hank and Manny embark upon is kind of like a cross between Cast Away and Weekend at Bernie's; there's even a scene where Manny dons sunglasses while he and Hank simulate the bus experience from the "real world", trying to build up the courage to speak to Sarah, as Hank shambles Manny down the aisle to sit next to her (who is, in fact, Hank in drag). The greatest irony of Swiss Army Man is that Hank comes to value his life in a new way and learn about who he is from a cadaver presumably endowed with sentience, someone whose life is already over. But then, maybe in this magical, life-affirming adventure, it's less important that Manny's been dead, but that he's still a true friend to Hank, and one shouldn't be too choosy when it comes to true friends.
Recommended for: Fans of a funny and off-kilter comedy, but also a movie which should prompt an introspective look at how we define love, friendship, and our own values in life.