If Terence Malick directed “Weekend at Bernie’s,” the result would’ve been “Swiss Army Man.” The film has the same lowbrow humor as the dead body comedy, but has a highbrow concept of life akin to a Terence Malick film. It’s actually crasser than Ted Kotcheff’s film, resembling more of a Farrelly Brothers comedy. It has the same heart as those films too.
The premise is as outlandish as it gets. Hank (Paul Dano) is stranded on an island with no outlook of rescue. Just as he’s about to hang himself, the body of Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) washes ashore. Hank, thinking the man’s alive, rushes towards him, almost inadvertently hanging himself in the process. Manny lets out a fart, signaling he defecated himself after death. Then, he keeps farting. The farting continues as Hank tries to once again hang himself in a moment of dark comedy brilliance. The farting carries Manny’s body all the way into the ocean, where he begins to propel. Seizing the opportunity, Hank rides the dead body as it were a ship with the farts acting as the propeller.
In what was a surprise to me, Hank escapes the island within the first fifteen minutes. When he arrives on land, he gets lost in the woods, which is where the bulk of the Swiss Army Man gimmick unfolds. Hank discovers Manny has special powers and can be used in a variety of ways. Manny is used as a boat, a gun, a harpoon, a razor, and a water fountain, just to name a few. Manny even begins to talk, though his vocabulary is limited.
This is where the film becomes influenced by Terence Malick. Manny’s reawakening is observed as a new lease on life; reincarnation, if you will. He holds no recollection of his previous life and has to be retaught everything. He picks up speech rather quickly and begins leveling Hank with questions. All of the questions are inappropriate, ranging from farting to masturbation to sex. One such instance has Hank divulging that he doesn’t masturbate because he thinks of his mother, as she gave him a speech on the topic shortly before dying. Manny doesn’t comprehend how awkward this situation is, eventually trying to diffuse it by stating he’ll think of Hank’s mother when he masturbates so Hank doesn’t feel weird about it. On paper, this sounds stupid, but it’s hysterical in execution!
I began to wonder if “Swiss Army Man” was a parody of arthouse films. The writing and direction by the duo formally known as Daniels points in this direction. The topic of existentialism is tackled quite often, always denigrated to potty humor. Hank is constantly having personal epiphanies only for them to be interrupted by Hank’s uncontrollable gas. It almost feels as if Daniels are taking the piss out of the deep philosophy that plagues most arthouse films. That or they’re simply taking that approach and turning it on its head. Either way, it works.
The film excels all the way up until the final act. The bonding between Hank and Manny is surprisingly endearing, feeling at home in a serious drama, let alone this absurd comedy. That too points towards my theory that this a parody of arthouse films, as there is built up in similar fashion. The two bond over discussions on life, all of which wind up devolving into infantile gags. The juxtaposition of the serious postulation and blue humor is balanced stupendously! The majority of the laughs come from the awkwardness of it all.
There are gags in this film that would feel right at home in a raunchy comedy. One running gag revolves around Manny getting an erection. After stumbling upon a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, Hank explains to his stiff friend the male fantasy. This causes Hank to get aroused (stiffer, if you will), with his erection flailing about wildly. It’s so over-the-top and cartoonish that it’s hilarious! It never fails to generate a laugh whenever it pops up (no pun intended)!
“Swiss Army Man” falls apart in the final act. One gets the feeling Daniels had no idea how to end this film, with the final act dragging its feet. Throughout the film we’re teased with the notion that Sarah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is Manny’s spouse and she may be the reason he’s still alive. It’s quite obvious this is not the case, but that Sarah is simply a woman Hank is obsessed with. There are more than enough signs pointing towards this, which may have been the joke. Even so, this arc falters, with the duo’s eventual meet with her falling flat.
I once again pondered if the inclusion of Sarah was part of the parody. Hank’s obsession with her is made out to be endearing, not creepy like it actually is. This could be commentary on how movie romances in general are typically unsettling once broken down. Most follow the pattern of a loveable stalker winning the heart of his desired; Daniels simply take it to a whole new level. Whatever the case may be, the subplot falls flat. It doesn’t strengthen the elegance of life motif or truly help in aiding the kinship between Hank and Manny. Those were being developed just fine without the inclusion of Sarah.
Daniels also make a misstep in revealing whether or not Manny is actually magical. It’s hinted at early on that Hank could be hallucinating everything. A lot of the humor and intrigue comes from never knowing what’s real and what’s fantasy. Pulling the curtain tarnishes this mystique. Considering my parody theory, keeping things in the shadows and concocting a confounding ending that’s meant to strike up debate would’ve been more sufficient.
Daniels may stumble to get to the finish line, but they make the laps tremendously! “Swiss Army Man” is a funny and energetic comedy. Whether you take it as parody or straightforward lowbrow comedy is irrelevant. The film works regardless of interpretation. It proves that farts can be funny when done right.
Final Rating: B+