Swiss Army Man (2016), R, ★1/2

Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe being somewhat adventurous.

When I heard about this movie regarding one man stranded on an island and finds a corpse that has the ability to fart, I thought, "You got to be joking me?" I appreciate the filmmakers and writers being ambitious by tackling a character having suicidal thoughts redeemed by a corpse that would get him out of his misery. It is an original premise surrounding those characters. But surrounding the plot and material, it combines the adventures from Cast Away and Weekend at Bernie's and they both equal into a tepid and minimalistic outline of a movie that has some imagination and thought but never takes off. 

On a nameless deserted island, a man named Hank (Paul Dano) is about to commit suicide by hanging himself until he sees a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) of a young man washed ashore. Hank almost dies because his rope was still around his neck when he attempts to approach the corpse. When he gets to the corpse, Hank hears a rumbling sound and the corpse farts. When he attempts to commit suicide using the body's belt, Hank hears farting sounds many time that it ruins his concentration. However, it benefits hank the chance to use the corpse as a boat propeller to escape the island but he fails.

Hank and the corpse are both at a different location in a cave. In the morning, the corpse is spewing water out of his mouth. Hank thanks the corpse and the corpse replies groggily as he is surprised. The corpse mumbles "Manny" and Hank calls him that. Hank and Manny tumble down a hill after a bear might've scared them off and when Manny looks at pictures from Hank's phone, he sees a picture of from a woman in a magazine. He starts to get a "magical" erection that Hank uses as a compass. But, also when Manny sees a secretive picture of Sarah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from Hank's phone, Manny has the motivation to guide him home as he falls in love with Sarah.

Cast Away 2. 

I tried to suspend my disbelief towards this material. Honestly, I have tried. But, the tale between two different bystanders was both riddled with ambition but also laziness. The movie nearly fails at its clever outline of a farting corpse but there could have been a story between both characters and isolate the farting mischief that plays into the humor because it gets repetitively numb after a little bit. The movie tries to veer into an inspired tale of friendship but it never takes off because it combines so many genres of a buddy comedy, drama and an inspiring tale, but it unfolds into one ambiguous appreciation that left me cold. 

Paul Dano gives a solid performance again after a great role in Love & Mercy. He captures loneliness and despair in such dreary ways that you feel sympathetic towards him. But, also, when his character teaches things to Manny, the lessons are provided to sentimentally manipulate you to feel good and learn something. Daniel Radcliffe, ok, gives an impressive performance to say the very least by becoming aloof and in a catatonic state. 

The movie oddly started well with a fantastic visual set-up and some great cinematography but as the movie evolves into a coming-of-age tale regarding Hank's affinity to return to Sarah or find Sarah, it becomes ham-handed and predictable as to whether or not he will return. There is a metaphor surrounding Manny's farting corpse but I cannot illustrate whether or not if it is comedic or dramatic and in conclusion, it was tonally confusing. The script is mawkish but ballsy, however, the movie does veers into territory that becomes careless and predictable. Even with the decent conclusion, it is not a movie I want to revisit again. It was a good first experience to say the least. 

*1/2