Henry Faherty
While A24 Films is a very minor production company when compared to many other Hollywood studios, over the past few years it has still made some of the most fascinating, unique indie films. Everything from Scarlett Johansson‘s “Under the Skin” to Jake Gyllenhaal‘s “Enemy” or even the oddball Keira Knightley comedy “Laggies” are all refreshingly original; and one of their newest productions, “Swiss Army Man” seems to continue that trend tenfold. A second trailer has been released after the first one premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to very mixed reviews.
While the second trailer isn’t giving much of a different tone to the film, it does give a little more about the relationship between Hank (Paul Dano), and Manny (Daniel Radcliffe), the infamous “farting corpse” counterpart. The story starts with Hank as he attempts to hang himself near a beach, but in doing so he happens to notice a dead body that rests by the shoreline. With further investigation, Hank hears Manny make a smelly bodily sound, and realizes that he’s, in some strange way, alive. It’s definitely a creative concept, but it all depends on the execution. The new footage reveals how Hank and Manny become partners on a life-changing journey, which is where a lot of the criticism has come from. But it looks like it could be endearing nevertheless.
Radcliffe has proven himself to much more than just the famous wizard in the “Harry Potter” franchise by starring in a number of peculiar comedy, drama, and fantasy films. And his costar is no slacker either. Last year, he received wide acclaim for his performance in the music biopic “Love & Mercy“. So they will be an interesting on-screen pair, no matter the context of the film. “Swiss Army Man” is written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, with the score handled by Manchester Orchestra. The film may make some viewers uncomfortable but it’s very possible this could be a very charming and memorable tale in the end.
