Swiss Army Man

Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Swiss Army Man is the story of a man stranded on an island where he finds a corpse that he would use to help him do things while being a companion as he longs to return home. The film is an unconventional comedy-adventure film that has a man dealing with his situation as he tries to find a way to return home as well as stay alive despite his own suicide attempt. Starring Paul Dano, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Daniel Radcliffe. Swiss Army Man is an offbeat yet thrilling film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

The film is a simple premise about a man stranded on an island as he tries to kill himself only to find a dead body who would get him back to land though they get lost in a forest on their way back to civilization. While it doesn’t have much of a plot as the body does come to life and brings a sense of companionship to this man who was stranded on an island. The screenplay by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert does follow the situation that Hank Thompson (Paul Dano) is in as he’s stranded on an island trying to reach for help as he’s at his most desperate while longing to be with this woman named Sarah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) whom he’s been fond of from afar. Upon finding his dead body named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe), he realizes that Manny possesses some special powers that include farts that can get him to place as well as the ability to help him create things or be used as a weapon. Yet, he would become fond of Manny as Hank would also tell him about things of the world and such as their relationship would become complex as they reach towards civilization.

The direction of Kwan and Scheinert is filled with some quirky moments yet it also has elements that are adventurous with elements of surrealism given the film’s premise. Shot largely on location in California at the town of San Pedro and some scenes at Humboldt County, the film does start off with images of trash with messages for help as it would then show Hank attempting to hang himself as he contemplates his own loneliness and inability to reach out to Sarah whom he doesn’t know much except through the pictures on his phone. There are some wide and medium shots in the direction as it play into the scenes at the woods that include these intricate yet weird scenes of recreation of civilization that includes a bus ride so that Hank can give Manny an idea of civilization.

The direction of Kwan and Scheinert would also have some close-ups to play into Hank and Manny’s interaction as well as these scenes where the latter is trying to understand the idea of humanity as well as the idea of love. Even as he would see a magazine with half-naked woman or a picture of Sarah as he would get an erection which is used as a compass. The direction also play into this idea of fantasy vs. reality as it relates to Hank and his own faults as it relates to Sarah as someone he wants to be with making Manny believe that she’s his soul mate. Yet, the emergence of reality for both Hank and Manny would come to ahead in the third act once they do reach civilization but also deal with the realities of nature and Hank’s own troubles with reality which brings some revelation to Manny on the way he sees things. Overall, Kwan and Scheinert craft a whimsical yet heartfelt film about a man who befriends a dead body and uses it to get him back into civilization.

Cinematographer Larkin Seiple does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in its usage of vibrant colors to play into the look of the forests as well as some scenes in the beach for the scenes in day and night. Editor Matthew Hannam does brilliant work with the editing as its stylish usage of jump-cuts and montages help play into some of the emotional aspects of the film as well as some of the humorous moments. Production designer Jason Kisvarday, with set decorator Kelsi Ephraim and art director David Duarte, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that Hank and Manny built in the woods to play up Hank’s idea of a world that Manny could be in. Costume designer Stephani Lewis does nice work with the costumes from the ragged clothes than Hank wears to the ruined suit of Manny as well as the clothes they wear for their fantasy scenes.

Makeup artist Leslie Devlin does amazing work with the look of Manny in his decayed state as well as the moments where he’s being used as an object. Visual effects supervisor Alvin Cruz does terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it is largely based on scenes relating to Manny’s powerful farts as well as the things he does with his body. Sound editor Brent Kiser and sound designer Andrew Twite do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sounds that Manny makes when he’s first trying to talk or when he’s being used as an object. The film’s music by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell is wonderful for its low-key yet choral-based score that relies on organic musical instruments and vocals to play into some of the dramatic moments of the film while music supervisor Lauren Mikus provide a soundtrack that include contributions Hull and McDowell’s band Manchester Orchestra, a traditional music piece, and the theme of Jurassic Park by John Williams.

The casting by Nina Henninger does incredible work with the casting as it include some notable small roles from music composer Andy Hull as a news cameraman, filmmaker Shane Carruth as a coroner late in the film, Richard Gross as Hank’s dad who appears late in the film, Antonia Ribero as a young girl named Crissie, Timothy Eulich as the young girl’s father, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a fantastic small performance as Sarah as the object of Hank’s affection whom he carries pictures of her in his phone as he hopes to win her over as well as being Manny’s object of affection. Paul Dano is great as Hank Thompson as a young man stranded on an island as he copes with the disappointment in his life as well as being lonely as he struggles to get back into civilization as well as bring some meaning to his life and win Sarah’s affections. Finally, there’s Daniel Radcliffe in a sensational performance as Manny as a rotting corpse who comes to life and does things while trying to understand the ideas of life as it a physical yet endearing performance from Radcliffe who isn’t afraid to be an object also one that isn’t afraid to be funny and display emotion as it’s Radcliffe at his best.

Swiss Army Man is a phenomenal film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert that features great performances from Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano. Along with its weird and surreal premise, gorgeous visuals, and a hypnotic music score, the film is definitely a strange yet enchanting film about what a man will do to live but also find companionship through a farting corpse that comes to life. In the end, Swiss Army Man is an extraordinarily rich and witty film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

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© thevoid99 2018

Upstream Color

Written, directed, shot, scored, and co-edited by Shane Carruth, Upstream Color is a love story about two people whose lives are affected by an unknown parasite as they’re unaware of what is happening to them. The film is a complex tale revolving around the lives of two people as they are bewildered by their surroundings as well the parasite that’s affected them. Starring Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz. Upstream Color is an unusual yet exotic film from Shane Carruth.

The film is about a woman who was kidnapped and drugged by an unknown parasite as she loses everything where she connects with a man who seemed to have been afflicted by the same trauma as they deal with their surroundings. It’s a film that doesn’t have any kind of conventional plot though it does have a traditional narrative structure. Yet, it plays into the lives of two people afflicted by the experience of this unknown parasite as the first act is about a woman named Kris (Amy Seimetz) who is tasered and drugged by a thief who controls her to do things where she loses everything. A year later in the second act, she meets Jeff (Shane Carruth) who is divorced and was once a broker as he now works in a low-level job. The two begin a romance where they connect in strange ways but demons of their past would haunt them as they would try to find the answers in the film’s third act.

Shane Carruth’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way he conveys many of the images from his approach to framing and his emphasis on naturalism for many of the exterior scenes. Especially as Carruth uses surrealism to play with the story as if Kris and Jeff are unsure of what world they’re living in as they’ve been deeply affected by the parasites that were once in their bodies. Even in scenes where Carruth would match the actors in a frame in one scene with another one to play into that world of surrealism. There’s a lot of aspects of the film that plays like a strange guessing game as it includes the presence of a strange man (Andrew Sensenig) who is always recording natural sounds and taking care of pigs.

Serving as the cinematographer, co-editor, and music composer, Carruth adds a sense of naturalism to his images including lingering shots of nature as well as some very ethereal images of worms and parasites into the bodies. With the help of David Lowery, Carruth’s editing has this offbeat sense of rhythm and tone that plays into that feeling of uncertainty where it does become very effective in many of its dramatic moments. There‘s also elements of sci-fi in parts of the story where it is supported by Carruth‘s very intoxicating ambient-drenched score that plays into that sense of loss and confusion. Many of the images showcase Carruth’s strength as a filmmaker and as a storyteller where he doesn’t need to rely on dialogue and exposition to tell the story. Especially as he refuses to define the film into any genre as it is so much more in the way he conveys people dealing with trauma and loneliness. Overall, Carruth crafts a very ravishing yet enthralling film about two people who are connected by strange circumstances.

Production designer Tom Walker does amazing work with the look of the homes and hotel rooms that Jeff and Kris venture into as Walker also does some of strange visuals of the parasites and their effects into the body. Sound designer Johnny Marshall does brilliant work with the film’s sound as it is truly a work of art in terms of sound editing and mixing where it is this amazing collage of natural sounds meshed with one another as it is one of the film’s major highlights.

The casting by Kina Bale is fantastic as it features some notable small roles from Thiagos Martin as the mysterious thief who controls Kris in the film’s first act and Andrew Sensenig as the pig farmer/sound recorder who raises pigs while experimenting with the parasites on those pigs as he is a unique character. Shane Carruth is excellent as Jeff as this man who is trying to deal with failure as he is connected with Kris while trying to comprehend the repressed rage that’s been burning inside of him. Amy Seimetz is incredible as Kris as this woman who went through a traumatic experience as she becomes lost as she finds herself entranced by bizarre moments as she would be the one to look for clues into what is happening to her as it’s a very mesmerizing performance.

Upstream Color is a truly rapturous and seductive film from Shane Carruth that features a remarkable performances from Amy Seimetz. The film is definitely unlike anything that is out there while not being afraid to be unconventional and offbeat. Even as it blends all sorts of genres to get people engaged into a story as bizarre and surreal as it is though it does have some very compelling themes. In the end, Upstream Color is a magnificent film from Shane Carruth.

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© thevoid99 2014