Swiss Army Man

Like many who’ve been to see Swiss Army Man - a film by Daniels - I left with a big smile on my face and absolutely no conceivable way to explain why. So reviewing this film could be kind of challenging. At first glance, it seems just like any other farting corpse movie, but it’s oh so much more.

Hank (Paul Dano) has been stuck on a deserted island for so long that he’s finally decided to end it all. Standing on an esky beneath a grotto and with his head in a noose, his death is interrupted by a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) that washes ashore. A farting corpse. Hank rides the corpse across the ocean, powered by flatulence, to a beach surrounded by wilderness. He’s closer to home but still has a long way to go. Then everything changes when he finds out that the corpse can talk. It also has a name; Manny, and Manny wants to learn about all the things he’s been missing out on as a dead man. What follows is 90 minutes of magical boners, Paul Dano in a wig, Daniel Radcliffe’s arsehole, many many more farts and one of the best films of the year thus far.

It’s difficult to say much more about Swiss Army Man, other than that it’s one of the most unique cinematic experiences in recent memory, and deserves huge credit for managing to do that and still be entertaining and accessible to most people. In an era where films are funded based on commercial viability and how much fan service they can pack in, original content like this is frustratingly difficult to come by.

At its heart, it’s a buddy comedy, and one of the better ones in recent years, but it also has a surprisingly profound message about just being who you want to be, no matter what others think. It’s short but sweet and doesn’t purposefully try to overreach the limits naturally imposed on it by genre. Yet it’s so much more nuanced and entertaining than most other films that rely on this sort of crude humor, thanks to the way that it flips it on its head. The lead performances are both fantastic, and whilst I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t cast an already dead actor, I’m in agreement with many in saying that this is Radcliffe’s best performance to date. Especially when you consider just how challenging the role would have been.

Staying on that train of thought, if you have any experience or knowledge of film-making you’d understand some of the unique challenges involved with certain scenes in Swiss Army Man, and full credit to cinematographer Larkin Seiple, because it looks great and is complimented with some astoundingly well executed editing. It also has a beautifully (here comes that word again) original soundtrack that actually interacts with the film in a really (and here’s the other) unique and interesting way.

It’s a movie that by the filmmaker’s own description tries to make you laugh at the first fart, cry with the last; and in a weird way it kind of achieves that. If I had to nitpick, I think the beginning could give people the wrong impression, and could explain some of the disrespectful walkouts it’s supposedly received, and whilst I’m so glad they didn’t choose the cop-out option that I had feared, the ending could probably have been stronger. But there’s really not a lot to complain about here. To sum it up in one word, majestic.

There’s no other way to put it, I loved Swiss Army Man. It’s sharp, funny, clever and original in every sense of the word. I don’t expect everybody who sees it to love it but if you’re even remotely interested then you should absolutely check it out, otherwise what the hell is the point of trying to make original movies. F*ck the sequels/remakes/reboots, embrace the farting corpse!

Youth

Paolo Sorrentino's third film Youth ruminates on the qualities of a long life lived, much like his last film The Great Beauty. In fact, you could say that this film is just a straight remake for an English language audience. Despite this, Sorrentino uses a new cast of actors in a new location deftly enough to make an extremely memorable film.

Retired composer Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) is taking a vacation in the Swiss Alps with his old friend and director Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), who is there with a team of writers trying to work on his next film. Also staying at the hotel is young actor Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) who is getting ready for his next role and famous former football star the South American (Roy Serrano), a thinly veiled allusion to Diego Maradona. During his vacation, Fred is forced to reflect on his life, fame and regret over not being a good father to his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz).

Once again, Sorrentino is able to create characters who have a lot of depth that don't leave me wanting to know more. It could be anyone from Fred to the masseuse (Luna Zimic Mijovic) and I have all I need about them, sometimes through as little exposition as possible. What he does like to do though is have heavy monologue and dialogue scenes that come out of nowhere. The fantastic dialogues between Fred and Queen Elizabeth's emissary (Alex Macqueen) and a show stopping sequence between Mick and actress Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda) are amazingly indulgent, but it is an emotional monologue from Rachel Weisz early in the film that caught my attention and reaffirmed for me why she is such a superb actor.

Sorrentino's regular cinematographer Luca Bigazzi returns for a third time and does just a spectacular job making the film beautiful. Where The Great Beauty used the streetscapes of Rome as it setting, the breathtaking vistas of the Swiss Alps are the focus and Bigazzi does an amazing job at showing off these views. Another thing I love about Sorrentino's films are the cutaways he uses between sequences. This time they focused largely on the nightly entertainment for the guests, the bizarre habits of some of the residents and even the scratchy violin practice of a young boy.

Ultimately though, this film is a pretty solid reimagining of The Great Beauty, but made more accessible for an English-speaking audience. This isn't a bad thing however, although I have a feeling a lot of people might see this film and think it is a mash-up of The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Lobster.

Love & Mercy

Bill Pohlad's biopic of The Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson is not only an enjoyable film about the life of a dark, tortured individual, but also a refreshing take on the structure and style that biopics are usually delivered. In the film, Wilson is portrayed by two actors, Paul Dano and John Cusack, both at different stages of his life.

In the 1960s, Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) is looking to take a break from touring with the Beach Boys and stay in the studio to focus on writing what he thinks will be a masterpiece. When the band returns from their tour, they are less than satisfied with his results, especially his cousin Mike Love (Jake Abel). Also affecting his relationships is the fact that Brian begins to display signs of strangeness, caused mainly by mental illness and drug abuse. In the 1980s, Brian (John Cusack) is a broken man who is under the spell of sinister psychotherapist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), who controls Brian's every move. When Brian meets and begins to date car saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), does she recognise the abusive situation that Brian is in and tries to get him out.

Pohlad has created both a visually stunning and creatively invigorating film. The two timelines of the film complement each other perfectly despite not having any interaction or crossover apart from the character of Wilson. The timelines also have their own unique visual palates, with the 60s having a fun, bright and colourful look (while the studio sequences have been filmed with 16mm cameras to give a fly on the wall feel) and the 80s has an almost muted look, but not drained of colour. The tones of the timeline also play off each other well, with the 60s matching fun that the band was having, while the 80s plays into the fear that Brian was experiencing.

I've never been a huge Beach Boys fan, but I definitely know their music. After watching this movie, half of which is set during the recording of the now classic album Pet Sounds, I have a better appreciation of the conditions a lot of these bands made their records under, as well as the personal stresses some went through. Wilson is a completely sympathetic character throughout the entire film and in each era has his external critics (Love and Landy).

Whilst having multiple actors portray the same character is no new territory (the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There had six actors portray the singer), Love & Mercy splits the two different actors into two distinct characters. Pohlad allowed both Dano and Cusack to play Wilson in their own way, but did not let them interact whilst making the film, lest they influence each other. This really works for the benefit of the film because the two styles are completely different. Dano works exceptionally well as the excited young Wilson, who is ultimately frustrated and confused by his illness. Cusack is phenomenal as the older Wilson and is really playing against type of the films of his youth, like Say Anything and High Fidelity. Both actors have such strong and diverse careers that have given them skills that shine through in this role.

Whilst Elizabeth Banks has never intrigued me much as an actor, as Melinda she really shows off her talents as someone who can tackle hard hitting dramatic roles. Paul Giamatti is once again perfect and so scary as the evil Eugene Landy. His performances as evil characters are always chilling to watch. Stage actor Bill Camp also brings a terrifying performance as Wilson's father Murry.

Even if you don't like The Beach Boys music, Love & Mercy is a great film to watch about a heartbreaking story. Both Dano and Cusack give superb performances that will stay with me for a long time.

Director Appreciation: Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson is truly a modern auteur in every sense of the word. In his career spanning nearly two decades has consistently made films that are both critically acclaimed and crowd pleasers. His penchant for long sweeping narratives with lots of characters is one of his films defining traits, along with vibrant visuals and the odd long take, that usually follows one or more characters through an amazing set piece.

Like Wes Anderson, P.T.A. is known for his collaborations with many actors on his films, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzmán, William H. Macy and, most recently, Joaquin Phoenix. He has also directed actors to give some truly career defining performances, most notably Daniel Day-Lewis (it's a performance that really sticks out in a career of amazing ones) and Adam Sandler (who surprised everyone).

Anderson's main themes used throughout his films are dysfunctional families, alienation and loneliness. Most of his characters are flawed and seek to redeem themselves from these flaws through their interaction with others.

Boogie Nights (1997)
"I'm a star. I am a big, bright, shining star."


Anderson has spoken openly about the amount of porn he watched in his teenage years to inspire the making of this film. It chronicles the meteoric rise of young porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), as he rises to fame in the adult film world, mentored by producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds).
























As much as this is a film about the Golden Era of Pornography in the late 1970s, it can also be viewed as modern tragedy with an almost dynastic feel to it, as Dirk is taken in by an unlikely family that rises and falls. Toward the end of the film there are some really scary scenes where the characters reach desperate times and do whatever they can to stay in the lives they have created for themselves and realise life is harder than they wanted it to be.

The film sports some amazing performances, including that of its star Mark Wahlberg. Although he'd been in movies before this one, it's his performance as Dirk that really shows that he had some great skills when it came to being a serious actor. John C. Reilly gives one of my favourite performances of his as fellow actor Reed Rothchild and Phil Hoffman is just hilarious as Scotty, a sound guy who falls in love with Dirk. That's not to mention other great performances offered up by Julianne Moore, Heather Graham and Don Cheadle.

Punch Drunk Love (2002)
"I have a love in my life and that makes me stronger than anything you can imagine."



















Barry Egan (Sandler) is a timid, shy and single man who owns a warehouse that markets novelty items. He has seven sisters who all abuse him emotionally to the point of lashing out. One day he meets Lena (Emily Watson), whom he falls in love with immediately. Barry is also being extorted by a phone sex operator, whose boss is the explosive Dean Trumbell (Phil Hoffman again).

The world that Anderson has created with this film is extremely developed. Barry wears a blue suit for the whole movie and it is hinted that this is the first time that he has worn the suit, leading you to think what he usually wears that makes this such a surprise for the other characters. The film also has an exceptionally intriguing subplot in which Barry discovers that he can get around a loophole in a coupon deal for cheap air miles by buying extremely large quantities of chocolate pudding, leading to a superb little dance in a supermarket aisle and me thinking if he isn't slightly autistic.

The film has a surreal quality to it, with vibrant colours distorting the frame constantly, as well as lens flares that would make J.J. Abrams blush. Most of the music adds to the feeling; the main music is played on a harmonium, which gives the film a calming quality. The calmness is intercut with high intensity sounds that are repeated (I wouldn't necessarily call it music) at times when the characters are under pressure.

Every so often Adam Sandler offers up a performance that proves he can beyond shabbadoo and it takes a director like Anderson or Judd Apatow with Funny People (2009) to bring it out of him. Barry is a nervous, compulsive character and Sandler handles him well. Phil Hoffman's Dean Trumbell is an amazing powder-keg of a man and although Hoffman is only on screen for a total of five minutes, he leaves a lasting impression.

There Will Be Blood (2007)
"There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get at it except for me!"

For most audiences, the idea of a movie about oil drilling, especially in the early 1900s, would sound incredibly boring. But when a director such as Anderson combines forces with an actor like Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the greatest actors alive, it makes for an extremely captivating movie.

Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) is an oil baron who has oil drilling operations all around the state of California. His attention is brought to a possible oil claim in the small settlement of Little Boston, where he buys a ranch from the Sunday family, where he believes the oil is. He soon comes to confront Eli Sunday, one of the sons and pastor of the community's parish.

This is Anderson's best film. It looks at both dysfunctional families and greed. As the film progresses, Daniel does more and more heinous things to increase his wealth, whilst becoming more and more distant from his adopted son, H.W. Day-Lewis gives his only Oscar-worthy performance in this movie, he is absolutely terrifying to watch. Paul Dano gives an equally good performance as the pious Eli Sunday.

The Master (2012)
"If you figure out a way to live without serving a master, any master, then let us know, will you? For you'd be the first person in the history of the world."

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is an alcoholic WWII veteran who is struggling to find purpose after the war. He crosses paths with Lancaster Dodd (Phil Hoffman), the charismatic leader of a philosophical movement known as "The Cause." Freddie soon gets caught up in this movement and sees a great man in Dodd.

The parallels between this movie and the origin of the Church of Scientology are present and in a way too big to ignore, but Anderson is making a much broader statement about the nature of man. The fact that Freddie needs a master like he is some sort of animal shows that man would be aimless without a person in an authority position. When Freddie leaves the embrace of the group, he has no idea what to do with himself.

Although Joaquin Phoenix is the lead actor in the film, Hoffman steals all the scenes he is in. Dodd is an intensely complex character who only wants what is best for his family and his followers, but you can really see that he feeds off the power he gets from being in front of a crowd.