John Williams' main theme for "Jurassic Park" is one of the best pieces of film score ever composed. In just about 8 minutes, it speaks of a world of opportunity, one that has optimism and a place for all beings: a world of wonder and indefinite fantasy. The soundtrack for "Swiss Army Man" is mostly comprised of acapellas, and its most defining piece is an acapella ode to the Jurassic Park theme, hummed with utter beauty by Daniel Radcliffe (Music by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell). In similar essense, the scene when this piece comes up is also one of sheer magnificence, a point of immense hope in the film's narrative.
With "Swiss Army Man", writer-director pair Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert weave up a gorgeous confluence of visual, sound, and design artistry - all fused together by a keen editor's eye (sharp work by Matthew Hannam). I don't quite know how they have struck upon the idea for the film but if there's a word to describe it, I think "phantasmagorical" would fit the bill. A man (Paul Dano) rowing a boat gets stranded on a desolate island. With no rescue or help in sight, he decides to commit suicide - stopping to inspect a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) he finds on the beach. But this is no ordinary dead body, it farts, it becomes a reservoir for rain water, it becomes a compass, it has utility: a Swiss Army Man.
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Consider a painter specializing in modern art whose canvasses are the work of bold, broad brush strokes. The strokes reek of vivid colors, combinations, and contrasts that are equal parts mesmerising, shocking, and otherworldly. Yet these are not mere strokes of color, they combine to portray layer upon layer of sly and playful insinuations - interwoven windows overlooking the myriad corners of humanity. And finally, the points where the different strokes meet are themselves masterclasses in clarity: deliberate, punctuated, and effective. This briefly sums Yorgos Lanthimos' exquisite body of work, particularly, "The Favourite".
A lot has been written about how wonderfully this film works and the prime reasons behind it. John Krasinski's clever plot (co-written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods) makes great use of sound as a device to stage some real horror. Yet it never loses sight of some poignant emotion tied in with the family central to it. One movie that comes to mind, with regards to such fine balance of clever thrills and emotion, is Hitchcock's "Rear Window". Sure there's jump scares and cheap thrills aplenty, but the movie makes it a point to rise above them. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are at their usual effective selves but surprise comes in the form of the terrific Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. And did I mention the movie's use of sound and what a riot it would have been designing that for the film, with a fabulous soundtrack by Marco Beltrami?
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Read MoreAtlantic CityAtlantic City says so much about two people in a relationship, without saying too much.
BooksmartA comedy that is fun, while being just good cinema in the first place.
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