(Song of the day: Nine Cats from One The Sunday of Life... by Porcupine Tree)
This wasn't intended to be a movie review. It's just a facebook post that ended up being longer than expected. I don't feel like writing about it anymore.
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Swiss Army Man, to me, was more beautiful than it was absurd. I didn't see that coming from the trailer.
The non-superficial aspects of the human experience are, in my opinion, not easy but easier to talk or write about than show in a movie; with just what people do and say - superficial things.* It requires more empathy from the viewer than good writing requires of the reader. And when movies do a good job of it, the experiences dealt with tend to be not very deep, and/or common and easy to empathize with.
</fbpost>
This wasn't intended to be a movie review. It's just a facebook post that ended up being longer than expected. I don't feel like writing about it anymore.
<fbpost>
Swiss Army Man, to me, was more beautiful than it was absurd. I didn't see that coming from the trailer.
The non-superficial aspects of the human experience are, in my opinion, not easy but easier to talk or write about than show in a movie; with just what people do and say - superficial things.* It requires more empathy from the viewer than good writing requires of the reader. And when movies do a good job of it, the experiences dealt with tend to be not very deep, and/or common and easy to empathize with.
The exceptions are movies with a good narrative voice (with an insight
here and there), or conversational movies where people actually talk
'about' the experiences (like Before Sunrise).
This movie is kind of like that, with the characters actually conversing about (or experiencing together) stuff ranging from the comparatively weak 'why would you say no to something that makes you happy?' and 'we label the uncommon as weird' to loneliness, daydreams (not just the absurd or abnormal kind), stalking, associations we make in our heads between things (non-spoiler example: like say a location and the weather/mood you were in when you first visited the place)**, the potential emptiness of obligatory relationships, etc, etc. Things not all of us can empathize with, or have made notice of. All while being absurd and beautiful and, as and where intended, occasionally funny. And the a cappella soundtrack is on point too. Wow wowwow wowwow wowwow... ayy ayy ayy ayy ayy.... pra da do pra da do...
Not for everyone though, especially if you find the trailer gross instead of absurd.
PS: A24 has been making a good brand name with me. Check out their portfolio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A24_(company) The Spectacular Now, Room(!), Swiss Army Man, a few other movies that I wanted to watch but missed, a few movies I'm looking forward to.
*Movies are better than writing at showing, say, 'how happy or sad' someone is, not at showing 'happy or sad how'.
**The association thing has been coming up a lot in my writing notes recently. Maybe I'll actually do something with those.
This movie is kind of like that, with the characters actually conversing about (or experiencing together) stuff ranging from the comparatively weak 'why would you say no to something that makes you happy?' and 'we label the uncommon as weird' to loneliness, daydreams (not just the absurd or abnormal kind), stalking, associations we make in our heads between things (non-spoiler example: like say a location and the weather/mood you were in when you first visited the place)**, the potential emptiness of obligatory relationships, etc, etc. Things not all of us can empathize with, or have made notice of. All while being absurd and beautiful and, as and where intended, occasionally funny. And the a cappella soundtrack is on point too. Wow wowwow wowwow wowwow... ayy ayy ayy ayy ayy.... pra da do pra da do...
Not for everyone though, especially if you find the trailer gross instead of absurd.
PS: A24 has been making a good brand name with me. Check out their portfolio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A24_(company) The Spectacular Now, Room(!), Swiss Army Man, a few other movies that I wanted to watch but missed, a few movies I'm looking forward to.
*Movies are better than writing at showing, say, 'how happy or sad' someone is, not at showing 'happy or sad how'.
**The association thing has been coming up a lot in my writing notes recently. Maybe I'll actually do something with those.
