Captain Fantastic
Wanna hear something crazy? One of the best actors of all time (and one of my icons), Viggo Mortensen, has not been in a film I’ve seen in a cinema since 2003 and The Return of the King. Well the King has returned once more!
Captain Fantastic is a dramatic comedy written & directed by Matt Ross. Viggo is Ben Cash, a man with a head full of philosophical unconventionality who raises his children in the forest them rationalism and survival skills. Things get complicated when the children’s mother dies and they are forced by a duty to their philosophy to stop her funeral.
I don’t care how hipster you are, a gas mask is scary!
In every aspect of this film’s construction, something sublime can be found. The direction is smooth and crisp. The comedy is truly hilarious. The young actors playing the children are fantastic without exception. On top of that we get a near career-best performance from Mortensen.
With that said, a film is more than the sum of its parts.
This is a fascinating character study of someone whose philosophy is well-read, rejecting society for its many flaws. In several scenes he is proved to be right when we see how bright and athletic his kids are, particularly when compared to other kids.
However, what stops Captain Fantastic from going into pretentious territory deriding parents for the way they raise their children, is the clear admission that this form of living does raise significant problems. These kids have nothing to work with when they grow up and rejoin the imperfect world the Captain protected them from.
Overall, a quirky, moving and thought-provoking little hipster drama.
Recommended Scenario: If you want a more overt version of Little Miss Sunshine with the always brilliant Mr Viggo.
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