Captain Fantastic
Captain Fantastic (2016)
For too long I was put off this film because of its title. I assumed it was a superhero film that didn’t belong to the Marvel Cinema Universe and thus didn’t see the point. I still wonder if the title was a mistake. As I’m not sure the character was fantastic. He was definitely living a fantasy; in that he’s leading a life away from reality. But is that a bad thing? Ah straight away the crux of the film! I was constantly at war with myself negotiating if his choices were admirable or not.
Viggo Mortensen plays the titular hero; a man raising his children in the wilderness, tutoring them in Marxism and Bach, training them to hunt for their dinner and sing for their supper. It makes you want to pick up Middlemarch. Or an instrument.
It’s an ideal watch for this isolation situation we find ourselves in. Particularly if you’re home-schooling and running out of ideas. Don’t hesitate to teach your kids to abseil a sheer rock face.
From someone who loves camping the Captain and his young crew lead an attractive life away from technological distractions, but you can also argue that his kids are missing out on some real world human interaction. It is a fun commentary on capitalism and a rejection of modern life; hotdogs, cola and all things Americana. (My dad would love this but he too cannot get past the title).
There is a scene around a dinner table which perfectly demonstrates how adults do or do not underestimate a child’s capacity to understand life. Tell them the simple truth or sugar coat it. It raises a fascinating debate if only in my head. I could’ve had an hour of this!
The cast is a joy. Viggo was Oscar nominated in 2017 for Best Leading Actor but it’s a team effort. All the kids are great, oddly enough with 1917’s George MacKay leadng the pack. But the supporting adults are brilliant too from Kathryn Hahn’s stable matriarch (familiar-face-who-you’ve-seen-in-loads of-stuff-but-you-don’t-know-what) to Frank Langella’s ever-menacing presence.
Written and directed by sinister character-actor Matt Ross he does such a good job he makes you want to up sticks and head for the nearest forest. Leafy Washington looks stunning. You know it’s excellent story telling when you gasp out loud fifteen minutes in because the foundations of character development have been so solidly laid.
Something dubious happens in the last act that is preposterous at best, and for that it is penalised one thumb. But all in all it’s an intriguing and enlightening character study of a family who just don’t want to play along with the Digital Age.
Often hilarious, thought provoking and touching give this a watch with some bbq food whilst sharing a bottle of red with your children!
8 Off-the-Grid Thumbs Up!
