Captain Fantastic (2016)
The Very Best
9.5
Movie
9.5
Anne Michaud
What it's about
The take
Former activists Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Leslie drop out from modern consumerist society to raise their six children in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. They teach them how to raise and kill their own food, to survive in nature through boot-camp-like workouts, and homeschool them in literature, music, and left-wing philosophy. Instead of Christmas, they celebrate Noam Chomsky's birthday. Then, one day, this unusual family life is shaken by a phone call and they are forced to leave their life of adventure to reintegrate into American life.
Directed by Matt Ross, who also brought you Good Night, and Good Luck, the film offers a poignant look at alternative living, the effects of modern technology, and the nature of good parenting. Viggo Mortensen is indeed fantastic as the grizzled father and was rightly nominated for a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Actor. George MacKay and the entire cast of “children” also deliver terrific performances. As emotionally raw and thought-provoking as it is funny, Captain Fantastic will have the viewer decide if Ben Cash is the best father in the world or the worst.
Comments
Took exactly 10 minutes and I turned it off. The usual American formula movie applied to common and predictable movie.. Change the name, the actors (make sure they are all good looking and adorable) and apply the formula, evoila, you got a movie. It’s the instant coffee version of Hollywood.
Loved it. Excellent movie
T
Theo
I was not impressed by this one. It basically was an overcooked version of Leave No Trace, which was much more subtle and memorable for me.
This one is extremely different from other films I’ve seen in the past. It’s actually quite sad, with a few chuckles in between. It’s definitely worth viewing.
I don’t think it deserves such a high rating. It was a good movie although quite slow. I’d rate it a 7
S
Sylvia
AGAIN NOT A COMEDY!
But a great movie. I agree with 345
VIEWER BEWARE….This is NOT a comedy! I had just watched a horror flick and wanted to end the night with a laugh so I clicked on Genre/Comedy. (which is precisely where I found this…under the category of comedy)
I hadn’t seen this so gave it a whirl hoping for some laughs.
To say the very least, they did not come.
The disappointment of not having any laughs is completely gone as this was a Fantastic (pun intended) movie! The cast in this movie were all picked to perfection. The story was very well balanced and one could very well see this scene playing out in real life.
Once it got rolling, I didn’t want the movie to end and I LOVE movies like that. No spoiler, but the ending is just what the movie deserved.
TIP: Watch this movie with a friend so you can talk about it after.
I would give this movie a 4.5 but since the website had me fooled with it being listed under comedy…I’ll pencil in a 4 star.
** SIDE NOTE Most comedy/dramas (in my opinion) should be watched going into with the thought process that it will be a serious movie with the possibility of a laugh or two scattered throughout.
So excellent! What a fascinating cast of characters, and a really touching story.
Absolutely fantastic movie. Fell in love Viggo Mortensen all over again.
Happpy Noam Chomsky Day!
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