Captain Fantastic (2016)

Captain Fantastic (2016)

7/10

Starring

Viggo Mortensen

Frank Langella

Kathryn Hahn

Steve Zahn

Directed by Matt Ross

Captain Fantastic has a name that will probably not attract you to give this movie a shot, but please do. The movie is a dramatic portrayal of a single dad trying to make the best children he can, with the fear that they would never be prepared enough for what is out there.

The movie plays on your emotion, with many sentimental parts all tied up together to make you go aww. None regardless, the movie’s dramatic showcase is entertaining and thrilling as we see the struggles a father faces as he raises his six (6) children away from civilization. He home schools them to a higher standard than their pairs, teaching them survival skills and hand-to-hand combat.

His children can on their own hunt, cook and survive in the woods by themselves.

Virgo Mortensen’s performance as a father of six reminds me of Captain von Trapp in the musical classic Sound of Music, where Christopher Plummer who plays the Captain tries to raise his kids the best way he knows how. Ben (Virgo Mortensen) also attempts to make the best out of his kids the best way he knows how.

The smaller children acting performance are to die for, not taking anything away from Virgo his performance is memorable, but the child actors left a mark and I looked forward to seeing them as they made me wish my children would be as strong and courageous as these little ones.

The movie did very well at different film festivals winning awards with Matt Ross winning a directorial award at the Cannes Film Festival of this year.

The movie introduces us to Ben (Virgo Mortensen) and his family as they celebrate his eldest son passage to manhood. We see him and his family hunt and cook what they killed as they lived together in the woods. Sad news hit them as their mother (Ben’s wife) killed herself, she had a mental illness and was in the psych hospital.

Ben’s manner of raising his children involved telling them the truth and not afraid nor does he stop them from saying their mind or cursing.

Ben contacted his wife’s father for his wife’s body so he can cremate her according to her wishes, bur Jack (the wife’s father) kicked against the idea, blaming ben for her death and promised to have him arrested if he shows up for the funeral. Ben and his children crashed the funeral and those actions and further actions will probably lead to him losing his beloved children.

The movie had a very fun and welcomed twist in the end.