Captain Fantastic (2016)

In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.

Jess' Review

went into Captain Fantastic expecting a quirky, Wes Anderson-style, feel-good flick. What I got was a nearly two hour debate over the proper way to parent. Sam and I clashed, and are still not talking to each other.

Viggo Mortensen plays Ben, a father of six, raising his brood out in the wilderness. Their unorthodox lifestyle focuses on education and physical prowess, and is completely extreme in its nature. To quote his exasperated sister, Harper (Kathryn Hahn), this way of living is “ridiculous.” And I wholeheartedly agree. If that makes me a consumerist pig then so be it. Oink oink motherf-cker. I was losing my mind at Ben’s continued isolation of his children from the real world, and the fire was only further stoked by Sam.

Now I do see the appeal of living without electronics and other frivolous distractions of society. I think education and fitness are important, as are knowing some basic survival skills. But everything about Ben is extreme. And Mortensen plays this role with a quiet intensity, his militant beliefs overshadowed by his love for his family. Despite this, I hated his character. And I can’t quite work out if I’m meant to or not. But I did and found the film infuriating to watch at times due to his pretentious, preachy nature. It reminded me of a cult.

The acting was great though, especially from the younger cast, and there were some fantastic visuals. I found the plot engaging (despite my continued frustration) albeit a little slow at times. It made me think and questioned my own beliefs, quickly realising that 1. I couldn’t live like the Cash family, and 2. I don’t think anyone should. Ben’s enforcement of this lifestyle is wrong, and I truly sympathised with angry Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton), and Bo (George McKay). They gave fantastic performances in their few solo scenes, and their need to escape completely resonated with me.

Captain Fantastic also touches on themes of mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. I found this storyline heartbreaking, and executed with great care. Director Matt Ross plays with the audiences emotions well, provoking thought (and clearly, debate, in Sam and I’s case!) in issues ranging from parenting and healthcare to societal values and philosophy. But at its core, the film has a great deal of warmth. They’re a family - dysfunctional, yes - but held together by love and loyalty. Despite moments of discomfort, I did see the heart in Captain Fantastic. Despite what this (rant?) review might suggest, it was actually pretty damn good.

Captain Fantastic is beautifully made with thought, depth and charm. It was refreshingly different to the Hollywood norm and I’m glad that we watched it.

7.5/10

---

Sam's Review

I went into this believing it to be an uplifting film about an eccentric parent doing his best to raise his children. Wrong. Instead it was a film about an eccentric parent confronting what it means to raise children properly. A little less uplifting, a little more thought-provoking.

Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Ben Cash, an at times pretentious, yet thoughtful father, is brilliant. His quiet persona, even while dealing with his grief is subtle and yet potent. And though it is increasingly difficult to like him, I find myself wanting to.

A few things didn’t make sense to me. Certain reunions happen for no real reason, which is disappointing, as you wonder if they’re just there for a ‘feel good’ factor. And the film dragged, especially at the beginning where not much seemed to be happening and there wasn’t much in the way of a story. In fact, the story, while present, was subdued, that seemed to tie together plenty of stimulating scenes, that had Jess and I arguing.

Here’s the obvious truth about parenting, albeit from someone who is not a parent, nobody gets a manual. Parents are simply humans (hopefully) trying their best to work it out. And that much is clear in Cash’s extreme parenting style. What isn’t clear is why he’s so rigid. His inability to compromise is bizarre at times, which is especially confusing for someone who studies philosophy as thoroughly as he does. He’s not wrong, though Jess would disagree, he’s simply too extreme. He challenges capitalism, the food industry and education, disgruntled as he finds them greedy, poisoned and failing. And, he's right. I have a lot of opinions on this, but I'll sum them up by saying, I think Cash's point is correct, but there is a compromise that stops us from living isolated in the woods. The film did a good job of making me question society, though I am not sure if it did a good enough job to inspire change.

I wouldn't call it fantastic, but I guess calling it Captain Pretty-Darn-Good didn't have the same ring.

7/10