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.

Written & Directed: Matt Ross
Original Score: Alex Somers
Cinematographer: Stéphane Fontaine (Jackie)
Editor: Joseph Krings

Production Designer: Russel Barnes (Sweet Tooth)

Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: R, for language and brief graphic nudity
Starring: 

    Viggo Mortensen as Ben

Plot

Captain Fantastic begins boldly in the midst of a fantasy realized; one we all share, I imagine. Saying "Fuck this," and upending our entire lives when the trials of life become overbearing. Ben moved his entire life and family out into the wilderness, completely isolated from society. A wonderful cast of novice actors make up his very feral children, learning academics as well as survival skills.

However life finds a way to complicate things, and so Ben and his family are dragged back into society for a cross country mission. Along the way, Ben and his family are challenged in ways they never thought they would be. The movie is filled with wonderful discussions on philosophy, politics, and literature and I loved every minute of it.

Soundtrack & Score

The soundtrack they managed to put together for this film is intelligently done. While there aren't any major recognizable songs, upon reflection I think what they did put in was perfect for the film. These ranged all the way from a litany of classical compositions to a wonderful cover of Guns N' Roses. I found it to be quite charming. Solid 8/10.

I found the score to be rather underwhelming. Nothing of note from the freshman composer. 5.5/10

Cinematography

It is a tricky to alternate between the wilderness and modern suburban life, it is even more so to use the camera as a tool to differentiate these two different worlds. Fontaine rides through these challenges without fail, creating meaningful vistas and even some beautiful views of city life.  Much of the movie takes place on a bus, which I might have viewed as a hindrance before this. Instead, the bus (affectionately named Steve) becomes this third much more intimate world, and the closeness becomes an asset. A wonderful job from the freshman cinematographer. 8.5/10

Final Thoughts & Overall Rating

Viggo was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Ben, his second of three total nominations. I also was surprised to learn that Viggo was never nominated for an Oscar for portraying Aragorn, how fucked is that? Not even for Return of the King??
Regardless, I absolutely believe he deserved the nomination. Perhaps it is his beard, but I will admit that I had trouble seeing him as not Aragorn more than I did for The Green Book (another wonderful film he stars in). However Ben is nothing like the King of Gondor, and the second that clicked for me I was just enthralled by his performance. For being 57 when this movie came out, he pulls of the father role extremely well, and plays off all the kids quirks. The kids all being novel actors were wonderful as well.

Overall, 8.5/10

Beaux Score: 9/10. "I really liked it. Grave robbing is always a plus."

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas! 

(Land of Spoilers)

Be warned traveler! Here be the death of joy for the uninitiated!

Out of all references this film managed to cram in, the literature ones were my favorite. If you're looking for an early hint at what Matt Ross really thinks of Ben, pay attention to the Lolita discussion about 1/3rd way through. Unlike the child molester who does not grow as a person in Lolita, Ben the semi-child abuser does change in the end, doing at all times what he believes is best for his children.

On a completely different & final note, this image of Viggo.