Captain fantastic 2016

[Nico]

A father (Virgo Mortensen aka Aragorn) raises his six children, in the forest, away from the subversive control system. Reading, thinking, singing, hunting, climbing and taking shower under waterfalls, are part of their daily lives. It comes short when they learn their mother had commited a suicide at "the place where people go when they want to die" : the Hospital.

It's a very motivating movie, I wanted to be a part of their regression toward nature. The way of the father teach his children is unconcerned with complaints, always pointing toward inner knowingness and creativity. The children know everything, all societal themes are adressed and there is a pure fresh air of new ideas.
But the lessons that allows for the danse are always for two, and when they came back in the perfect controlled world, it gives very interesting associations of behavior. Using what you've learned to get out of difficult situations, not allowing yourself to play the same role all your life, and respecting the choice of others when they want to experience others things especially if it doesn't fit with your personnal values, are the lessons I see through this movie.

It's a good drama, maybe it will spin the Wheel higher.

If anybody wants to get back into nature with me, I live in France and I'm very interested to learn that part.

_https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_fantastic

 

[Zar]

I enjoyed this film as well, reminded me of my childhood(when I was living a similar life in terms of connectedness to nature and practical skills). (spoilers!!)I liked the abundance of information the kids had access to(and critical thinking) but found the "training" to be too harsh at times. I'm thinking this was probably presented as extreme to reveal the fathers drive to escape society and maybe escape his guilt for the death of the mother.

The way of the father teach his children is unconcerned with complaints, always pointing toward inner knowingness and creativity. The children know everything, all societal themes are adressed and there is a pure fresh air of new ideas.
But the lessons that allows for the danse are always for two, and when they came back in the perfect controlled world, it gives very interesting associations of behavior. Using what you've learned to get out of difficult situations, not allowing yourself to play the same role all your life, and respecting the choice of others when they want to experience others things especially if it doesn't fit with your personnal values, are the lessons I see through this movie.

I agree with your interpretation of the lessons, On i'd like to add (IMO) was the difference between information and knowledge. When it came to interacting with the "real world" the children had no little experience to root their information and assimilate it into knowledge, but they did posses the means to effectively and quickly learn about the world. I'd think teaching the children to be considerate of the truth to be important when dealing with the "real world".

Just some thoughts.

 

[Keit]

Wow, sounds like a refreshing and interesting movie. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Divide by Zero]

I enjoyed this film as well, reminded me of my childhood(when I was living a similar life in terms of connectedness to nature and practical skills). (spoilers!!)I liked the abundance of information the kids had access to(and critical thinking) but found the "training" to be too harsh at times. I'm thinking this was probably presented as extreme to reveal the fathers drive to escape society and maybe escape his guilt for the death of the mother.

snip

I agree with your interpretation of the lessons, On i'd like to add (IMO) was the difference between information and knowledge. When it came to interacting with the "real world" the children had no little experience to root their information and assimilate it into knowledge, but they did posses the means to effectively and quickly learn about the world. I'd think teaching the children to be considerate of the truth to be important when dealing with the "real world".

Just some thoughts.

I enjoyed the movie too and I agree.
It's shows what could be born of children who don't get the indoctrination that our psychopathic society instills in us.

We also see that not everything is so clear cut as the father tried to make it out to be.

 

[axj]

I liked this movie too in how it shows a more sane upbringing and contrasts it with what is considered to be "normal". Good actors too.

 

[Marina9]

I watched it yesterday, lovely movie! :) It gave me some laughs and at a point I had a teary eye hehe.

Thanks Nico!

 

[PhoenixToEmber]

I read a lot of raving reviews about this independent film over the past few months. I've been a fan of Viggo Mortensen for many years, not just of his acting abilities and because I'm a Lord of the Rings nerd, but because he's also a very intelligent, moral, and down-to-earth person if you pay attention to his interviews and public political positions over the years. I know he's very picky with his roles, so I knew if he agreed to star in this film then the script must have really caught his eye and that it was worth watching.

Finally watched it last night with Puck, and by the end of it I was filled with so much emotion and quite a lot to think about. Easily one of the best movies I've ever seen. Aside from Viggo's amazing performance, the rest of the cast was brilliant, especially the child actors. I think this movie is not only an excellent film but an important one. It raises a lot of significant issues about philosophy, society, political science, parenting and child-rearing, the education system, technology, love, family, death, mental illness, new beginnings and starting over, coming-of-age, the pros and cons of capitalism as well as socialism and Marxism. Not only is it a cerebral film, it's also quite emotional. It really makes you feel deeply for the characters, who are quite believable despite the unusual circumstances in which they live compared to the majority of people. It's pretty much a tragi-comedy - there's an excellent balance of serious, dark, philosophical, and intellectual themes mixed with humor and heart-warming moments of real human connection. The script was outstanding, and every scene seemed so well thought-out and deliberately executed for a specific purpose.

A heads up to anyone who may be put off by such things: There's some cursing in the film (nothing over-the-top or out of the ordinary) and there's one brief scene where you see Viggo nude (full-frontal), although I think it was done in a tasteful, non-sexual way for the purpose of illustrating the character's 'liberation' mindset and philosophy of life, and just how different he is from the society he intentionally fled and isolated himself from.

If you get a chance to see this movie I highly recommend it. It raises so many points worth discussing. I think Captain Fantastic is destined to become a classic.

 

[Cyre2067]

It was really good. A dramatic dark comedy which becomes a conversation with the viewer about how to raise kids and the effect society has on us. It's also captivating: the screenwriting, acting, direction all top-notch. We watch as one man with rather extreme isolationist views clashes with society as family processes the loss of his wife, and their mother. The dialogue is really funny at times and the characters are all really well fleshed-out.

In a way it becomes a treaty on off-the-grid living juxtaposed with the normal 9-5 lifestyle, the pros and cons of both and it answers the question can a healthy medium be achieved? There's no fluff, the script was really well-edited so that the pacing of the film feels tight, and there's just enough tension to keep the viewer invested - I found myself wondering what was going to happen to this family?

Highly recommended.

 

[maiko]

I always love to read other people’s reviews and the impulses that come out of the different perspectives people have on films and books. I would therefore like to add a slightly different perspective on Captain Fantastic, if you don’t mind.

Last year I saw the film without knowing what I was going to see. At first I was enjoying the fantastic independent setting in the woods, the jokes and the genuine approach in the way the father taught his kids. How enriching would it be for children to experience so much different impulses, to learn self-organized, creatively and hands-on. So strongly connected to one another, their parents, nature. And of course this resonated with a dream of wanting to break out of conventions and fulfill your dream of living according to your ideals.

Over the film I must confess my perspective changed.
For one I thought it sad that concepts of life differing from the mainstream mostly come in the guise of the weird outcast. I know it is for the story’s sake but still I didn’t like how a less informed viewer just ridicules the character of the father as a concept. But I think we must be thankful for every movie giving glimpses of different views on life and politics.

And I really couldn’t help but feel that the father was quite self-seeking and egoistic in the way he arranged the life of his family. Yes, he raised beautiful, intelligent and smart kids who quickly adapted to the world they entered when leaving the woods. But still there was the feeling that he somehow limited their experiences and without the external influence (the mother’s funeral) he would have kept them tucked away from other influences even longer. Besides all the politics and philosophy he so refreshingly taught in contradiction to what regular schools teach, I got a bit realistic and thought that as a teenager you want to come into contact with other people your age and you have to gain your own experience. You have to learn lessons to grow.
There was a development in the whole family dynamic but the storyline lost me shortly before the beautifully set ending.

Yes, it was a great movie that leaves one with a lot to think about. But still it scratches only a surface and some aspects where rather dark and left me at unease.
Nevertheless I am happy I watched the film and would recommend it for watching movies and talking.

 

[Niall]

Great movie, I really enjoyed it.

While gritty and 'realistic' at times, it was 'fantastic' in some regards (obviously, it's a movie!). The relationship dramas were nevertheless plausible and richly instructive in highlighting what passes for 'modern life' on Earth today. When the 'wild kids' of this unusual family meet their 'normal' relatives for the first time, the contrast in abilities to cope with reality - most importantly, emotionally - were as supermen to zombies. In other regards, it was the reverse; their isolation from the world meant they lacked skills needed to face life as it is, as opposed to what their parents had idealized it to be. The movie leads you through their coming to terms with that clash of realities before reaching a new equilibrium and a satisfactory ending.