Plot: 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.
Director: Matt Ross
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler
Released: 2016
If you liked: Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit, One Day Like Rain
I was most assuridly late to the Captain Fantastic party, A movie that presents the audience with a series of emotionally packed scenes, with those depicting the mother’s illness and any focusing on teenage angst being particularly emotionally charged, all of which wrapped around a plot that moves along at just the right pace.
When it comes to the performances, everyone is perfect and it’s easy to see that they are all committed to their roles. Viggo Mortensen is his usual excellent self. You can clearly his struggle as a father attempting to come to terms with the fact that the way he is bringing up his children might not be the best for them and maybe more structure is needed, while the child actors all do amazingly, especially George MacKay long before his turn in 1917.
Matt Ross’s direction throughout was pitch-perfect, it’s clear to see he’s landed on the perfect style for the story, while the script works because all the unnecessary elements were stripped out coupled with perfect editing.
With the exception of some patchy CGI at the beginning and one scene where the events require you to suspend your disbelief, Captain Fantastic doesn’t have much wrong with it and has a lot going for it, including a wonderfully thought-provoking, lighthearted and playful beat and performances that resonate with our wish to find the right path in life.
Roses Have Thoughts 
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