Captain Fantastic

A unique example of a film that impresses me and pisses me off in a single minute, but it's hard to resist the fact that acting and directing sometimes dragged me to the side of this Platonic idealism mixed with peppery ideological goulash. Manipulative yes, clueless at the end, but at the level of the intimate story of a tyrannical father and emancipating children, but the film is not far from the much purer and simpler magic of Fierce Creatures. Mortensen? This guy is not in the top league. He established his own a long time ago. He carries the film to a large extent despite all the considerable problems. An inspiring mix of resistance and sympathy. [75%] (23/07/2016)

51st KVIFF - completely off the mark. In a rational person, the “funny” sequences will probably arouse concern and fear. That psychopath commanding a radical, potentially terrorist cell in the forest should end up behind bars, instead of back in the family circle in the style of “we all love each other”. When it looks like the voice of reason will prevail (Frank Langella’s), it ends up being flushed down the toilet. I’m allergic to this alternative stuff, so I was hostile against this film from the beginning. The rating might be too harsh, but it comes from the heart. If you feel otherwise, you’ll be satisfied. (08/07/2016)

An independent American road movie that goes against the global system every one of us lives in and more or less functions. It actually tells a story of a family that calls itself Trockians and that bought a piece of land in some Canadian forest. There they built two wooden buildings and live there happily, educate themselves and all in all, are very proactive. Well, and after the movie started with a pretty brutal scene (a hunt), it slowed down quite pleasantly afterward. But throughout, the movie confronts the world of the family (a dad and 6 children) in the middle of the mountains, forests, and rivers with our world and how much we are distancing ourselves from nature. Even though we arose from it. So I understood fully the director’s intentions who, for example, illustrates how today’s kids have fun and learn with the example of 2 consumerist children. Computer games, violence, and phones. All the while they know nothing about the world. This doesn’t mean I am agreeing with Viggo Mortensen, who gave an otherworldly performance but also tried a different, completely opposite extreme. There is everything in the movie. Great camera work, locations, music, all acting performances… I actually don’t know why I did not give it a full score. Maybe because their life in the wilderness was too idealized. It actually looked better than any Czech cottage. Finally, I want to thank the creators of Scope100 and Aerofilms that I had the chance to see this movie in the Bio Oko cinema. Thanks. (07/06/2016)

Agitprop? Nope. Perhaps at first glance, it’s a clueless-looking road movie in the end, but without unnecessary pathos it both praises and denounces the strength of family togetherness, which can reconcile the pitfalls of socialism and the exploitation of capitalism. This will still mature intellectually. 4 ½. (10/10/2016)

I ignored this one for a long time, but after watching it I'm almost tempted to go up to 5 stars. I don't think anyone will forget this family that has lived in the woods for 10 years. The parenting style was very unconventional and I think it could have easily been functional. Viggo Mortensen was absolutely amazing and his intellectual dialogues took my breath away at times, every dialogue is a powerful and thought-provoking thing. The kids were Oscar-worthy and the knowledge that 8 year old girl has of politics and law made my chin drop. Very good in places and perversely funny. 85%. (11/03/2017)