Captain Fantastic

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)

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)

Captain Fantastic stands for values ​​that almost directly contradict my own worldview. It might seem that a movie full of extreme left-wing pathos aimed at the evil capitalism would warrant a below-average rating from me. But, in fact, I enjoyed those two hours a lot. At first glance, this may seem like a prayer for the destruction of the current rotten system and the return of power to the people through class struggle. On closer inspection, it is actually a feel-good movie that is not afraid to show the bad aspects of both systems. Logically, it's more about ecological propaganda than the inability to socially interact in a better way. I really enjoyed the great performance of Viggo Mortensen who simply radiates charisma, and when I look back at how few movies he has been in over the last 10 years, I really think he deserves an Oscar for this one. (08/02/2017)

This typical “Sundance movie” is a feel-good tragicomedy with a nice soundtrack, eccentric but likeable characters and a predictable ending. The raw opening scene depicting the first of a series of rituals aimed at preparing Bodevan for his entry into adulthood gives the viewer hope that Captain Fantastic will be more truthful than ingratiating, while not offering any wonderfully easy solutions to complex problems. But from a celebration of life outside of the system that strips people of their individuality, the film soon collapses into a hackneyed story about the necessity of socialisation and respect for social conventions. The characters may not be willing to accept the norms of the world that they have scorned for so long without question, but their transformation is still tied to their subordination to the dominant ideology. Though the director sensitively spreads the attention among all of the members of the family, led by Mortensen’s practically perfect protagonist (whose mythologisation, already evident in the film’s title, is not problematised by Ross), he cannot disguise the fact that his characters serve mainly as walking arguments in support of the conservative idea of the importance of a happy family. Thanks to its pleasing shot compositions, slightly cynical humour, reasonable amount of pathos and well-timed use of upbeat music, the film evokes the intended emotions, but these quickly fade, because Captain Fantastic is not built on a convincing foundation. We can believe neither in the characters, who too easily give up everything they have fought so long and hard for, nor, because of that, in the would-be non-conformist, anti-consumerist message. 70% (03/08/2016)

In the beginning, it seemed like a movie about a cult, which made me so annoyed that I almost quit watching. Then it occurred to me that the film might be about the Kelly Family and I hung in there out of curiosity. Surprisingly, after a while, the whole family went to a funeral on a bus accompanied by the sound of Scotland the Brave, so I figured it probably wasn't about the American-Irish band. I was amazed how intrigued and entertained I was by a story about a clash of two life philosophies. I just didn’t take away any moral lessons. But that's just me, I’m a cynic. A side effect of the film is that I’ll be suspiciously looking around when walking down the street to see if there isn’t a radical socialist behind me who’s out to get me. (16/11/2016)