Captain Fantastic

It is always interesting to see smaller films, the ones that big audiences never find, unless a miracle happen. I can say i have seen a lot of really good independent films, that most people have never heard of. Why is that ? Well, there are of course different reasons. It may be that cinemas go for the safe card, and show films they know will get a lot of tickets sold. And it could also be that these films are usually not promoted very much, so they tend to disappear quickly from the cinema. Some films even get a straight to dvd release. Just look at one film, that no one of you probabkly have seen, called Cop Car. A really good independent film, about 2 young boys who steals a police car, being chased by Kevin Bacon ( doing his best performance in many years in this film ). If you have not seen it, i suggest you buy it and support independent film makers. We also have other really good films, that more people should have seen. How many of you have seen Mississippi Grind with Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds ? Also a really good independent film, about gambling and personal issues. The smaller films are usually stronger than the big box office hits, because they rely on stories that are more deeper, and usually have a lot more to say. Since it is hard for independent films to find a large audience, you need to talk more about them, through friends, neighbors, relatives, anyone you can think of and recommend what you have seen. I just remembered one more title, Holy Ghost People. A story surrounding a young woman, looking for her missing sister in a cult group, turned out to be a nice surprise, and the best film so far from director Mitchell Altieri. I suggest you rent this one on your Tivo box, or rent it on other streaming sites. Since i always look around for smaller films, i heard very positive feedback at the Sundance Film Festival, where critics were praising a film called Captain America. I did not know much about the film, so i started reading some more articles, and some early reviews before the cinema release. As the film finally got a premiere date in Sweden, i was very happy. I just had to experience this film in a cinema seat, because with all the positive feedback from many critics, i understood this could be something special. With Viggo Mortensen in the lead role, is this a independent film that could be a future classic, or is the hype surrounding this film way too big to be true ?

Ben ( Viggo Mortensen ) is the father of 6 children, who he all train in combat, finding food, philosophy, and let them survive in the forest. They builded a home here, with their mother , who have been in a hospital for a long time. Ben tries to check up on how she is doing, and one day as he phones home to his sister, he finds out that she is dead. Devastated about the news, Ben decides to tell his kids what really happened, their mother killed herself. The children all suffer tremendously of these horrible news, and don´t know what to do. All the kids want to go to their mother´s funeral, but Ben says they can´t go, because their grandfather Jack ( Frank Langella ) forbid them to come, because he belive that Ben is the reason she killed herself. Ben knows that he should not go, but he decides to go anyway, so their family can say one last goodbye to their mother. A family who have lived away from society, how do they handle the modern life on this journey, and will they reach their destiny ?

There are a few moments every year, when you come across a film that makes you feel complete. A film that gives you so many emotions, and will effect you in different ways. And this is how i feel about Captain Fantastic. This is a film that will grab you, make you laugh, bring you tears, and make you feel like you never want to leave the cinema seat. After the first time i saw this film in the cinema ( i have seen it twice in 2 different cinemas ), i just sat there and felt a warm feeling. The cinematography is brilliant, the acting is brilliant, the emotions are captured so natural, that you can actually feel what this family is going through. Viggo Mortensen have just done the best performance of his career, so far. His character Ben is a sort of a hippie father, who don´t believe in living a modern life, and you can´t deny that his is a wonderful person. This simple story of a family, going to their mother´s funeral, reminded me a lot of the film Little Miss Sunshine, a really good drama comedy. But of course the story in Captain Fantastic is much more emotional, in some ways. The children actors are absolutely fantastic, i seriously doubt you will ever see a film this year with kids acting as good as in this film. Frank Langella delivers a very powerful performance, he is truly one of the greatest in his generation. We have more quality acting here, especially from Kathryn Hahn and Steve Zahn. From the moment we follow the family on their journey, there will be some really fun moments, and very powerful emotional break downs, so you will not feel bored. There are so many famaily issues brought up here, but i feel that director Matt Ross have managed to capture so much of them, and put the pieces together in a wonderful way. You can tell that director Matt have really worked hard to make this film feel so warm, and emotional. Every scene where the emotions breaks out, when the kids let their feelings out, you can´t help yourself from being emotional with them. When you manage to make a film that powerful, you have to be respected for the hard work. Captain Fantastic is a story that takes 2 different sides, one from the hippie family, and one from the ordinary family, and who is right ?`Are we supposed to follow the same pattern in life and do everything, just because people want you to ? There are many important issues in this film, and i had a really good time, especially the way Ben is honest to his kids. Whatever they want to know, he tell them like it is, no holding back. Have you been looking for a film, that will make you feel, think and smile, all at the same time, then this is the film you need to see.

I have no problem saying this, Captain Fantastic is the best film of 2016, you are not going to see a better film this year. I know it is september now, and we have a few months left, but i seriously doubt i will change my mind. Run to the cinema today, and experience a film you will never forget, this is the film of this year. 

Rating: DDDDD