Captain Fantastic

Beauty and sadness. Those seem to be the twin currents that run through this story. There is great joy in this story of a man and his children living free from the constraints of the everyday world, yet it is also tinged with a lot of sorrow. Part of that sorrow comes from what seems to be the underlying point of this movie: namely, that life as an outsider is ultimately fraught with perils, and may very well be impossible in this world of today. Of course it's Viggo Mortensen who plays the part of the iconoclastic father to a tribe of free-range children; perhaps no other actor working today would fit such a role so well. It is to the filmmakers' credit that this movie does not entirely take the protagonist's side; there is enough doubt, problems, and general lack of wisdom that you can see the 'normal' world's side of things, too. This is really strong stuff, engrossing and enjoyable and thought-provoking, and not to be missed if you are anything close to a questioner of the world we see around us.