Review of Captain Fantastic (2016) by Astrid T — 03 Apr 2018

The indie with the golden heart that could grant a nom.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC.

Indie movies aren't appreciated enough and it's sad that sometimes it takes an Oscar nom for people to get interested in them. In fact, there's no rule that says you have to like movies whose budget is over $30 million but unfortunately it's tough for the general public to come across with smaller movies. Therefore, and though these are the more marketable indies, when the Academy nominates films like "Moonlight", "The Lobster" and "Captain Fantastic" they're doing a sort of cultural service. This latter picture is one of the biggest surprises of the year. It's a deeply moving feature film, shot beautifully and acted even more so by everyone involved. It's almost documentary-like in its depiction of this idiosyncratic family, which provides every minute with a sense of real involvement. The only problem that, in my view, ends up spoiling this cinematic endeavor is its lack of confidence in challenging the traditional structure that so brilliantly sets up. Specially in the third act, where it gets mixed and self-contended. Besides that, is an endearing movie that, in its core, is about family and coping with loss which is largely supported by a brisk screenplay. There's one line that specially struck me as it reinforced what I've been thinking: "Interesting is a non-word. You know you're never allowed to use it. Be specific.". And that's exactly how I feel. When I'm writing something, whether a paper or a review, I'm completely appalled by the word "interesting" as I find it devoid of content. What does that mean, "interesting"? It's a word you use when you can't say something either bad or good, it's a safeguard when you're too lazy to actually think about what makes the subject of your attention appealing. So, it's was fantastic to see this movie confirming what I strongly support and I make an appeal to all of you reading to replace "interesting" with someone as meaningful as the sense of family bonds in "Captain Fantastic". And that's it! My pre-Oscar reviews are done. Sorry, "Loving", "The Red Turtle" and "The Lobster". I'll get to you later...