Review of Captain Fantastic (2016) by Dirigiblepulp — 24 Feb 2017

I never bought into this film's world of a delusional isolationist utopia and the obese capitalist automatons filling the outside world they fled from. It's used as a joke (how dumb this country is!) and as a way of courting empathy through the shared sense of superiority the audience has following this family as the protagonist. It's also outrageously unbelievable -- the kids all know like 6 languages, have read all great works of literature, play instruments, are up to date on all monthly periodicals and science magazines, oh right and outrageously fit and well-fed and know how to hunt and farm and THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY! And the hypocrisy of their lifestyle going mostly unchallenged...

But that's not really what this film is about. It's about dealing with grief in the best way you can, however that may be, other people's beliefs and their customs be damned. You're allowed to feel how you want and deal with it as you please. Viggo is great as usual. Taken on those merits, the film works a little more than it doesn't.