Thursday, October 20, 2016

"Captain" comes close, but still not quite Fantastic



Viggo Mortensen is a special actor.  With only a gesture or a simple look, he can transcend an emotion or a feeling to a whole new level.  In Captain Fantastic, he plays a father of six who, after his wife dies, is forced to introduce his otherwise in-the-wilderness-raised, home-schooled children to the outside world.  He means well, having taught his sons and daughters how to speak multiple languages, complex literature, how to hunt, cook and fend for themselves like the prehistoric humans used to, but is obviously unaware how quickly society has moved on without him and his family in it.  The movie has interesting ideas, and the characters, for the most part, come across as convincing; unfortunately, the final act is rather ludicrous, as we watch a grave being "justly" desecrated by this newly "changed, transformed" adult.  Also, why would an older, wealthy and powerful man (Frank Langella) give up so easily in his search for his runaway grandchildren after having won custody over them?  Captain is Mortensen's showcase, and he takes it as far as he can; it's just too bad the script eventually loses interest in logic by lagging a few steps behind.
B-

No comments: