"Viggo Mortensen is at the top of his game in this soulful family dramedy, shot through with humor and heart. Written and directed with scrappy grace by Matt Ross, Captain Fantastic takes turns you don't see coming.
"Mortensen stars as Ben, the rugged individualist who raises his brood of six in the Pacific Northwest far from the concrete jungles of civilization. In the opening scene, Ben initiates his eldest son, Bodevan (British actor George MacKay), into the ritual of the hunt and other survivalist skills. Ben and his wife Leslie (Trin Miller) have educated their kids in the arts, practical and intellectual; readings range from quantum theory to Lolita, with nights by the campfire spent making music with guitars and harmonicas.
"If this is all sounding too much like granola and Kumbaya, hold on.
"The catalyst for change comes with the news of Leslie's death. That leaves Ben and kids to pile into a ramshackle bus and set out for New Mexico where Leslie's parents, Jack (Frank Langella) and Abigail (Ann Dowd), are preparing her funeral.
"Ross never trades in the humanity of his characters for an easy laugh or tear. Mortensen is magnificent: His performance standing with his career-best work in The Lord of the Rings, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. He gets under the skin of this loving father who is unafraid to face the world naked and yet touchingly ready to grapple by the possibility that his arrogant, free spirit might actually do harm to his children. The film doesn't take sides, but it does fairly, subtly and movingly represent them. Captain Fantastic takes a piece out of you." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
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