Reviews

Captain Fantastic opens with the beauty of the wilderness, a deer peacefully wandering through the forest. That quiet is quickly interrupted by what appears to be a group of savages. It is not of course, but a man and his children camouflaged and hidden, warrior like, as the oldest son springs out and kills the deer. The father then tells his son he is now a man for killing the deer. I can't say I enjoyed those first few minutes of the film, and thankfully the rest is not so harsh a reality as this, or is it? I grappled with many different emotions and feelings during the film, thinking about the choices and decisions that are made. You can't help but wonder what you yourself would do as each character deals with uncertainty and change.

The father of the six children, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), is raising them alone in an off-grid home in the wild, while his wife is hospitalized with a mental illness. They read and study philosophy, science and literature, learn to fend for themselves and possess a level of physical fitness that would put most to shame. And although they may be leading a rich life and learning some much needed survival skills, at what cost? When tragedy hits, they take to the road in a bus called Steve, where adventure ensues and they all learn a few hard truths about life.

It's clear Ben's often extreme approach to living is having an effect on two of the children in particular. One of the boys displays a simmering anger for his father, which becomes more evident as time goes on. And the oldest son has acceptance letters to various colleges which he has kept hidden from his father. Among these moments of hardship though are many moments of warmth, compassion and humour. They are a real family who genuinely love and care for one another.

Many would say that Ben is teaching his children what he thinks is best for them, in the environment they live in. But one could also question his political and philosophical teachings, and how much do the children know of 'life' in the real world. The film examines not only unconventional parenting decisions, but family dysfunction and social dynamics. The children are learning things most should learn at some point in their lives, as often in school we are taught many things that we will never need to know ever again. What is acceptable and what isn't when teaching children and young adults? Whose to say what is right and wrong, or 'normal' when bringing up children? What is 'normal' anyway?

The acting, I have to say, is fantastic! Viggo Mortensen once again displaying great range, bringing to life the tough, yet charismatic father. All the young actors who played the children – George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, and Charlie Shotwell are absolutely wonderful. They exhibit such depth and honesty. Frank Langella, Katheryn Hahn and Steve Zahn are terrific as family members struggling to understand Ben's upbringing of the children.

Beautifully directed by actor Matt Ross, the film is visually gorgeous, highlighting the wilds of America with other numerous places on their road trip. The soundtrack a perfect mix of different music genres.

Captain Fantastic is real, raw and at times unforgiving, and what impressed me maybe most was the juxtaposition seen throughout, especially noted when the family that appeared so beastly in the opening minutes, are later seen that night sitting around the fire all reading in silence.

While there were one or two moments that felt a bit too 'utopian', I appreciated the film more and more as it went on, and was greatly uplifted by the end. It's a highly enriching and enjoyable film with charm and plenty of heart. I laughed and cried, and it will leave you with much to think about. It's one of those rare gems that make you want to just sit and stare and take in what you've just seen.

"Doesn't it get lonely?", Harry asks Boy, looking out over the wide, barren desert. "Everywhere is lonely. America is full of loud mouths always shouting and trying to get themselves heard", Boy replies.

I had mixed feelings after watching Dark Blood. Finally being able to see it after all these years, it was almost as if if was just one of those films I never got around to seeing. I was only 13 at the time of River Phoenix's death, which greatly affected me. I was always intrigued as to when or even if Phoenix's final film would ever see the light of day. (The film was nearly finished shooting at the time of his death.) So when I heard that director George Sluizer was going to finish the film, I was excited but also a bit hesitant.

The film opens with Boy (River Phoenix) and his dog howling at the moon. We are then introduced to Buffy and Harry (Judy Davis and Jonathan Pryce) a troubled married couple from Hollywood, who are travelling through the Utah desert. Their car breaks down not once, but twice. The second time it breaks down, they are left stranded in the middle of nowhere. When night comes, after seeing a light in the distance, Buffy goes looking for help, and stumbles upon Boy's shack. We find out that he is living in an area that was once a nuclear testing site. Besides his shack, he has also created a secret mystical cave full of survival items and the 'magical' Kachina dolls he makes.

Buffy's attraction to Boy is obvious from the start. She is intrigued by and attracted to him, meanwhile Harry is becoming more and more annoyed with the situation as time goes by. When the time comes for Buffy and Harry to leave, Boy won't let them. I won't give anything else away, but it is quietly captivating and tense.

Of course the big question is what happens when you are missing pieces of the puzzle, so to speak? The scenes that were never to be filmed, are now just still shots, (except for maybe one or two), with a voice-over narration by the director. It is done nicely, but I feel it would've been more effective to have moving footage of the desert instead. With these few key scenes missing, most notably between Buffy and Boy, it does slightly take away from the overall feel of the film. Still, what George Sluizer has done is impressive and ultimately special.

The acting from the three leads is excellent. River Phoenix is superb. He plays Boy with a fine balance between complicated and strange. You don't know what he is going to do next. Judy Davis is terrific as the laid back and trusting Buffy. Jonathan Pryce is wonderful as the wary and uptight Harry. The chemistry between Davis and Pryce is lovely. The tension between Harry and Boy is fascinating, as seen when Boy leaves Harry alone in the middle of a canyon.

The cinematography by Edward Lachman is simply gorgeous. The desolate landscape is both stunning and eerie. A fitting backdrop for the heated relationships and circumstances. The hypnotic score by Florencia Di Concilio is beautiful.

It won't be a film for everyone, but if you're a fan of Sluizer's work or any of the cast, then I hope you get the chance to see it. River Phoenix was in a class of his own. He had such a strong screen presence, it was a pleasure to finally see his final film. I want to commend George Sluizer for finishing the film.

I haven't been this excited for a film in a long time. Yes I had high expectations and even though I was disappointed on some levels, for the most part 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a stunning conclusion to a thrilling trilogy.

Christopher Nolan's direction is once again fantastic and the cinematography by Wally Pfister is beautiful. The opening sequence with Bane on the plane is absolutely breathtaking. All the action scenes were great, particularly the showdown at the end with the cops and Bane's men. It really was a sight to behold. The finale is truly epic and the last 15 minutes or so were just unbelievable. And that final scene? Well, let's just say it definitely left me wanting more! I was very satisfied with the ending. The score throughout from Hans Zimmer is striking.

Christian Bale has outdone himself reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. His acting in both 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' was absolutely fantastic, but here he shows why he is one of the best actors around today. Bruce Wayne is a man in pain and torment and it shows. Tom Hardy is superb as Bane. He is controlled, menacing and ruthless. Even though it was very hard to understand what he said a lot of the time, his eyes convey so much intensity and emotion. One particular revealing and moving scene towards the end of the film was just pure magic. Anne Hathaway really delivered as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She's smart, strong and sexy. Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were all excellent once again. But it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who was the standout. His performance was perfect. His idealistic, honorable cop John Blake never gives up and besides Alfred, he is the one who understands Bruce/Batman the most.

What's wrong with it? The first half of the film takes a little while to take off and somewhere around the middle I got restless. I also think that Nolan tried to introduce too many new characters and at times the whole thing felt rushed. Bane's death was anti-climactic. He gets shot and that's it. We barely see it. But the major criticism I have was Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Her character and acting were just plain boring. There was no chemistry whatsoever between her and Bale, and her death scene was laughable.

As with many of Nolan's films, it's a movie you need to see more than once to fill in missing pieces and process everything. Christopher Nolan is indeed in a class of his own and what he has been able to achieve is remarkable and will be forever etched in cinema history.