Led by an excellent Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic tackles dysfunctional family conventions with intelligence and innovation to make for engrossing and emotional viewing.

How do you plan to raise your children? It’s an interesting question, in that parenting often isn’t about a game plan, but it is about doing the best you can at any given moment. That is not the philosophy of Ben (Viggo Mortensen). He aims to raise his brood of six into intellectual, philosophical, and physical warriors of the hard-left political, militant atheist variety.

Of course the man is crazy. You can see it during their gruelling exercise regimes, that includes weapons training and rock climbing, where even the 6-year-old is not spared. Or in the idyllic utopian home-life in their Pacific Northwest compound deep in the woods, where much in the way of revolution is taught, yet little in social interaction with the outside world.

Yet as written and directed by Matt Ross and performed by the ever authentic Viggo Mortensen, there is a charisma and sincerity to Ben that makes him a sympathetic character. The masterstroke of having Mortensen portray Ben is especially noteworthy as to why Captain Fantastic is such a success: credible, personable and utterly believable, Mortensen delivers one of his best performances as a father who has raised his children to combat against the world, but never be a part of it.

Ross definitely has much to say in regards to the western world and its two main institutions: Christianity and capitalism. In a way it reminds of Peter Weir’s underrated The Mosquito Coast, yet there is much more emphasis on comedy of the indie dramedy variety, which works well. Ross’ handle on humour and the inherent warmth for his characters felt throughout helps make what could easily be unlikeable characters into fascinating examples of snooty left-wing intellectual hippies made flesh.