*some minor spoilers at end
It always baffles me that Viggo Mortensen has only received 2 Oscar nominations throughout his entire career. I have always thought he was a real talent who deserved deserved more recognition for his work in films like The Road and A History of Violence. I guess a large part of it stems from the fact that Mortensen has always been pretty low-key, and never really bothered in playing the game as some of his counterparts do. Still, I’m glad that he received his second nomination for his role in Captain Fantastic, cause oh boy, this is a fantastic performance.
And what a fantastic movie as well. I’m truly surprised that Captain Fantasic didn’t receive more recognition, cause it’s probably one of my favourite films of 2016. It is beautifully shot, well-written, and I daresay well-acted overall. I daresay I might like it more than La La Land even, which is saying something. It could have been easily a really pretentious and annoying film, but I thought it was well-grounded and believable.
In Captain Fantastic, Mortensen plays Ben, a father of 6 who raises his family in the forests of the pacific northwest. Right from the start, Mortensen captures your attention in a ritualistic moment where he declares his eldest son “a man” for successfully hunting and killing a deer. I think what makes Mortensen’s performance work is how natural he always is, despite the eccentric nature of the character. You believe that this man truly buys the bullshit he is selling to his kid – that most of corporate America is fascist, that you have to defend yourself and no one will or should be there for you, and all the philosophical theories that he drills into his children.
I think what Mortensen truly excels in here is the way he shows how Ben begins to doubt himself and his method of raising his children over the course of the film. Sometimes, he manages to do so merely through his eyes, which to me is an amazing feat in subtle acting. He also excellently portrays Ben’s increasing helplessness as his children begin to challenge his ideologies and methods.
I like how Mortensen is never afraid to make Ben an unlikeable character. Like I said, you can truly sense the conviction he has in his beliefs, and it is easy to understand why he is generally disliked by his family. His final realisation at the danger he poses towards his children is also truly heartbreaking. He manages to effectively portray the guilt he has, as well as his devastation when he decides to give up custody of his children.
Another aspect of his performance is his chemistry with his 6 children. Although his unorthodox methods can be considered child abuse, I never doubted his love for them. This, to me, adds another layer of complexity to his performance.
Overall, I think Mortensen succeeded in making his portrayal of a difficult and eccentric character seem easy. There is not one false note in his performance, and the overall transformation of his character is believable and never forced. His strong screen presence really helps too, and he becomes a strong anchor to an already strong film. 5/5.
p.s. a little busy these days, so I’m keeping these posts short and sweet, but I’ll try to write more frequently.
Filmfreak! 