Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Annalise Basso
Director: Matt Ross
A startling and charming film from an actor turned writer/director, this film is the story of an unusual family, who live in the woods in the Pacific Northwest, living by Socialist values and survivalism. Ben (Mortensen) finds his own ideals challenged when big changes hot the family. Leslie, his wife and the mother of their six children, has died, and though banned by her family from attending her funeral, they decide to jump onto their old bus to drive over to be there.
But whilst they are all set to deal with physical attacks and set their own bones if necessary, the family are not entirely equipped to deal with the social aspects of life, which leads to a great deal of humour as their own and others notions about family life and parenting are skewered.
However, there is so much more to this film. This is a group of people, most of them children, adapting to the future and to the loss of someone that was at the heart of their small world. There is beauty and tragedy here, and the film is not afraid to embrace either of them. Mortensen once again outdoes himself as the father who must come to terms with the loss of his wife, and the threat to his ideas of family that come with his childrens independance. He’s a vulnerable, somehow lonely figure, trying to do the right thing by his children in a world that often is more interested in social norms than what is true or right.
It’s a sweet film, somewhat golden in colour, with characters who wear flowers in their hair and aren’t afraid to be themselves and break the rules, but it never strays into the cute or the cartoonish. The film yearns for another age, a more innocent and honest one. There is definitely bitterness to it’s sweet, though it is hopeful.
See It If: you’re looking for some relief from the current blockbuster madness, or if you’ve ever wondered if there’s a better way to raise a family. A warmhearted, funny, bittersweet tale.
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Having grown up in socialism, this film had me nod my head in the direction of no. This is quite an anti-commercial for it. The father is still a bully and they still stand for their no matter how opposite convictions in the same exaggerated, bully, capitalistic way. Not to mention, they cheat and steal (a body!). My friend who is an educator was unable to finish it. I don’t think he agreed with his methods much. 😀 I’m curious though what Noam Chomsky thinks of it.
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Very interesting comment. ❤️
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Thank you, and for the follow. Shall reciprocate and follow your reviews most gladly.
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Thank you! 😃
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Fine review. I think it’s great that this little movie earned an Oscar nomination. Hopefully more people will give it a look. It really surprised me. It ended up in a much different place than I expected.
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Yeah, it’s a good quirky film. 😃
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Great post! From just reading your post, I really wanna watch the movie now. And Viggo being in it is a great plus.
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He’s such a good actor! 😃 Thank you.
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I love Viggo Mortensen and I had a chance to meet him in Cannes last year:) I am looking forward to watching this movie!
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Well, I think you’ll like this one. Thank you for stopping by and for commenting. 😀
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Don’t know this one…but Viggo Mortensen is always a very good actor. Very underrated 😀
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It’s only come out recently, I think you’ll like it. It’s a bit different. You think he’s underrated? I think people love him. 😃 Great actor. Really inhabits his roles.
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Reblogged this on Wag 'n Bietjie.
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Thank you! 😊
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