Captain Fantastic (2016)
I found this movie to be an interesting portrayal of a man who has his highly values principles contested. Told in a very endearing manner. For the first half, you are sucked into his idealistic world view and living like that in the wilderness seems like the most sane and right decision. The viewer is lured into his way of thinking. I especially liked his “always tell the truth”-approach to parenting. Then things start be more nuanced. Not fall apart completely, but it is impossible to live in complete isolation like that. Social skills and being part of greater society is not something that can be required by reading books alone.
I really liked the questions raised here, but I was also frustrated with how things weren’t explored properly and everything was tied up a bit too neatly. There are never any real consequences for what happens, as they are able to just reset and continue (mostly) as before. It could have been a really interesting (I know, forbidden word) examination of the cost of sticking to ones principles and how to deal with tough dilemmas, but it ended as more or less a rose-tinted utopia with only a hint of some downsides.
Rating: 3.5