I’m glad
Viggo Mortensen got a Best Actor nomination for this film, so I could learn of
its existence. It’s wonderfully
fascinating, populated by intriguing characters whose unique world is so unlike
that of pretty much anyone likely to be watching this movie. I was really taken with it as a whole.
Ben and
his wife have been raising their six children in isolation in the woods. There, they’ve learned everything from
survival skills (hunting, fighting, climbing, lighting a fire) to
self-sufficiency (making many of their own clothes/shelters/tools) to philosophy,
government, and literature. However, Ben’s
wife has been away for several months, in a mental health facility back in
civilization, and Ben has just received word that she’s died. Determined to attend her funeral and make
sure her final wishes are brought to bear, Ben and the children venture into
the “real world,” where the kids are overwhelmed by everything they encounter
there.
The
family and their wilderness home is so superbly realized. I love every detail of it: their hodgepodge clothes, their hair adorned
with flowers and feathers, the daily “training” they undergo, the odd mix of
strict regiment and utter freedom in their lives, the kids’ frank questions and
Ben’s uncensored answers. Even though I’ve
never met anyone who was raised as these children are, somehow their
characterization feels just right.
Somewhere between scholars, hippies, soldiers, tribesmen, and
revolutionaries. Unhindered and yet
rather hobbled by the incredibly-specific view of the world they’ve been
taught. Smart and strong and fearless
but without a hint of disguise in their emotions. In only two hours, the film creates an
entirely-convincing family unit, immersing the viewer in the life they’ve led. When they make the trip into society – in
their eyes, full of so much bewilderment, temptation, and danger – things get
really engrossing.
Viggo
Mortensen leads the young brood as the fierce, single-minded Ben. Because he’s so intrinsically tied to the
upbringing the kids have had, he becomes instantly complex – the children’s lives
are brutal and limiting, but they’re stunning and luminous, too, and so Ben
himself is both extraordinary and terrible.
A couple familiar faces among the kids.
George MacKay, who played Joe in the excellent Pride, is the oldest son Bodevan.
I knew I recognized Annalise Basso as daughter Vespyr, and it turns out
she had a guest spot on Nikita
playing a girl who also received intense, isolating “training” at a young age. I don’t know any of the other young actors,
but every last one of them is great. And
over in civilization, we have appearances from Frank Langella, Steve Zahn, and
Missi Pyle.
Warnings
Language,
sexual references and brief nudity, violence, drinking, and thematic elements.
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