CANNES, France — Playing a widowed-father of six free-spirited children in Captain Fantastic, Viggo Mortensen had plenty of worldly advice to give his troupe of young actors as they marched up the red carpet for the film's Cannes International Film Festival premiere Tuesday night.
"I told them that this is not just any red carpet, this is the most important red carpet in the world," Mortensen says, recalling the event the next day. "I said that they might not be able to ever do it again, so they should appreciate it and enjoy."
Mortensen and his screen family made good on the enjoying part — howling with laughter, mugging for photos and gleefully giving the middle finger en masse at most every camera.
But, without doubt, the most cherished moment came after the lights came up and Captain Fantastic was met with a thunderous 10-minute standing ovation by the adoring crowd.
The second film by actor/director Matt Ross (who has starred in American Horror Story and Silicon Valley) instantly became one of the most talked about films at Cannes.
Even as Captain Fantastic was showcased out of the main competition (in the Un Certain Regard category), Pete Hammond, awards columnist of the industry website Deadline.com called it the best film "maybe (in) the festival, and maybe so far this year."
The comedy-drama had debuted to acclaim at January's Sundance Film Festival, but Mortensen says the Cannes reaction "shows there's a momentum building in the way this movie is understood."
Mortensen, 57, plays Ben, a father who shuns mainstream society, living deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest until he's compelled to bring his children to civilization for their mother's funeral. The Lord of the Rings star shows a full complement of skills including driving the family's bus, lighting a fire, playing guitar and rock-climbing.
"To be honest about the climbing scenes, I have a little vertigo," Mortensen says. "It gets me. I’m glad I look like I’m comfortable."
Mortensen also looks entirely at ease standing stark naked in a trailer park scene as passing onlookers are aghast by the full frontal nudity. Ben's nonchalant response is, "It's only a penis." Shooting this scene was not a big deal for Mortensen.
"My only question to (director Ross) about the scene was if it was going to be a distraction. Is it going to take people out of the movie? But he said, 'No, it's important,' " Mortensen says. "In terms of funny, it works."
There is a serious message in the comedy-drama which Mortensen believes will resonate when Captain Fantastic is released July 8, entering an increasingly fractured U.S. political society. Even Ben learns to open up from his ideologically-rigid point-of-view by film's end.
"This is not an ideological or political story in any way, it’s just a story about people trying to find balance individually and as a group," Mortensen says. "There are not heroes or villains. But you’re left maybe with the idea of at least opening your mind and listening to other people."
