Foxcatcher (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Foxcatcher' (directed by Bennett Miller, of Capote, Moneyball) is a dark, DARK drama masquerading as a sports movie -- a fact that may turn off mainstream audiences who were expecting something rousing. This isn't some inspirational romp where people rise up over adversity to triumph ... in fact, it's pretty much the opposite of that. Without getting too spoilery, the story involves a murder (that occurs near the end of the proceedings). The late 1990s criminal case from which this film is based riveted news programs for weeks. And rather than playing out like some fast-paced Law & Order episode, 'Foxcatcher', instead, is more about the tricky relationships formed among the 3 main characters & the events which led up to said murder.
The movie begins in the months leading up to the 1987 World Wrestling Championships where 1984 Olympic gold medalist brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) & Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) plan to compete. Billionaire John Du Pont (Steve Carrell) takes a liking to wrestling & asks stuck-in-a-rut Mark to visit him at his sprawling Pennsylvania estate with a proposal: if Mark will relocate & train at his new facility ... he will pay him $25,000 per year. What Du Pont wants is to be associated with a 'champion', to bask in a glory that he's always looked for himself (but he's no athlete; in fact, he's got nothing going for him aside from his $$ ... he's a loner looking for a reason to exist). Du Pont ensnarls Mark; a quiet, lumbering dolt who seems tired of being in his older brother's shadow anyway.
Mark agrees to Du Pont's proposal, but Dave remains behind, unwilling to relocate his wife & kids. The relationship btwn. mentor & athlete seems ideal at first, but some repressed homosexual behaviors coming from Du Pont's end (remaining largely in subtext) threatens their initially copacetic training regimen. Their 'friendship' turns odd (including drugs, late-night training exercises) and, events take a bad turn once Mark experiences a loss of focus. Dave is then enticed to move to Pennsylvania to look in on his struggling brother -- but it's a decision fraught with tragic consequences.
Copious wrestling scenes aside, 'Foxcatcher' is really all about the warped side of humanity and how the messy combination of isolation, wealth, & power can lead to tragedy. The roots of said tragedy can be traced back to the disagreeable relationship btwn. du Pont & his matriarchal heiress mother, Jean (Vanessa Redgrave). The disdain she holds for her son is clear and, the damage he suffers from that disdain is palpable. At one point, she tells him that wrestling is "low". Later, she makes a quick exit from his gym when she watches him practice maneuvers with his wrestling team (possibly recognizing his latent homosexuality). Everything in the way du Pont interacts with Mark/Dave is influenced by a desire for his mother's respect (which he never gets) & his compulsive need to overshadow her own heralded achievements. He lives in her long shadow, just as Mark lives in Dave's -- it's what drew them together in the 1st place (coming out from the shadows).
Steve Carell has performed dramatic roles in the past, but never before has he accomplished something this noteworthy; the portrayal of a strange, unpredictable man whose inherent danger bubbles beneath the seemingly poised surface. There's a lot of pain, heartache & confusion bottled up ... just ready to explode when pressed. Mark Ruffalo is superb as the easygoing, concerned Dave and is the beating heart of this otherwise COLD motion picture. And Channing Tatum is the real revelation here, for me. Not only does he take-on a wrestler's persona and gait (ditto Ruffalo), but for the 1st time, I see that Tatum has some real acting chops when asked to dig deep. He's quietly brilliant as the physically imposing, but sensitive, easily impressionable Mark. Incredible acting from these 3 actors.
'Foxcatcher' is an intriguing psychological study of 2 troubled men. The ending will be a bit shocking to unsuspecting audiences. But because of the cold, grim, dour tone established by Bennett Miller, it really isn't all that unexpected. Now, I admire quite a lot in this movie. As mentioned, the performances are impeccable. Miller knows how to set a mood & frame a scene. The photography/shot choices are striking. But my goodness, I repeat what I said above: this is one grim, sour, dourrrrr movie to experience. And because it unfolds at a glacial pace, some audiences may want to throw in the towel early. I know what the filmmakers were going for here (slowburn dread), but honestly, I don't think the actual story is big enough or interesting enough to warrant the slowness & 134 minute running time.
The movie begins in the months leading up to the 1987 World Wrestling Championships where 1984 Olympic gold medalist brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) & Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) plan to compete. Billionaire John Du Pont (Steve Carrell) takes a liking to wrestling & asks stuck-in-a-rut Mark to visit him at his sprawling Pennsylvania estate with a proposal: if Mark will relocate & train at his new facility ... he will pay him $25,000 per year. What Du Pont wants is to be associated with a 'champion', to bask in a glory that he's always looked for himself (but he's no athlete; in fact, he's got nothing going for him aside from his $$ ... he's a loner looking for a reason to exist). Du Pont ensnarls Mark; a quiet, lumbering dolt who seems tired of being in his older brother's shadow anyway.
Mark agrees to Du Pont's proposal, but Dave remains behind, unwilling to relocate his wife & kids. The relationship btwn. mentor & athlete seems ideal at first, but some repressed homosexual behaviors coming from Du Pont's end (remaining largely in subtext) threatens their initially copacetic training regimen. Their 'friendship' turns odd (including drugs, late-night training exercises) and, events take a bad turn once Mark experiences a loss of focus. Dave is then enticed to move to Pennsylvania to look in on his struggling brother -- but it's a decision fraught with tragic consequences.
Copious wrestling scenes aside, 'Foxcatcher' is really all about the warped side of humanity and how the messy combination of isolation, wealth, & power can lead to tragedy. The roots of said tragedy can be traced back to the disagreeable relationship btwn. du Pont & his matriarchal heiress mother, Jean (Vanessa Redgrave). The disdain she holds for her son is clear and, the damage he suffers from that disdain is palpable. At one point, she tells him that wrestling is "low". Later, she makes a quick exit from his gym when she watches him practice maneuvers with his wrestling team (possibly recognizing his latent homosexuality). Everything in the way du Pont interacts with Mark/Dave is influenced by a desire for his mother's respect (which he never gets) & his compulsive need to overshadow her own heralded achievements. He lives in her long shadow, just as Mark lives in Dave's -- it's what drew them together in the 1st place (coming out from the shadows).
Steve Carell has performed dramatic roles in the past, but never before has he accomplished something this noteworthy; the portrayal of a strange, unpredictable man whose inherent danger bubbles beneath the seemingly poised surface. There's a lot of pain, heartache & confusion bottled up ... just ready to explode when pressed. Mark Ruffalo is superb as the easygoing, concerned Dave and is the beating heart of this otherwise COLD motion picture. And Channing Tatum is the real revelation here, for me. Not only does he take-on a wrestler's persona and gait (ditto Ruffalo), but for the 1st time, I see that Tatum has some real acting chops when asked to dig deep. He's quietly brilliant as the physically imposing, but sensitive, easily impressionable Mark. Incredible acting from these 3 actors.
'Foxcatcher' is an intriguing psychological study of 2 troubled men. The ending will be a bit shocking to unsuspecting audiences. But because of the cold, grim, dour tone established by Bennett Miller, it really isn't all that unexpected. Now, I admire quite a lot in this movie. As mentioned, the performances are impeccable. Miller knows how to set a mood & frame a scene. The photography/shot choices are striking. But my goodness, I repeat what I said above: this is one grim, sour, dourrrrr movie to experience. And because it unfolds at a glacial pace, some audiences may want to throw in the towel early. I know what the filmmakers were going for here (slowburn dread), but honestly, I don't think the actual story is big enough or interesting enough to warrant the slowness & 134 minute running time.