Champion wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont (Steve Carrell) as he trains for the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul – a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
Olympic wrestling (not the uber camp scripted stuff) probably isn’t the most glamorous of sports in all honesty. Two men in big baby-grows and weird helmets rolling around on the floor whilst no-one is really sure of the rules isn’t exactly riveting stuff, which makes it all the more amazing just how absorbing Foxcatcher is.
But of course Foxcatcher isn’t really about wrestling. Naturally there are wrestling scenes dotted throughout the film, and some of them are superbly done, but the actual wrestling very much takes a back seat. Instead it’s the relationship between Mark and Du Pont and to a slightly lesser degree Mark’s brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) that is the main focus.
Foxcatcher is a film that shouts the loudest during the very quietest of moments
This gives the film a much slower pace then it might otherwise have; so slow in fact that it might turn some people off to it, but it’s a film that shouts loudest during the very quietest of moments. Director Bennett Miller keeps everything very methodical and purposeful, rarely breaking out of walking pace, yet creating something wholly absorbing.
Much of this is down to the wonderful performance of Steve Carell as the creepy, menacing John Du Pont who, whilst being almost entirely deplorable, you just want to see more of and is totally engrossing when on screen. Everything about his demeanour is unsettling, from the way he walks to how he holds himself in conversation to how clearly uneasy he is around other people.
Carell does, however, inject just enough vulnerability into the character, stopping him from becoming too one-note. The constant search for validation and acceptance from all those around him actually make Du Pont, at times, more accessible than his chilly exterior first allows.
Mark Ruffalo is also excellent as Dave Schultz, showing the caring and attentiveness Du Pont could only dream of from a member of his family, whilst Channing Tatum does what needs to be done but rarely anything more. Tatum gives us occasional glimpses of a more nuanced character, but is largely just a canvas on which Carell can work.
Mention should also go to Greig Fraser’s cinematography which is mercilessly foreboding and chilly with even the odd horror film inflection thrown in every now and again.
The story of Schultz and Du Pont is an odd one, and much has been made of the accuracy of the film in depicting the real-life events, largely by Mark Schultz himself. The homoerotic undertones may be disputed by Schultz but they’re subtle enough to add an extra layer of intrigue to the story and depth to the characters.
Whilst wrestling might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Foxcatcher is about so much more than that, and the central performances ensure an absorbing watch from start to finish regardless of your interest in the actual subject matter.
Pros
- Brilliant performance by Steve Carell
- Strong performance from Mark Ruffalo
- Hugely effective cinematography
Cons
- A little slow paced at times
Good review. It’s maybe not quite the pick-me-up you’d want to watch, but it does feature some of the best performances from the past year.
Thanks Dan. Oh yeah, it’s hardly something to watch if you need cheering up, but the performances are just fantastic.
Couldn’t agree more on your thoughts here, Chris. Many didn’t take the pace but I thought it was brilliantly handled. Great performances too from Carell and Ruffalo but I also thought Tatum was excellent and there was no denying the sexual undertones yet many fail to mention them. I was starting to think that was just me 😉
Cheers mate, yeah those undertones were definitely there, especially when he’s cutting his hair and stuff, that was just weird. Apparently other wrestlers filed law suits against Du Pont for sexual advances and stuff so there might have been something in it.
Aah! I didn’t know about the lawsuits. That’s makes complete sense now.
Fully in agreement mate – it’s a very, very good film. Pace wasn’t an issue for me at all.
Absolutely, the pace was pretty spot on for me, the performances did everything and kept me hooked.
I think if a movie is going to get away with a slow pace it has to have one hell of a pay off and Foxcatcher definitely wins with the pay off. It’s one of those films I can’t imagine watching twice but I am glad I watched it.
Exactly, if it had just fizzled out at the end then the pace might have been an issue, but it really built up to the climax. I’d like to watch it again at some point but not for a while.
Great review! It was pretty slow, but I enjoyed it very much. Great work from Carell, Ruffalo and Tatum.
Thanks! Agreed, top work all round!
Yeah, the pace is a little glacial at times, but the performances are roundly great (Tattum is a surprise) and the mood of growing dread is oppressive. Fine fine work. Did you succeed in your cinema reviewer vote by the way?
There really is a mood of growing dread, I love that about it! I didn’t win unfortunately, they had loads of issues with people cheating so they’re running another one at some point, although not sure whether I can be bothered! Appreciate the vote though mate!
Really? Geez, that sounds a bit toss. Can’t say as I blame you mate.
Great review. I appreciated the performances but overall I was terribly bored!
Thanks mate. That’s a real shame! At least you liked the performances in it though.
I like your quote highlights in your review Chris, nice touch. “Foxcatcher is a film that shouts the loudest during the very quietest of moments” I totally agree! I thought the interview scene w/ Ruffalo is perhaps one of the most memorable for me as it speak volumes that he could not find a single thing to say about DuPont. I appreciate this film but I don’t know if I love it, I’m glad I saw it but I probably won’t want to revisit this again.
Thanks Ruth, thought i’d try something a little different! That interview scene is fantastic, definitely one of the best in the whole film. I agree that I don’t need to see it again for a while although I’d be interested to see the special features on the Blu-ray.
Good review, still need to see this one. Thanks for the reminder man.
Thanks mate, hope you get around to it!
Great review! This is not my Miller’s fav film but the performances were so good and I’m just so happy for Carell’s nomination, he really is tremendously talented
Thank you! I really wanted Carell to win the Oscar, though I know he didn’t have a chance. I just loved his performance.
Great review. I still haven’t seen this yet, but I’m really looking forward to it.
Thank you! Hope you like it when you get around to it. Thanks for stopping by!
We see eye-to-eye on this tremendously suffocating atmospheric piece Chris. Such a disturbing film and one of my favorites of last year. Great review here
Thanks very much Tom. Definitely one of my favourites too, absolutely loved it.
Nice review mate. I thought this was exceptional and I was blown away by all three of the performances. I don’t think Channing Tatum has gotten enough respect for his role. Even though it’s slow, this is a film I would like to see again. Just absorb that mood and bleakness again.
Thanks mate! You do really need to just absorb it, it just envelops you completely, loved it. I didn’t think much of Tatum when I first saw it but the more I’ve thought about it, the better his performance was for me.
Brilliant review Chris. I can see why some might find this one too slow but I just love the atmosphere Miller creates. I feel a little sad for Carell that he lost out on the Oscar. He had some tough competition but I have a feeling his will be the performance I remember most vividly.