Review of Foxcatcher (2014) by Patrick L — 19 Aug 2015

"Foxcatcher is a disturbing crime drama about power, sport, wealth and murder. It's one of the best movies of 2014.".

Movie Review: Foxcatcher.

Date Viewed: January 26 2015.

Directed By Bennett Miller (Capote and Moneyball).

Written By E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman.

Starring: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, Brett Rice, Guy Boyd and Anthony Michael Hall.

Director Bennett Miller (Moneyball) has made a disturbing crime drama about power, sport, wealth and murder. The big story about "Foxcatcher" is the movie's three terrific performances from Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum and Steve Carell. Carell is completely immersed in his role as John E. du Pont, a multimillionaire who's also a wrestling enthusiast. Carell has done dramatic work before but his performance in "Foxcatcher" is a complete revelation. I'm happy to say that Carell did get a Best Actor nomination for his rich and powerful performance as du Pont.

Set in the late 1980s, "Foxcatcher" is about two brothers who are Olympic wrestling champions. However despite so much success, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) feels overshadowed by his older brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). Soon, Mark receives an invitation from du Pont to fly to Pennsylvania and join his wrestling team, "Team Foxcatcher". The training facility will be in his estate and Mark will train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Mark accepts du Pont's offer and when he meets him for the first time, du Pont says to him, "What do you hope to achieve Mark?", Mark says, "I wanna be the best in the world".

Through du Pont's financial support and new teammates, Mark succeeds in winning the Gold at the 1987 World Wrestling Championships. Mark calls du Pont a true friend and an excellent father figure but the friendship didn't last long, du Pont becomes furious with Mark after he and his teammates take a morning off to watch mixed martial arts on TV. After du Pont calls him "an ungrateful ape", Mark decides to work and train alone for the Seoul Olympics after he heard that du Pont was enlisting his brother for the team.

All three actors, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum shine in this well-acted crime saga. Tatum gives a dark, career changing performance as an Olympic champion who will do anything to please his mentor. Ruffalo gives the best performance of his career as Mark's older brother and Carell (who is unrecognizable, thanks to a fake nose) is unique and remarkable as du Pont. Vanessa Redgrave also gives a shadowy performance as du Pont's mother who shows complete disapproval for his son and his sport. Why does she show disapproval for her son? That's because she thinks that wrestling is a low sport and she doesn't like to see her son being low. By the end of the movie, all three of them collide into a tragedy that no one saw coming.

Miller and his screenwriters, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman have made a haunting and unforgettable piece of work. This story about sports, power and inherited wealth is one of the best movies of 2014.