Review of Foxcatcher (2014) by Spangle — 21 May 2015

Ultimately, Foxcatcher was a disappointment for me. After loving Bennett Miller's first two features, Capote and Moneyball, I had high hopes that with such interesting subject matter and a great cast, this one would be a home run.

It, sadly, was not. However, it is still far from a bad film and instead above average. It is well-written and features some stellar acting from Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum. The mise en scene is also quite strong and the makeup is stellar.

Carell's complete transformation into John Du Pont being the stand out when it comes to the makeup. Incredible work. The costume design is also quite good. However, this one is decidedly not a great film despite these positives because it is far too slow and really plodded along for much of the film.

If it had half of the intensity featured in the trailer and was a touch shorter, it would have been a far better film, but as it stood, despite the creepy and odd atmosphere present in every scene, most scenes lacked the intensity needed.

There is considerable tension found in most scenes, but they don't have much of an impact. Overall, Foxcatcher could have been far better, but as it stands, is a solid film that continues to show Bennett Miller as a great director who knows his way around biographical dramas.