Review of Foxcatcher (2014) by Bradysmith — 05 Apr 2015

Foxcatcher is an engrossing, sometimes off-putting, but extremely well acted, memorable, and atmospheric movie. With 3 great actors playing fully fleshed out and three dimensional characters, impeccable direction, and a compelling true story, I'm sure it will go down in movie history.

Many movies that tell a true story simply go through the motions, relying on everyone's recognition of the events to do the heavy lifting, but not Foxcatcher. Bennett Miller directs it with tension, detail and cinematic flourish.

Steve Carrel proves to be a more than solid dramatic actor. He's creepy, strange, and yet somehow still garners sympathy. I'm not sure what his performance would seem like without all that makeup, although I'm sure it would still be more than adequate.

Ruffalo and Tatum are also great, and maybe even better than Carrel, but he does stand out more due to his odd and sometimes villainous behavior. I also have to give props to the writers for creating a script layered with psychological intricacies.

All in all, a great movie, a great story, and a great showcase for its actors.