SummaryFoxcatcher tells the true story of Olympic Wrestling Champion brothers Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) and their relationship with the eccentric John du Pont (Steve Carell) that led to murder. [Sony Pictures Classics]
SummaryFoxcatcher tells the true story of Olympic Wrestling Champion brothers Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) and their relationship with the eccentric John du Pont (Steve Carell) that led to murder. [Sony Pictures Classics]
Miller finds grand, America-describing themes in the interactions between these three men: the extraordinary influence of inherited wealth, the hunkered-down ambition of working-class athletes, the equation of material success with honour and moral rectitude.
Under the helm of the visionary director- Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher serves as a classic storytelling masterpiece as it scrutinizes the human psyche’s craving for success and the unbearable burden of anxiety that comes with it. This electrically captivating drama nets the audience’s minds from the first scene and puts our hearts on a chokehold until the very last. The story reaches its climax when we least expect it to, leaving us emotionally shaken from the cathartic release of the pounding thematic conflict. Pertaining to the story, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman have crafted a near perfect screenplay, tracing the downfall of all the central characters of the film- a rare creative choice in cinema. The year is 1987, three years after 1984 Olympics which won Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) the gold in wrestling. But after being overshadowed nearly forever by the success of his elder brother- Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), Mark craves for recognition from the society- having been previously ‘unrecognized’. He somehow makes ends meet and lives all alone.
Du Pont (Steve Carrel), an aristocratic multi millionaire whose sole dream is to draw glory to his training company- ‘Foxcatcher’, persuades Mark to join in as an official trainer for an elite squad of the US national wrestling team. Widely celebrated as a comedy icon, Steve Carrel’s nerve racking performance as this dark role establishes his creative identity as a finesse versatile actor in Hollywood. So does Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum. They both delve into their varied character moments in the script and flesh out philosophical conflict through authentic and powerful emotions that resonate with the audience.
Mark’s hunger for fame and respect, not the love for the sport, motivates him to leave his brother behind and join Foxcatcher.
But Du Pont often desperately seeks temporary refuge behind his own wealthy aristocratic façade as a means of escapism from his failures at establishing himself as a respectable figure in the eyes of others around, especially his mother (Vanessa Redgrave). This mannerism plunges him into a downward spiral of desire to succeed. His mother stomps down on his swirling ego by declaring that she does not want her son to get “low” and labels wrestling as a “low sport”. Consequently, being a fan of it, Du Pont feels passionately stirred at being insulted at. But being blinded by his own unhealthy obsession for power, he fails to recognize the truth in her wisdom- the fact that he has actually gotten way too low in the pursuit of glory. Du Pont’s character casts a lasting impression on our minds, owing to the precarious grin donned by Carrel during the awkward moments of the film. His grin comes off as a careful composite patchwork of anxiety, annoyance and arrogance.
The premise of this film is built upon the physically aggressive sport of wrestling, which is a precise metaphor to the psychological tussle in the minds of both Mark and Du Pont- as the two men grapple for glory.
Their common goal of fame in life ties them together in a friendship that yields advantageous to both their desires. However, as the days fly by, their individual struggles to establish societal dominance tear their duo apart very soon, throwing Mark into a dark lonely corner of his own mind. This leads to the arrival of Dave on the farm as the new trainer. Being a former Olympic gold medalist, Dave’s coaching skills are unrivalled by Du Pont’s, who in fact is just a sport fan. Feeling outgunned by Dave’s expertise, Du Pont actively pursues his goal of proclaiming himself as the head coach for the entire Foxcatcher team. He senses a pressing and urgent need to be hailed as a father figure to them. Dave’s presence on the wrestling squad also serves as the perfect emotional backbone for a struggling and unstable Mark to lean on. But his new popularity amongst the other trainees silently infuriates Du Pont- compelling him do the unthinkable in the film’s jaw dropping climax.
The vivid imagery and visual storytelling implemented in this film clearly establishes it as one of Miller’s best works till date.
If you don’t know the true story, we won’t spoil it for you except to say that it’s not the expected outcome. But if you’re willing to be thrown for a loop, you’re in good hands with this medal-worthy cast and crew.
Director Bennett Miller and screenwriters E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman have thought through every scene and every line in Foxcatcher. Nothing is irrelevant. The film proceeds like a well-constructed argument.
The most haunting thing in Bennett Miller's latest film, Foxcatcher, is Steve Carell. That's right, the same rubber-faced comedian who gave us the dim-witted meteorologist of "Anchorman" and the oblivious corner-office boob of "The Office."
Once Miller lays all his cards on the table, however, you realize you haven’t been watching people struggling with the very real temptations of unchecked privilege, so much as fumbling blindly in a glib, gloomy satire of American exceptionalism.
An excellent workout for some great actors. A realistic, low key, gloomy portrayal of the build-up to the famous murder of wrestler Dave Schultz by his aristocratic patron, John Dupont. One complaint: Dupont suffered from paranoid schizophrenia which led to his crazy behavior, but that doesn't get a mention - the Dupont character remains opaque throughout. We see the whole thing from jock Mark Schultz's POV. Steve Carell was rightfully praised for his performance, which was radically different from his usual comedic efforts.
Hard to convey my feelings on this movie. All 3 leads are fantastic, but overall I just felt the story wasn't engaging enough to justify the movie itself because of it's disjointed qualities. It wasn't a waste by any means and it's obvious to see that many talented people were involved and sure gave it their all, it just feels like a lot of the movie is incidental.. Most of the movie plays out and has a lot of interesting points, and then (without telling you) the movie's timeline skips almost a decade to get to the shock ending. The audience is then supposed to buy that the relationships and motivations between and of characters haven't changed a bit because we aren't informed about the big time gap between scenes. It very much feels as if the movie is missing connective tissue to properly tie the ending to the rest of the movie. You could have told almost a completely different story before the ending and the ending would've fit just as well with it because of how non-tied to the main story it feels. Of course, it's hard to give proper motivation to a mentally ill man in a based on a true story flick, but that doesn't make the ending any less abrupt and lacking closure for the story.
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.
If you're a sports fan who likes, say, basketball or baseball, possibly you've always regarded wrestling as a little weird -- all that tension and intensity, long moments of immobility, the obsession with dropping 12 pounds in 90 minutes. But you never thought wrestlers were as weird as this! "Foxcatcher's" memorable scenes are beautifully filmed, but who knows why these people are so bizarre? There are hints about Carell's bizarro millionaire (in real life, quite accomplished) but almost none about Tatum's taciturn meathead (brain damage???). The tension is slow and mysterious, a little like the sport. Love Mark Ruffalo, and never dreamed he could look this unattractive. Is that why he got the Oscar nomination? In my opinion, his acting was more stellar in virtually everything else I've ever seen him in, and I include that steamy, over-the-top crime thriller he did with Meg Ryan!
Good performances do not make up for weak script and snail pacing. I'm a former college wrestler - and screenwriter - who knew this story well. Carrell is terrific as the creepiest creep this side of Hannibal Lecter - albeit without an ounce of humor or interesting quality. Channing is just fine. Mark Ruffalo is completely unconvincing as a world class wrestler, so out of shape they have to cover his belly, and could barely fake his wrestling scenes. But it's the grim, slow, deathly silent pacing that kills what could have been a good film.