Review: Foxcatcher

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

Dark, brooding dramas about the characters’ relationship with one another are a rare breed of film these days. Those that do make it to the paying public usually fall flat. But not “Foxcatcher.” This is an atypical drama that manages to keep an audience’s interest alive thanks to the talent involved. It also manages to observe in a very delicate manner the dangers of an endless supply of wealth and the affect it has on everyone near it.

“Foxcatcher” is a true story and depicts events as they occurred in the mid-to-late 80s. Mark Shultz (Channing Tatum) and his brother David (Mark Ruffalo) are Olympic gold medalist. Mark, the younger, feels as though he lives in his brother’s shadow, despite winning a gold medal himself. One day, Mark receives and invitation to visit with John du Pont (Steve Carell) at his estate in the northeast. Du Pont would like Mark to come live on his estate and train at a new wrestling facility he’s opening there, despite knowing absolutely nothing about wrestling. Mark agrees, and soon finds himself becoming good friends with du Pont. At least, that how du Pont sees Mark.

Du Pont is a millionaire and is able to buy anything he wants in life, including his friends and his ability to be a “wrestling coach” with no previous coaching or wrestling experience. The first half of the film is dedicated to Mark and du Pont’s relationship, but the second half is all about du Pont and how he’s able to manipulate those around him with his wealth and influence. Once du Pont is finally able to have David join them at his estate, Mark feels like he’s been cast aside. Indeed he has, as du Pont only really saw Mark as a pet. Meanwhile, du Pont is also obsessed by his public persona and wears different faces in front of cameras and behind closed doors.

“Foxcatcher” is no sports film. Sure, there are sequences of wrestling, but it’s much more than just a wrestling movie. What we have here is well-constructed film about the darker sides of privileged life and wealth. The movie is meticulous in its examination of middle class Americans interacting with those in the upper class. It’s about what someone with money can do to the lives of those around him or her; how they can become involved in something despite having no experience in that field at all. The film is meticulous almost to a fault as the movie moves along at an overly patient pace. At 134-minutes in length, it feels every bit as long.

That shouldn’t take away from what director Bennett Miller (“Capote,”  “Moneyball”) has been able to achieve. Miller has delivered a smart feature with a very dark underlying theme. “Foxcatcher” is just as dark in tone and atmosphere as its subject matter. It might be a very difficult film for everyone to grasp. It’s not excessively pretentious; quite the contrary, in fact. Miller takes a more laissez faire approach. He lets the script propel the film. He lets the actors take center stage. He overloads the film with nothing special or spectacular, other than good old-fashioned directing.

The screenplay comes from E. Max Frye and from Dan Futterman, who wrote Miller’s “Captoe.” It is a solid and well-researched piece. It may take one or two creative liberties with the characters since most of the interactions in the film occur behind closed doors and away from public view. Du Pont was quite interested in having his life on public display, and he would be present and engaged whenever cameras were around. It wouldn’t be possible to build a story around du Pont by using only these images and have it be accurate.

The script tends to lack additional substance outside of the main story. Sure, there are some small subplots involving Dave and Mark’s relationship, along with du Pont’s interesting relationship with his mother (Vanessa Redgrave). Overall, some points in the story tend to be drawn out just a little more than necessary. Again, it’s over two hours long and definitely feels it.

“Foxcatcher’s” main attraction is the acting, which is beyond sensational. Tatum turns in his macho action film personality for something a little more subtle. We’ve seen him try this before in a few roles, but in “Foxcatcher” he really shows his versatility. He doesn’t have too many lines, and when he does speak he delivers them just barely over a whisper. He plays the part well, but he’s not the brightest star here. As Mark’s brother David, Ruffalo is nothing short of spectacular. He’s shown his range in films before, but nothing like he shows here. My only gripe is that he isn’t in the film more, but I can’t really hold that against him or anyone else.

As good as Ruffalo is, Carell is a revelation with this masterful performance he shares with us. Forget his usual comedic performances like “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” or the “Anchorman” films. Forget his shtick on “The Daily Show” or his long running stand on “The Office.” This is a completely new direction for Carell. It’s a performance no one could have expected coming from him. He completely embodies du Pont and vanishes right into the character. My favorite part about his performance is the complete and utter lack of life and empathy behind his eyes in every scene. You know this man isn’t exactly sane and that there must be something running through his mind, but you can never tell what he’s thinking. It’s just an absolutely mesmerizing performance by Carell.

While the film is a bit too long and little drawn out in places, there is a lot to like about “Foxcatcher.” It’s a fascinating look at what might be going on in some of America’s most wealthiest of estates, and the interactions those people have with the members of the middle and lower classes. Combine that with some solid, traditional filmmaking and sensational acting and you’re left with an exceptionally well-crafted film.