Foxcatcher

I think that when the first trailers came out for Foxcatcher, many of us were gasping at Steve Carrell's combination of a prosthetic nose, accent, and just the general fact that he wasn't trying to make us laugh.

At least for me, Foxcatcher has been on my radar ever since that first trailer, and even more so since early reviews began to roll in, suggesting that it was amazing.

In case you are unaware, like most sports films, Foxcatcher is based on a true story. The true story of wrestling brothers, Mark and Dave Schultz, and their odd relationship with John DuPont. Both brothers had won a gold medal in the Olympics for wrestling and John DuPont, being extremely wealthy, wanted them to both come and train at Foxcatcher farms where he was creating a wrestling team with the goal to be the best in the world. I won't give any spoilers as to the ultimate climax of the film, but a pretty quick Google search can fill you in on the details if you want them.

The film itself starts out briefly after the brothers' Olympic win as they are getting back into normal life. Dave Schultz (Ruffalo) is the older brother who seems to have his head on straight and his life in order. Mark (Tatum) on the other hand seems to have a chip on his shoulder, and is indefinitely bothered by something. Eventually Carrell makes a call to Mark to interview him at Foxcatcher and so begins the main crux of the two and a half hour film.

"I thought you looked nice in Magic Mike, Channing."
"Um...thanks?"

To put it simply, Foxcatcher is a very good film both technically and from a performance standpoint, but I ultimately found that it was limited by the real life story. The timeline of events and way that things played out lead to a climax that seems to come somewhat out of nowhere, even though you know what it is, and results in an ending that leaves a "Is that it?" taste in your mouth. This is largely due to how often Foxcatcher takes its time reveling in the mundane. There are many scenes that feature characters simply standing around, or looking at things, or driving. My point being is that it sets up the mundane so that the violent end seems that much more shocking and heartbreaking, but in the process it keeps audiences in the theaters for a decent chunk of time. I understand the reasoning for those scenes, but by the end of the film I felt like several of them could have been removed or edited down resulting in a film about 15-20 minutes shorter. And at times, it's sad to say, these scenes are so plentiful that the film drags on to a certain degree. It's a slow burn, but unlike this year's Gone Girl, it simmers a bit too much and at times risks losing its audience.

Channing, that's straight vodka...

Which is why its a damn good thing that Tatum, Carrell, and Ruffalo give the performances they do because they suck you back into the film every time. Ruffalo's Dave is the most level-headed of the group and seems to be the only one that doesn't have some degree of mental issues. Ruffalo is a good rock as the older brother and I really appreciated his physical dedication to the role. He is always hunched over like a wrestler, and walks around in a peculiar stance with his arms out wide and his wrists curved back. Sometimes it's little things like that that make a character much more believable. Much has been said about Carrell's performance, and for good reason. It's odd seeing him in, not only a dramatic role, but a villainous one where you can tell that DuPont has some serious mental health issues, mainly stemming from his relationship with his mother. Carrell is consistently creepy and soft spoken, and his relationship with Tatum becomes increasingly uncomfortable. However, for all that has been said about Ruffalo's and Carrell's performances, I thought that Channing Tatum did the best job. He creates a Mark Schultz that has some issues from being in his supportive brother's shadow and he is an easily moldable human being, which is expertly conveyed by Tatum's performance. Furthermore, he is a man who doesn't accept failure or letting down those who depend on him. It is here where we see the full extent of Tatum's capabilities where in one scene he experiences a cocktail of anger, sadness, and loathing that lead him to beat himself. It's powerful and intense stuff and probably one of the most well acted scenes of the year.

Technically speaking, I really enjoyed Foxcatcher. It had some gorgeous cinematography, the editing (other than the length) was generally fantastic, and the original score, while woefully underused, was pretty damn good.

*whispers* Hey Steve, I didn't use any deodorant today...

Ultimately Foxcatcher is a fine film for what it is, although not one I would need to see again. Being blunt, it's lucky that it has the outstanding performances that it does because its constant concentration in lingering images and mundane activities, while understandable for the final effect, is overdone and leads to an overlong film.

Even still though, it's a great movie not only about the sport of wrestling, but more accurately about three characters and their interactions with one another that led to tragedy.

CONS:

• Lingers too long on mundane activities or character shots (i.e. characters just standing around or looking at something)
• The above bullet leads to a film that is longer than it needs to be
• The point at which Tatum and Carrell's relationship becomes tumultuous isn't cinematically defined in the best way. It took me a while to grasp "Oh he really doesn't like him now"
• The original score is great, it's just a shame it was underutilized
• The ending is a bit of a whimper

PROS:

• Ruffalo gets really into character as Dave Schultz and is a strong "normal" rock for the other characters and the audience
• Carrell is a superb and creepy villain and, despite his prosthetic face additions, he is almost unrecognizable as a dramatic actor
• Tatum is the crowing achievement in my opinion and he gives an intense, powerful, and at times, slightly unhinged performance. If any of the three actors in the film were to get an Oscar nomination, my pick would be for Tatum
• An interesting story that was about much more than wrestling. Less "sports movie" and more "dramatic character study" led to a pretty engrossing combination
• The climax is shocking
• Really good cinematography and editing
• Strong original score
• Told a story that I had no idea about in a *mostly* compelling method

Rath's Review Score: 8/10