FOXCATCHER (2014)

 Starring- Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, and Venessa Redgrave.

Directed By- Bennett Miller.

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John Du Pont- "Coach is the father. The coach is a mentor. Coach has great power over the athlete's life. 

Mark Schultz- "I'm going to give you everything".

A film that takes its time presenting its case, Bennett Miller's wickedly brutal "Foxcatcher" entices audiences to learn more about the questions around us, and where they could lead.  Although based on the true story of Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz and his brief years of training under multi-millionaire John du Pont, "Foxcatcher" expands well beyond the wrestling ring into the minds of two men longing to find greatness.

Written by Oscar-nominee Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, "Foxcatcher" tells the story of Mark Schultz (Tatum), an Olympic wrestler who befriends billionaire John Du Pont (Carell) in the mid-1980s. Along with his brother Dave (Ruffalo) and his wife Nancy (Sienna Miller), that new relationship leads to unforeseen consequences.

The cast is lights out here. Tatum gives the performance of his career in a dark turn as Mark and Ruffalo might score an Oscar nomination for being the one ray of light as his older brother David, who only has the best intentions for Mark and his future. It is Carell though, who steals the show. You always read about how comedians, whom Carell is more popularly known as all have a "dark side" in them which is where they get their comedy from that allows them to make a shockingly effective transition into drama and he will go down as another prime example of that here.

What Steve Carell achieves as John DuPont is not just a performance by a full embodiment. With strength and precision, he understands DuPont, a man with an extreme outlook on reality. Mark Ruffalo gives Dave the ticks and beats of the original creation, Ruffalo mounts himself on the porch of a loving brother just trying to create success for himself and his family. This is another solid outing for him.

Channing Tatum stars as Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz. When we first meet him, he's already reached elite status by winning a gold medal. But the achievement hasn't allowed him to escape the shadow of his older brother, Dave, also a gold medalist. The younger Schultz wants more. He wants to be the best. His past prize also doesn't pay the bills.

It has you watching a reality with actors, who are usually cast in stereotypical roles, breaking that streak, and having the people they're playing come out instead of them.  The other highlight from this film has to be the cinematography. Everything is filmed with a slight tint of dread and gray, it creates the mood immediately and balances the story perfectly. Overall, Foxcatcher is a great character study featuring top-notch performances that push this film into the top ten of the year easily.

Director Bennett Miller has only made three films (Capote and Moneyball the other two) but it's safe to say he is three for three with this being his most ambitious work yet. Foxcatcher is the type of film that has failed in the past due to its' modest pace but the performances keep you engaged just enough to be blown away in the end.

My Rating- 7.5/10

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