Foxcatcher, 2014.
Directed by Bennett Miller.
Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, and Vanessa Redgrave.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont and brother Dave Schultz would lead to unlikely circumstances.
Bennett Miller has slowly begun his ascent into the Premier League of Hollywood directors. His extraordinary work on Capote and Moneyball has lifted him in amongst a handful of film maestro’s that has made him a magnet for talent. And three years after his jaunt into the worlds of baseball, he is back with Foxcatcher, a film with a huge weight of expectation after a six-minute standing ovation at this year’s Cannes.
Once more with a Miller film, Foxcatcher tells the true story of the relationship between wrestling brothers Mark (Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Ruffalo) and wealthy wrestling fan/admirer John du Pont (Carell), who created the now legendary Team Foxcatcher where the Schultz’s trained for the 1988 Olympic games. The goal: to help Mark win gold again, but amongst their desire to win and love of the sport, their relationship begins to unravel as the games draw closer.
Foxcatcher is a purposely unhurried film: meticulously crafted and executed, Miller’s direction is a triumph of slow build up before the crashing crescendo. His long-held wide shots are gorgeous, particularly in and around the picturesque du Pont estate, inviting us into its attractive surroundings before the uneasy undertones peer their dark head in. It’s also beautifully combined some more energetic camera moves when the wrestling kicks in, which are just as sumptuous.
But for all the brilliance of Miller’s direction, the slow nature of the storytelling is what ultimately stops the films becoming the masterpiece that many have placed upon it. At two hours, this would undoubtedly be this year’s film to beat in the Oscar race, and would have been the perfect length to tell the story; at two and-a-half hours, it feels too long, too stretched out to truly be regarded as a masterpiece. That’s not to disparage the work of Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye whose provocative script is still rich and fascinating, but for all the good work they and Miller do, a tighter edit particularly in the pacing and some of the repetitive training excerpts, would have made everything that much more compelling,
What is truly revelatory about the film is in the performances of its three leads, all of whom are exemplary and will give the purveyors of the “little golden men” plenty more food for thought. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all isn’t Steve Carell in his unrecognizable role of the remote yet sordid du Pont. No, the true show-stealer is Channing Tatum. Gone are the sweaty dance moves of Step Up and black spandex in G.I. Joe, this is most certainly a performance that changes careers.
With all the brawn and strength that you would expect, it’s in the more detached moments when he truly shines, whether it’s pondering his life outside of wrestling (he knows nothing else) to his Martin Sheen breakdown scene as he sees Olympic glory almost slip away, smashing a hotel window with his head as the shattered glass foreshadows his shattered dreams and relationships. Revelatory, Tatum is magnificent.
But while Tatum surprises, it’s not that much of a shock that Carell is great in drama considering his work in The Way Way Back or Dan in Real Life. Still, it’s a million miles away from building arks or falling in love with lamps, but Carell revels in the darkness. Disappearing behind a witch-like nose and fake teeth that adds extra “bite” the character already on the brink of sin, it is another stunning piece of acting. It remains to be seen whether “Ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist“ will catch on in the same way as “LOUD NOISES!”
Then there’s Mark Ruffalo as Dave Schultz, the more charming and charismatic of the two brothers. His usual brilliant self, Ruffalo certainly holds his own in amongst the ever-growing tension between Mark and du Pont, but what is slightly disappointing here is that in any other film, it might be Ruffalo who walks away with the accolades, but such is the power of his co-stars that he may sadly be the one overlooked.
Meticulously crafted, wonderfully shot and brimming with tension, Foxcatcher is undoubtedly one of the achievements of the year. Fascinating and enthralling, it’s helped by three mesmeric performances from Mark Ruffalo, Steve Carell and in particular Channing Tatum, with the latter two certain for awards glory in the coming months. That said, the film’s pacing and length are issues, and with a more aggressive edit, we could have had the year’s best picture on our hands. As it stands, Foxcatcher falls shy of Miller’s “masterpiece” Capote, but is still one of the year’s most fascinating films.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
