Foxcatcher (2014) (English Language)

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134min

Cast: Channing Tatum, Steve Carell & Mark Ruffalo …and more

Based on a true story, Foxcatcher examines the relationship between US Olympic wrestling champions the Schultz brothers and their bizarre coach/sponsor the millionaire du Pont family heir John du Pont, the tense situation takes a sinister turn in this real-life psychological drama.

There are two main types of director, the “storytellers” who focus on plot and how characters fit into it and the “psychoanalysts” who focus on the inner drama of the character and build the story around that, and of course the directors who float between the two, Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) in his so far short career seems to fit into the latter category focusing on his characters and never is this more evident than in Foxcatcher.

Miller has here a fascinating true-life story which is ultimately more compelling than the movie treatment of it even combined with the benefit of very strong performances by the three main leads, the tone and pacing of the film is almost too ultra-realistic and at times so slow and deliberate that it will be difficult to engage with.

There is a moral tale somewhere within the human drama and some sort of critique of the “American Dream” but it’s subtle and largely incidental to the heart of the story and Miller himself has said it’s unintentional but just part of the narrative.

Make no mistake there is a fascinating psychological back-and-forth between the two brothers which is thrown completely out of balance by the complex personality and position of du Pont who was as troubled as he was privileged and is played disturbingly well by Steve Carell, but somehow the sum of its parts makes this movie far less compelling and memorable that the rave reviews and film-festival successes might suggest.

As polished and atmospheric as this film may be it is by no means an instant classic or a modern “masterpiece”, having said that for those not familiar with the story itself we would certainly recommend Foxcatcher for that alone, as well as the standout performances by the three leads and in particular Mark Ruffalo who should be in strong contention for multiple awards in 2015.