Foxcatcher is a sports underdog movie for our time.
Instead of ending with a triumph against the odds, Bennett Miller’s challenging masterpiece based on real-life tragedy is a 134-minute study into loneliness and beta-male insecurity.
Best known for his comedic roles (The Office, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Steve Carell plays well outside his comfort zone as John E. Du Pont, whose personality has been mangled by living his entire life as an heir to a multi-billion dollar fortune.
Having seldom been told ‘no’, he’s selfish, spoilt and under the impression he can own anything at the right price.
And that’s where the perma-sulk Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) comes in. Despite being an Olympic gold medallist, he has forever lived in the shadow of his older brother, the successful, charismatic Dave (Mark Ruffalo).
When Du Pont approaches Mark instead of Dave to lead the transformation of his sprawling Foxcatcher estate into the training centre for American amateur wrestling, the younger Schultz is flattered enough to uproot his life to do so.
But suspicions soon begin to creep in.
As Du Pont approaches Dave to join them too, Mark begins to wonder if the old man really did take a liking to him, or if he was just using him to get to his brother. This fuels a decline into drug and alcohol use, and a resentment of Du Pont.
Finally Dave, who initially refused to be ‘bought’ by Du Pont, is forced to come to the terms with the fact that he’s sold his integrity in moving to Foxcatcher Farms, disturbing his happy family life to do so.
Once Miller establishes this set-up, Foxcatcher becomes an exquisitely painful watch as we wait for each of these tensions to bubble and boil over, until its dramatic and tragic crescendo.
Carell’s performance has attracted the most Oscar buzz. His incredible transformation into Du Pont is all the more impressive because he’s never tried anything remotely like this before. The plaudits are deserved.
However, the film is really made by the nuanced performances of Tatum, and to a greater degree, Ruffalo.
Tatum gets the most camera-time. Although his role requires the least emotional range – Mark essentially spends the entire film in a sulk, save for a few hissy-fits – he nevertheless pulls it off well.
But Ruffalo is the real star. He’s charged with simultaneously overshadowing Mark as an older brother would, and caring for him like a father. He is at once charismatic and humble, your best friend and your worst enemy.
It’s Ruffalo’s gift and curse that he excels in these roles, which primarily allow others to shine. Like Woody Harrelson in 2014’s TV drama True Detective, he’s forced to play second fiddle, yet it’s he who is the real star.
Foxcatcher will get a lot of attention over the next few weeks – indeed it already has been roundly praised for its gritty poignancy.
And if it doesn’t quite live up to its hype, it’s only because there has been so much of it. But make no mistake, it’s a powerful watch and sure to be one of the films of the year.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures via YouTube, with thanks.
