Foxcatcher Review

 
  Foxcatcher was a film that I was anxiously awaiting. Channing Tatum and Steve Carell in a dramatic role together!? Take my money. I'm a fan of both of these actors, and I could not wait to see them take on a script that's so serious and grounded. The first twenty minutes of this movie had me enthralled. I was sucked in by the nuanced performances of both Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo who plays Tatum's brother. The tone of the movie was set right from the start with hard hitting audio, a lack of any score, and well composed shots. The action was filmed extremely well, and I have to give it to all the actors for performing nearly all of their own stunts. There wasn't one second where I could spot a double, and for how physical these roles were, that's a big accomplishment.

  However, as the movie continued, I started to lose interest. The introduction of John Du Pont, played by Steve Carell, was shockingly underwhelming, and the dialogue didn't carry as much tension as I was hoping for. Having said that, there were scenes of genuine discomfort, but as the movie carries on, that feeling is lost and replaced with a sense of boring reluctance. Before I delve too deeply into why I don't recommend this movie, let me say this; everything about this movie from a technical standpoint is astounding, and nothing short of Oscar worthy. As aforementioned, the movie is shot extremely well, and every blow is felt due to fantastic audio design coupled with gritty atmosphere. The performances are to be applauded as well. Channing Tatum does give a very solid performance, however, it was Mark Ruffalo's performance that resonated the most with me. His portrayal of Mark Schultz's older brother Dave, was absolutely heart- wrenching at times. My favorite moments of this film were the exchanges between those two characters. To be completely honest though, I'm not sure I would have cast Carell as John Du Pont. He does a fine job in portraying the many layers of the character, but when he's on screen, I found him flatout boring. Perhaps that wasn't totally his fault, and more a result of the direction. Either way, his performance was serviceable at best.

  That brings up my biggest flaw with Foxcatcher. For how technically sound the movie is, it completely fails in creating something compelling the watcher can grab onto. I was constantly thinking "Come on, give me something to connect with!" Don't get me wrong, there are riveting moments throughout this film, but it mostly boils down to predictable plot elements and characters you want to care about, but just don't. This is no discredit to the real life people or events this movie bases itself around, and it's remains a very interesting story for a film adaptation. Although, the film fails to be something memorable outside of the sound cinematography and decent performances. Perhaps in the hands of a different director, this would have been a drama that compelled me from scene to scene, instead of leaving me wholly disappointed.