For a film that feels like it should have a lot to say, Foxcatcher says surprisingly too little, too late. It is a slow, debilitating reminder of the importance of good story and interesting characters, which it unfortunately takes far too long to develop.
Set during the buildup to and aftermath of the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the film follows Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), 1984 Olympic wrestling gold medalist, who receives an invitation from eccentric millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell) to train with him at the private gym he built on his family estate, Foxcatcher Farm. The film spends the first half of its story on this buildup, and it's not very compelling; nothing really happens. The whole impetus for the plot is that they’re training for the Olympic games, but there isn't any real reason to be engaged in what's happening. Mark already has a gold medal. There’s no real challenge from the onset. We already know it’s an attainable goal for him, and when we don't see any struggle from him, there's no reason to care. Without any turmoil, there's nothing to keep you engaged. There is a bit of conflict hinted at between Mark and his brother/fellow wrestler Dave (Mark Ruffalo), but the film doesn't do anything with this until the second half.
An hour in it gets infinitely more interesting. The points of contention alluded to with Mark and Dave come to a head when du Pont brings Dave to Foxcatcher to train with them, eventually leading to Mark and du Pont's falling-out and setting the stage for the final act of the film. It is here that we finally get a look into the troubled minds of the individuals involved, but by then it's already kind of too late. If it takes until the halfway point for a story to become compelling, then why bother? Despite these hang-ups, the ending is handled very well, and is actually surprisingly poignant, given how uninterested I was throughout the rest of the film.
The characters, which could have been the saving grace, are just as tedious as the rest of the film. Du Pont is a selfish, childlike man, trying to reclaim his lost youth by living vicariously through the wrestlers he brings to Foxcatcher. Everything he does is sad, but in a way that inspires disgust rather than sympathy. His is mostly motivated by his extreme mommy-issues and his desire to prove his worth to her, all the way up through the last legs of her life. However, in his fool's quest, he ends up deluding himself into believing he is someone to be looked up to, at one point making Dave shoot a video where he claims du Pont was his mentor, despite them barely even knowing each other.
Up until du Pont chews him up and spits him back out, Mark barely has any character at all. His most defining trait is wanting to get out of his brother's shadow, which has led to him to becoming a bitter, angry person, mainly towards his brother, who only comes across as a mostly caring person, though maybe a bit insincere at times. Mark's insecurities, among them his feeling that they don't respect him, cause him to lash out at his family and instead turn to Foxcatcher and du Pont. Though his feelings aren't completely unfounded, his actions are excessive, making him come across as unlikable. Rather than help him, though, du Pont just plays even further into his insecurities, introducing him to substance abuse and slowly killing his desire to wrestle.
Though the characters are generally uninteresting, the performances are at least mostly well done. Steve Carell does a fine job in his role, excellently portraying the feebleness of his character, both mentally and physically. The makeup used to make him look more like John du Pont stands out far more, though, visibly aging him ten to fifteen years and subtly changing his silhouette. It is just enough that it isn't completely jarring, making the effect really work. Channing Tatum is mostly just Channing Tatum, though his performance is a bit more nuanced than most of his other roles. Mark Ruffalo is enjoyable as always, but his part is small and pretty straightforward. While the performances are easily the best part about the movie, they aren't anything particularly outstanding.
Director David Bennett obviously put a lot of care into the production, and visually Foxcatcher is all very solid, if not a bit underwhelming. It is a technically well made film with excellent actors doing some good performances, but it is hampered by an excruciatingly tedious plot that doesn't go anywhere for the first half. If you're at all interested of the history behind the movie, it may be worth a watch, but if you're just looking for a good character drama, there are other, much better films to look at in theaters right now.
what's happening. Mark already has a gold medal. There’s no real challenge from the onset. We already know it’s an attainable goal for him, and when we don't see any struggle from him, there's no reason to care. Without any turmoil, there's nothing to keep you engaged. There is a bit of conflict hinted at between Mark and his brother/fellow wrestler Dave (Mark Ruffalo), but the film doesn't do anything with this until the second half.
An hour in it gets infinitely more interesting. The points of contention alluded to with Mark and Dave come to a head when du Pont brings Dave to Foxcatcher to train with them, eventually leading to Mark and du Pont's falling-out and setting the stage for the final act of the film. It is here that we finally get a look into the troubled minds of the individuals involved, but by then it's already kind of too late. If it takes until the halfway point for a story to become compelling, then why bother? Despite these hang-ups, the ending is handled very well, and is actually surprisingly poignant, given how uninterested I was throughout the rest of the film.
The characters, which could have been the saving grace, are just as tedious as the rest of the film. Du Pont is a selfish, childlike man, trying to reclaim his lost youth by living vicariously through the wrestlers he brings to Foxcatcher. Everything he does is sad, but in a way that inspires disgust rather than sympathy. His is mostly motivated by his extreme mommy-issues and his desire to prove his worth to her, all the way up through the last legs of her life. However, in his fool's quest, he ends up deluding himself into believing he is someone to be looked up to, at one point making Dave shoot a video where he claims du Pont was his mentor, despite them barely even knowing each other.
Up until du Pont chews him up and spits him back out, Mark barely has any character at all. His most defining trait is wanting to get out of his brother's shadow, which has led to him to becoming a bitter, angry person, mainly towards his brother, who only comes across as a mostly caring person, though maybe a bit insincere at times. Mark's insecurities, among them his feeling that they don't respect him, cause him to lash out at his family and instead turn to Foxcatcher and du Pont. Though his feelings aren't completely unfounded, his actions are excessive, making him come across as unlikable. Rather than help him, though, du Pont just plays even further into his insecurities, introducing him to substance abuse and slowly killing his desire to wrestle.
Though the characters are generally uninteresting, the performances are at least mostly well done. Steve Carell does a fine job in his role, excellently portraying the feebleness of his character, both mentally and physically. The makeup used to make him look more like John du Pont stands out far more, though, visibly aging him ten to fifteen years and subtly changing his silhouette. It is just enough that it isn't completely jarring, making the effect really work. Channing Tatum is mostly just Channing Tatum, though his performance is a bit more nuanced than most of his other roles. Mark Ruffalo is enjoyable as always, but his part is small and pretty straightforward. While the performances are easily the best part about the movie, they aren't anything particularly outstanding.
Director David Bennett obviously put a lot of care into the production, and visually Foxcatcher is all very solid, if not a bit underwhelming. It is a technically well made film with excellent actors doing some good performances, but it is hampered by an excruciatingly tedious plot that doesn't go anywhere for the first half. If you're at all interested of the history behind the movie, it may be worth a watch, but if you're just looking for a good character drama, there are other, much better films to look at in theaters right now.
FOxCatcher