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.
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.