Film Review: Human Emotions Transcend Wealth in ‘Foxcatcher’

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CHICAGO – In the memorable film “Barton Fink,” the title character is asked to write a wrestling movie for Wallace Beery. If Fink had isolated himself long enough, he might have come up with “Foxcatcher,” demonstrating once again that a true story is much stranger than fiction.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Directed by Bennett Miller (“Capote”), the film is a dreamy nightmare, if that contradiction in terms can be used a descriptive. It is quietly weird, featuring performances from three popular actors – Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo – that stretch them beyond anything else they’ve ever done. The story of one of the wealthiest men in the world, John du Pont (of the du Pont chemical dynasty), as he tries to grasp some kind of identity and acceptance, is proof that no one gets out of their lives without some connection to the very emotions that can uplift or destroy them. The thing that makes you great also has the power to deny you.

The American life for a medal winning Olympic wrestler is not the same as for more high profile and profitable sports. Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is one such wrestler, mining for pennies until he gets a mysterious call. It is John du Pont (Steve Carell), who has taken an interest in the sport, and is willing to allow Mark to train at his specially built facility on the du Pont estate.

The motives of the odd du Pont are unclear, but Mark takes the offer. Soon he realizes that part of his commitment is to get his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) to also join the compound. When this becomes difficult, so does the relationship between du Pont and Mark. Even when Dave does join in, the downward spiral has begun, leading to actions that go beyond sporting match-ups.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Foxcatcher”

Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and John du Pont (Steve Carell) in ‘Foxcatcher’
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Foxcatcher”