4.5 stars. Rated R, for profanity, drug use and violence
By Derrick Bang
The über-rich haven’t been this
creepy since 1990’s Reversal of Fortune.
And that was based on a true
story, as well.
 |
| John Du Pont (Steve Carell, left) knows precisely how to inspire the impressionable Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), and for a time the weathy older man seems well-meaning, if a bit daft. But this relationship dynamic is about to turn very, very uncomfortable. |
Foxcatcher is director Bennett Miller’s
highly unsettling account of wealthy heir John du Pont’s bewildering (to the
outside world) decision to position himself as head coach, trainer and sponsor
of the U.S. wrestling team hoping to qualify for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This
scheme is granted public legitimacy when brothers Mark and Dave Schultz are
dragged into du Pont’s ludicrous, vanity-laden quest, accelerating an already
uncomfortable sibling dynamic that becomes increasingly toxic.
Disaster is inevitable; the only
question is what form the crisis will take.
Miller excels at getting the best
from his casts, and he’s noted for guiding actors to Oscar nominations — and
wins — in compelling, character-driven slices of history. Both Philip Seymour
Hoffman and Catherine Keener earned well-deserved nominations for Capote; Hoffman went home with the
prize. Brad Pitt never looked better than he was in Moneyball, and Miller worked a modern miracle by orchestrating
goofball Jonah Hill’s transformation into a serious actor.
But it’s equally important to
note that Miller surrounds himself with some of Hollywood’s most skilled
writers, who also earned Academy Award nominations (respectively) for their
work on Capote and Moneyball. I’ve absolutely no doubt that
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman will garner similar praise for their insidiously
subtle, squirm-inducing depiction of what emerged as the late 1980s’ most
bizarre sports scandal.
But it’s hard to detect the
fine-tuned screenplay right away, because of the almost scary degree to which
this film’s three stars inhabit their respective roles. They’re all excellent,
crossing that threshold where we often forget the actor playing the part, and
wholly accept that we’ve somehow been transported back in time, and granted a
window on the activities of these actual people.
Dave and younger brother Mark
Schultz were heroes at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, both taking gold medals
in different weight classes of men’s freestyle wrestling; they also took world
golds at, respectively, Kiev (1983) and Budapest (1985).
They’re played here by Mark Ruffalo
(almost unrecognizable) and Channing Tatum. The film’s narrative catches them
during the early build-up to Seoul, and their circumstances couldn’t be more
different. As often is the case with siblings, their personalities are wholly
distinct. Dave radiates calm, confidence and authority; Mark, although
idolizing his older brother, chafes at being in his shadow.
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was a misfire, she has gotten strong notices more recently for her work in Atom Egoyan's sensuously charged drama, 
. That, coupled with her earnest performance in 
a few months ago, bespeaks an actress clearly trying to shape a career that'll last.