Guest Review: Foxcatcher (or Seriously, When Can I Watch Whiplash?)

(This review was guest-written by guy whose too depressed about this film to crack jokes, Ryan Mains)

Sports films, if done poorly or even well, are predictable. The average film tells the story of an underdog who climbs to the top while focusing more on the sport than on the psyche of the player. However, every once in a while a film makes the sport an afterthought, and leaves things much more up to what drives the people playing it. Rocky, Raging Bull, and Warrior all come to mind. These films are more often than not better than their paint-by-numbers counterparts, and I can proudly say that Foxcatcher is one of these films.





For those of you who don't know the film's plot, Foxcatcher focuses on the real-life events of millionaire and wrestling enthusiast John Du Pont's (Steve Carell) recruitment of brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo) to coach his wrestling team through national and global competition, including the 1988 Olympics. Initially, the film focuses on just Mark's time with Du Pont, and their bizarre, twisted, and ultimately murderous friendship, before bringing Dave into the fold. As time goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that John's issues with control and entitlement threaten to bring down everything he hopes to achieve, before things ultimately reach a devastating conclusion.

The less said about this film, the better. Anyway, Foxcatcher wouldn't work without it's main three actors and, despite all odds, they all absolutely deliver. The best of the three is Carell, who tosses aside his funnyman persona and embraces the tragedy of Du Pont. Other actors might have played him as a straight-up villain, but Carell? He gives a heart to the man, treating Du Pont as a man who simply wanted friendship, respect, and love, and snapped when he was deprived of these things. In a way, you pity him and hate him at the same time.

  This seems like foreshadowing now. 

Tatum also pulls in a great performance as Mark, particularly when it comes to his facial expressions. You can just tell that there's a seething resentment and anger underneath the character, and Tatum sells it without saying a word. I've never doubted his skill as an actor, but this is seriously a career-best. Ruffalo is also excellent at playing the mediator between the two, and the simple nice-guy role Dave plays gives the film some degree of heart. (Though it shouldn't be a surprise that Ruffalo gives a great performance.)

Case in point.

                         
Miller's direction is also incredible, giving the film an intense vibe, especially in it's last half-hour as the film moves towards its disturbing conclusion.

Ultimately, Foxcatcher is an intense and complex sports film, with great direction, performances, and writing enabling it to become one of the best films of 2014.

Overall Score: 4.5/5

Notes:
>The reason the film isn't getting a full 5 is largely due to its first twenty minutes, which are slow and lack the tension and the chemistry of the cast to make up for it.