Foxcatcher

In three words; Chilling - Smart - Memorable

Review;

Foxcatcher is based on events which unfolded when eccentric millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell) enlisted Mark and Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum & Mark Ruffalo respectively) to join his wrestling team. Their objective was to participate in National, World and Olympic competitions with winning being the only accepted outcome.

I was not familiar with this story and knew nothing about what had happened on du Pont's sprawling estate. If you are also unaware of what occurred you will no doubt enjoy this film even more then you would have if you were privy to it.  I like nothing more than watching a film knowing little about it, it can be all the more surprising once the end credits roll. There are no spoilers in this review so keep reading.

Carell is transformed for this movie. We are very use to seeing him in excellent form in his many comedic roles. Here he steps away from the safety of net comedy and delivers a truly chilling performance. du Pont was eccentric in the extreme, unpredictable and unnerving. Each time Carell appeared on screen he was able to deliver an excellent performance which is worthy of his Oscar nomination.

Also nominated at this years Academy Awards is Mark Ruffalo. I can honestly say that I have never seen Ruffalo give a poor performance. Foxcatcher is no exception, he gives a solid and memorable performance. One person overlooked by the Academy is Channing Tatum. This is without doubt the best performance of his career. His subtle and educated portrayal of an innocent and naïve man works in perfect balance to that of Ruffalo's more mature and assured character.

Directed by Bennett Miller the film builds in suspense and teeters on the edge of a being an out and out thriller yet it lacks that final punch. There are strong performances all round with an intelligent screenplay but it fails to keep pace. A shorter running time would have been helpful for Miller to have achieved this. Having said this Foxcatcher is one of the best films of the year so far.

Verdict;
3 out of 5