Foxcatcher, Dir. Bennett Miller 2014

     Foxcatcher is a film I have been anticipating for sometime, and this week in Japan we finally got the blu-ray release. The film documents the true story of the Foxcatcher Wrestling team set up by wealthy estate owner, John du Pont. I was unfamiliar with this story before the movie's release and much has been made of Steve Carrell's complete transformation to the role. Carell is joined by Channing Tatum, playing Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz and Mark Ruffalo playing his older brother David, who also underwent a slight transformation for his role, with his beefy stocky frame and almost hunched over walking posture.

     The film opens with expository scenes of Mark and David in training. They live in pretty dreary, dark habitats, not those you would expect of successful athletes. Mark receives a mysterious phone call requesting his presence at Foxcatcher estate. Curious and without any knowledge of why he is going there, but clearly impressed by an all expenses paid trip, he flies out and is taken by helicopter to the estate over the lush, expansive American countryside. The locational impact is direct and hard hitting.

     In an elegant room, within the depths of a huge mansion, we first encounter du Pont. The impact of the character is immediate. He speaks in hushed tones about making America respected again through sporting achievement, and how he wants Mark to live on the estate and win a second gold medal at the upcoming Seoul Olympics. From beneath all the make up, Carrell's eyes barely flicker with any sign of human life. He seems almost in a vegetative state, his voice flat and dreary, each word lost amidst long pauses of hesitation that is so unnerving I found my skin crawling.  

     From this point onwards the relationship between the two men rises into a crest of love and friendship before the inevitable crash, and du Pont uses his wealth and power to replace Mark with David, and continue building his fantasy. The most powerful scenes come from those with du Pont preaching to his mother and desperately searching for her recognition. Like a spoilt brat, he whines about not needing his train set, about how his coaching, a complete fallacy that exists only within his mind, will set America back on the right path. What with the current US Republican nominee cycle in full swing, I found his character quite timely. A rich white male, sheltered from the life of poverty which so many Americans are enduring, preaching about how to fix America, while he buys people off to lose to him in the ring, and wheels his mother out for an extremely cringeworthy presentation to his wrestlers. After his mother can take no more, he goes back to silently walking around his private training complex, oblivious to whats going on. Like his own personal Disneyland he has created where he gets to play Walt without any real work or achievement, devoid of talent unlike the most successful geniuses of our time.
     
     Incidentally, while watching Foxcatcher du Pont reminded me of two other rich boys pretending to have talent and built achievements; Zach Galifianaki's character in The Hangover series, and Finn Wittrock's Dandy Mott in the recent television season American Horror Story: Freakshow. Except these are comedic creations mocking the perception of the spoilt white rich boy. Du Pont was a real person. Not only using his wealth to ride the backs of others to success, he has an affliction to military weapons, purchasing a tank and complaining it has been delivered without a huge gun attachment, and being presented with a tripod mounted machine gun.
     
     How true to reality Foxcatcher is I cannot comment, but the film is a fascinating and well directed depiction of a truly strange figure. Not that he is the only interesting aspect to the film. Tatum delivers a performance of great stature, and he is clearly a talented actor who will continue to make intriguing pictures. His character, Mark, clearly has deep set issues, and we learn about his damaged childhood raising the specter of mistreatment and abuse. In one scene, completely consumed with a failure induced rage, he violently destroys his hotel room and binge eats to disturbing levels. One can't help but wonder what kind of person would be drawn in so deeply to someone like du Pont, but once he is rejected, and this is clearly not the first time in his life that has happened, he falls into an epic sulk, his face reminiscent of a scorned school boy.
   
     Ruffalo plays David well, his embarrassment at du Pont's attitude and his pride being torn apart for money worn with painful and deep seated facial expressions. The film builds dread admirably, and is so uncomfortable to watch I doubt I will revisit it more than once. That's a shame as it is so beautifully shot and acted. Every line of dialogue exists to hit a mark and each scene holds huge power throughout the lengthy but deserved running time.
   
4.5/5