Foxcatcher
(2014)Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) directs this drama based on the shocking, dark, true story of Olympic wrestling champion Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum). Schultz is guided by multi-millionaire, and manipulative would-be mentor, John du Pont (Steve Carell) in a hellbent attempt to rise above the shadow of his successful brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo). John du Pont's "coaching" style pushes Mark to breaking point, leading to a self-destructive spiral that breeds tragic consequences. Co-stars Sienna Miller and Vanessa Redgrave.... More
Schultz was critical of the film's depiction of the relationship between himself and du Pont, despite it being based on his own memoir and Schultz serving as a consultant during its production. Apparently largely upset about critics mentioning homosexual overtones, Schultz later apologised, tweeting "#Foxcatcher is a miracle. I'm sorry I said I hated it. I love it".
Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Actor (Carell) and Best Supporting Actor (Ruffalo). Foxcatcher was oddly snubbed for a Best Picture nomination, making it the first film to be nominated for Director but not Picture since 2008's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - back before the Best Picture category was expanded to include up to 10 films.Hide
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Best Director winner at Cannes Film Festival 2014
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Directed by Bennett Miller
Starring Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave
Written by E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman (based on Mark Schultz's autobiography)
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Foxcatcher
BY Gaspardation superstar
The director happens to be one of my favorites. His calm and steadily put of directing makes this film dark and aloof.
BY JackWallace superstar
Carell, Tatum and Ruffalo knock it out of the park. Steve Carell, almost unrecognizable as John du Pont, gives a transformative performance. Carell's done serious before, but not like this. He's creepy as hell. Channing Tatum's outstanding dramatic turn as Mark Schultz transcends his previous roles. Mark Ruffalo is excellent as Mark's older brother Dave. A great screenplay by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman. It's a horrible, bizarre and very sad story. Foxcatcher is incredible.Hide
The Press Reviews
88%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
A superb tragicomedy of the beta-male, a nightmare of the also-ran and almost-ran. It is also a deeply strange story about a strange man whose insecurities were all too ordinary and explicable. Full Review
Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum give superb performances... a powerfully disturbing true-crime saga. Full Review
A superbly modulated study of a twisted mind with a career-changing performance by Steve Carell. Full Review
The movie’s cynical thesis about the corrupting power of wealth is embedded in every frame... Arrestingly made yet oppressively morbid. Full Review
It's really subtle and beautifully depicted. Full Review
Director Bennett Miller and screenwriters E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman have thought through every scene and every line in Foxcatcher. Nothing is irrelevant. Full Review
A sad and horrible story, expertly and compellingly told. Full Review
Bruisingly intimate and psychologically nuanced, its spiral into savagery lingers like a bad dream. Full Review
Beautifully acted and impeccably mounted, it is light on historical details and heavy on atmosphere, character and chintz. Full Review
BY Tony Stamp Flicks Writer
I went into Foxcatcher unaware it was even based on real events, let alone how strange those events were. As the film ended and I realised it was a true story I was both delighted and dismayed. It had all seemed so awesomely weird, and I realized some sad version of this had actually happened.... More
It’s a chilly movie, slowly paced, observing proceedings from a safe distance. The one source of warmth emanates from Ruffalo’s wrestler David Schultz, the only really likeable character. Steve Carell and Channing Tatum get the most screen time, and they do excellent work from under their prosthetics. But both can feel a bit like caricatures, while Ruffalo feels like a real human being.
Tatum plays David's brother Mark, a fellow wrestler who's overtly at war with his own demons, while Carell is frankly terrifying as multimillionaire John du Pont, who offers to fund and coach Mark's attempt at Olympic glory. It's Carell's biggest swing at Serious Actor status yet, and the way he keeps du Pont unhinged and unknowable is a big part of what makes Foxcatcher so compelling.
Unlike me, there's every chance you already know the outcome. Director Bennett Miller mines it for all it's worth, and as the film grinds to its conclusion it's almost sickening. But it's difficult to tear your eyes away from a film this precisely rendered, a deeply strange true story as fascinating as it is disturbing.Hide
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