A Glowing Review of Foxcatcher! Via What She Said on Sirius XM Radio

Foxcatcher a Must-See

by Anne Brodie

whatshesaid167November 28, 2014

Foxcatcher
Directed by Bennett Miller
Starring Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo

Written by Max Frye and Dan Futterman

Rating: 4/5

The subtle depth charge that is Foxcatcher is so not because of the riveting story it tells; the story is a matter of public record. Billionaire John Du Point murdered a wrestler in 1966 on his mother’s 200 acre Pennsylvania property Foxcatcher.

The film’s power is due to masterful filmmaking, the incredible sophistication of director Miller’s vision, and the script written by Max Frye and Miller’s frequent partner, television actor Dan Futterman.  The outstanding performances by Carrell and Tatum are powerful through restraint and subtlety.  The film’s is a marvel of characterisation, tension, atmosphere and cinematic value.

John du Pont was one of those du Ponts, old money, influence, himself a published author and ornithologist, conchologist, philatelist, coach, sports enthusiast and oddball. Steve Carrell plays du Pont in a bold and brilliant departure from comedy, bringing menace to the screen as an obsessive, paranoid wrestling coach who put together a team to train for the 1988 Olympics.

The members led by Mark Schultz (Tatum) studied wrestling, swimming, track, and the pentathlon under du Pont’s watchful eye.  He singled out Schulz and set him up in his own cabin on the property.  He would show up in the middle of the night to discuss wrestling, treat the other members as lesser people and grant him special favours. 

Schulz is uncomfortable but  ...

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