Fans of the unquestionable comic talent of both Steve Carell (Anchorman, The Office) and Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street) will be surprised to discover that Foxcatcher is far from a piece of light entertainment.
Real crime drama
The film is based on the true story of Mark Shultz (Tatum), an Olympic wrestler whose mentor John du Pont (Carell) drags him into a spiral of dangerous behaviour. Fuelled by an obsession for greatness, we watch as the two become entangled in a desperate web of self-destruction.
'Human frailties'
Directed by Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller, the film promises to bring the same gritty human drama that kept audiences hooked in both 2011’s Moneyball and 2005’s Capote. Just as Moneyball was more a story of a man taking on an overpowering system than a feel-good baseball movie, so too Foxcatcher focuses on the raw emotions and human frailties that underpinned both Shultz and du Pont’s ambitions for Olympic gold. For Shultz it is a yearning to break free from the shadow of his more successful brother, played by Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Avengers Assemble).
For eccentric millionaire du Pont, it is a keenness to gain the respect and love of his overpowering, disapproving mother played by theatrical titan Vanessa Redgrave. But embedding itself throughout these close knit family tensions; the powerful, corrupting force of money plays a crucial role in this dark, distinctly American tale. Mark must consider the ramifications of being bought by the extravagance of du Pont, despite it contravening the principled wishes of his brother. Du Pont, a repressed homosexual whose interest in wrestling is the physical contact it provides, must weigh up what exactly his money can buy him, and at what human cost.
Grizzy performances
Expect grizzly, earthy performances from this knock-out cast, as well as striking cinematography – trailers suggest the setting of du Pont’s extravagant, vacuous estate will play a large role in the movie. As for Carell’s ability to shed his comic skin for this foray into drama, early reports imply that he has done so to great acclaim, triumphantly proving the naysayers wrong.
Real crime drama
The film is based on the true story of Mark Shultz (Tatum), an Olympic wrestler whose mentor John du Pont (Carell) drags him into a spiral of dangerous behaviour. Fuelled by an obsession for greatness, we watch as the two become entangled in a desperate web of self-destruction.
'Human frailties'
Directed by Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller, the film promises to bring the same gritty human drama that kept audiences hooked in both 2011’s Moneyball and 2005’s Capote. Just as Moneyball was more a story of a man taking on an overpowering system than a feel-good baseball movie, so too Foxcatcher focuses on the raw emotions and human frailties that underpinned both Shultz and du Pont’s ambitions for Olympic gold. For Shultz it is a yearning to break free from the shadow of his more successful brother, played by Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Avengers Assemble).
For eccentric millionaire du Pont, it is a keenness to gain the respect and love of his overpowering, disapproving mother played by theatrical titan Vanessa Redgrave. But embedding itself throughout these close knit family tensions; the powerful, corrupting force of money plays a crucial role in this dark, distinctly American tale. Mark must consider the ramifications of being bought by the extravagance of du Pont, despite it contravening the principled wishes of his brother. Du Pont, a repressed homosexual whose interest in wrestling is the physical contact it provides, must weigh up what exactly his money can buy him, and at what human cost.
Grizzy performances
Expect grizzly, earthy performances from this knock-out cast, as well as striking cinematography – trailers suggest the setting of du Pont’s extravagant, vacuous estate will play a large role in the movie. As for Carell’s ability to shed his comic skin for this foray into drama, early reports imply that he has done so to great acclaim, triumphantly proving the naysayers wrong.
| What | Foxcatcher |
| Where | Various Locations | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Leicester Square (underground) |
| When |
09 Jan 15 – 09 Mar 15, 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Price | £12 |
| Website | Click here for more information |
