The Worst Film Ever

the audience applauded

Best movie ever!

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Based on the true events of John du Pont forming a wrestling team with the Schultz brothers for the 1988 Olympic Games. It's a story of both power and control, as the struggle for constant authority creates tension and paranoia within the team. This eventuality leads to an unforeseen tragic event. Foxcatcher is what I would class as an interesting character study, on both Mark Schultz and John du Pont. The constant desire for victory and the goals for patriotism. Du Pont having unlimited money, can do pretty much whatever he wishes. That in itself is control, but yet seemingly he consistently loses that authoritative presence to Dave Schultz. Was really interesting to watch. Transformative performances for both Channing Tatum and Steve Carell really aided is portraying their characters realistically. Both of them were outstanding and deserved every recognition they got. Their physical prowess was extraordinary. Mark Ruffalo was consistent yet again, however Vanessa Redgrave was criminally underused. The wrestling scenes that they actually contributed in were well filmed and exciting to watch. It's not a sport I'm familiar with, but I've taken down some notes...y'know, in case I need to decimate a thug or something. Bennett Miller's direction was very precise, he took his time with the plot and the long static camera shots evidently showed that. This leads me to the massive negative of the film: pacing. This was slow. Far too slow. 134 minutes of character development that leads to a 1 minute event at the end. Although, that final event was executed to perfection and full of tension. However, I can see why people dislike the pace. Intriguingly, the execution of the dialogue was at a snail's pace as well! Waiting for Carell to say a sentence takes about 2 minutes. Sure it's captivating if you truly focus, but for those who actually don't have any interest in this will surely fall asleep. An "electrifying thriller" it is not, but a very well executed character study it is.

There have been a few critically praised professional fighter movies in recent years such as The Wrestler (2008), The Fighter (2010) and Warrior (2011). Foxcatcher is another in this line of serious-minded sports-dramas, except this may be the most downbeat of them all. Unlike the others, this one is also a docudrama biopic based on real characters and events which surrounded Team Foxcatcher, which was the brainchild of billionaire John du Pont who used his money to gather the American wrestling team to live and train on his estate in preparation for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The two most prominent members of this team were the Olympic gold-medal winning brothers Dave and Mark Schultz. The story is primarily told from the latter's perspective, as he enters the weird world of du Pont.I wasn't in the least bit aware of anything to do with this true story when I watched this. It is certainly a very odd set of events that is for sure and one which does justify a movie. It does have to be said though that this is one of those films which adopts a very emotionally distant tone, which means that it is hard getting as involved with the characters as maybe we really should be. It's so overwhelmingly bleak and humourless that it is difficult to fully enjoy to be perfectly honest. But it is still an interesting story overall though, which results in a murder that I frankly did not predict in the least. The du Pont character is certainly a bizarre one. He lives with his mother in a huge mansion but seems to suffer from some social condition which makes him extremely odd in one-to-one conversations and interactions. Despite his highly sheltered life he improbably has a cocaine habit, as well as an unusual obsession with professional wrestling. It has to be said that Steve Carell is quite brilliant as this awkward character, in a performance which is the chief selling point of the movie overall. He completely immerses himself in the role and the result is what you could describe as truly proper acting. Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are also very good as the two Shultz brothers but this is really Carrell's movie overall, given how outstanding he was. The film as a whole is an impressive enough one which tells an interesting story but its thoroughly downbeat execution means it's one which keeps its distance from you and, as such, it's a movie which is easier to admire than to love.

FOXCATCHER is a film I knew nothing about when I sat down to watch it and I think that's the best way to go. Certainly if you know the events of what really happened - this is a true story - then it will spoil the experience. I knew nothing and watched the tale unfold at a leisurely pace, finding myself drawn into the lives of the characters even though the subject matter bored me.In essence, this is a tale about two wrestling brothers, one of whom is sponsored by a millionaire eccentric to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. There's no more story to it than that. This is a slow, character-focused drama that probably could have used some judicious cutting to excise some of the more repetitive moments; still, there are a couple of powerful set-pieces that really work and make it worth watching.Channing Tatum is well chosen for the main role; I've never liked the actor but he convinces as the wrestling meat head here. An unrecognisable Steve Carell garnered all the attention for playing the kooky oddball and he's certainly very good, but my favourite performance was Mark Ruffalo who gives an excellent performance once again. Just as in ZODIAC and SPOTLIGHT, Ruffalo plays a quiet and intensely sympathetic character full of nuance and realism. It makes me wish he'd make more great thrillers instead of wasting his time in token comic book fare.

Ripped-from-the headlines, this movie turns real-life events into a compelling psychological portrait of power and class struggle, with Olympic wrestling as a backdrop. It made for a very interesting watch. However, without spoiling the movie, too much, my big problem with the movie is how much of the events, the writers, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman change for the sake for story-telling. Directed by Bennett Miller, the movie tells the story of Olympic gold medalist wrestler, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and his business relationship with billionaire/wrestling enthusiast John Du Pont (Steve Carrell) on their attempt to build a wrestling camp at Pont's estate, Foxcatcher Farm, without the help of Mark's successful brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). However, in real-life, Mark didn't move to Foxcatcher to build a wrestling camp for Du Pont, but instead, Du Pont wanted him to be the assistant coach at Villanova University. Prior to accepting John Du Pont's invitation, Mark had been fired from his assistant coaching position at Stanford. He went to Foxcatcher only to live there in 1986. Also, in real life, Du Pont wanted Mark's brother Dave more than himself. After all, Jon first contacted Dave to coach, who in turn recommended Mark. Another thing, neither of the brothers were living at Foxcatcher, at the same time, like this movie was trying to say. In real life, Mark Schultz left Foxcatcher in 1988 and his brother Dave didn't arrive until 1989. Don't get me wrong, I kinda like this change, as it adds tension between the brothers over the right to coach the Foxcatcher team, but I know, for fact, that there was barely any sibling rivalry. Mark never felt overshadowed by his older brother. In truth, they trained together and really supported each other from a very young age. Both Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo did however, show well that they could handle some tension, while also, showing that they honest do love each other. It made for a very compelling watch. Another thing, the movie add was the sexual tension between Du Pont and Mark. While it was implied by the filmmakers, that some sexual advances did happen between them; nobody for sure, knows, if it did. Mark Schultz has stated out that, while Du Pont and he, indeed did cocaine, together; he didn't have any relationship with John Du Pont, besides business and drug use. However, I found out, by research that Du Pont might not have been as asexual as folks make it out to be. Indeed, John Du Pont was married at one time. His own 1983 marriage dissolve after cases of domestic abuse came into light. Then, there were other abuse cases that was push under the rugs; such was the case of Andre Metzger, a Villanova University wrestling coach who said that he was fired because he had refused Du Pont's homosexual advances and suffer beatings. While, the movie doesn't mention about it. Du Pont indeed had a very close relationship with Bulgarian wrestler, Valentin Jordanov at the time as well; to the point that Jordanov was part of his will, when he died in 2010. While, Valentin wasn't really needed for this part of the story, I just wish, the movie explore more of the business relationship between Jon and Dave. I never really got, the reasons, why Dave was willing to work with Jon, besides feeding his kids. The movie doesn't explore Dave's dream to capture Gold in the 1992 Olympic Games. The film really does gloss over it. Nor does the movie explore the depths of Jon's insanity that much. It was somewhat a letdown for the film, not to show his paranoia. Crazy real-life events like Du Pont sending wrestlers like Kevin Jackson & Trevor Lewis into his attics walls to look for ghosts, using dynamite to destroy a den of fox cubs, driving his car into a pond, twice, or pointing a gun, and burning down, a house to force, wrestler, Dan Chaid out of his house, should had been added to the film. Nor does the movie talk about the amount of hunting that went on, throughout the farm. It really could had add, so much, more thrilling parts, since it deals with weapons. Nor does the movie show that Du Pont's love for swimming, track, and the modern pentathlon. Wrestlers weren't the only athletes to train at Foxcatcher. Where are their stories about Jon Du Pont!? It would make the movie, a lot scarier. Yes, I know that would make the film seem a little more predictable, but the failure to add these, makes the ending with Dave Schultz, seem out of place and forced. Movie should explore Dave's love for the Soviet Union style of living and Jon Du Pont's over-patriotism for America, and Dave wanting to leave Foxcatcher for Stanford more. Despite that, I think Steve Carrell really did a great job in the role. He was very mysterious, prideful and strange, adding a sense of danger with that of eerie melancholy and tragedy detachment to Jon Du Pont's persona. Foxcatcher works because of its three leads. Tatum displays a depth that hasn't been since, his previous undertakings. He really did surprised me, here, both in acting and physical presence. The mirror smashing scene is a great example, as Channing Tatum indeed cut his head open. Talk about dying for your craft. You really do believe that he was a wrestler. The same, goes with Mark Ruffalo in his performance. Both, train hard for these roles. I also love that the real Mark Schultz cameo in this film. Rob Simosen's score is equally as amazing. His score add with the camera work make the ending, so powerful. Although, that ending also, does make UFC look sleazy and low brow. Overall: Aggressively morose, bleak by design. This movie will be an unsettling ride that would wrestle with your soul for days after watching it. Worth watching.