Foxcatcher

It is Oscar season, and the film companies are pulling out all of their heavy hitters in the hopes of taking home the gold statue. Of all the films being released this award season, there is one film that stands out due to the surprising casting choices that caught everyone off guard, but proved that the actors were perfect for their roles. "Foxcatcher" may be flawed in its narrative, but the performances are more than enough to justify the price of admission.

"Foxcatcher" tells the true crime story of John du Pont, whose delusional sense of patriotism led to a manipulative game and, ultimately, the murder of an Olympic wrestler. It focuses on the Schultz brothers, who both won gold medals at the 1984 Olympics. Dave Schultz ascended into fame and notoriety while his younger brother Mark struggled in Dave's shadow. When contacted by du Pont to put together a training program from the ground up, Mark sees it as his chance to finally step into the spotlight, but it's not long before du Pont begins playing mind games with Mark and leading both brothers down a dark path.

The film's Achilles heel begins to show its fatal flaw early on in the film. The story it's telling is a salacious, but ultimately superficial, tale. The script, written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, merely shows the events that occurred without ever taking a deeper look at why. It forces the viewer to accept everything at face value because there isn't much of an explanation offered about the circumstances. Comments are made in passing about the hardships that the Schultz brothers endured growing up. That offers a slight insight as to why Mark was so easily manipulated by du Pont, but there is more to the story and there's never any talk about mental health issues suffered by any of the characters. It's a shame that "Foxcatcher" doesn't explore the interpersonal relationships of the main trio of characters more, because that is when the film is at its best.

Most of the film's failures fall on director Bennett Miller. Coming off of a string of home runs like "Capote" and "Moneyball," Miller has shown that he knows how to craft an engaging true story based film. Here, he is never quite able to get his hands around the material and as such, he fails to create much tension as the film heads towards its fatal climax. The story on which the film is based grabbed national headlines when it occurred in the 1990s, so many viewers will still remember some of the story. Because of this, it is the filmmaker's responsibility to build the momentum towards that moment. Instead it almost feels like an afterthought to be included in the final moments.

The holes in the plot are overlooked at times due to the strong performances from the cast. Steve Carell, in particular, offers an eye opening performance. Most comedians, at some point in their careers, attempt to gain more screen credibility by switching to more dramatic fare. The results have been mixed, from the successful likes of Tom Hanks and Robin Williams to Jim Carrey, who could never quite crack the code. Carell has tested out the waters before, but with the help of prosthetics the actor completely transforms into the murderous millionaire. He is able to easily exhibit the cold and distant traits that du Pont exhibits, as well as play vulnerable in scenes that show he is longing for acceptance and delusionally trying to demonstrate his patriotism.

While most of the attention is being focused on Carell's transformation, both Tatum and Ruffalo turn in powerful performances. It's easy to overlook Ruffalo's work here, as he always turns in stellar work. But Tatum, who is mostly known for his action and comedic chops, offers a tortured portrayal of Mark Schultz, the younger brother trying to escape his own demons and the shadow of his older brother. "Foxcatcher" marks a return to his indie roots for the "Magic Mike" actor, who more often flexed his acting muscles at the beginning of his career before becoming a household name.

Despite its flaws, "Foxcatcher" is engaging to watch. It's also frustrating because it shows glimmers of the greatness that could have been, rather than settling for a more mediocre path. Were it not for the commanding performances from its leading men, no one would even be mentioning this film and Oscar season in the same sentence. As it stands, though, go for the true crime story and stay for the performances.