Steve Carell and Channing Tatum Excel Like Never Before in Quiet and Physical "Foxcatcher"

(Photos by Michael Iannucci)

Though stars Steve Carell and Channing Tatum have shown glimpses of serious acting chops throughout their careers (Carell’s most notably coming in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine and Tatum’s in 2012’s Magic Mike), those have been few and far between until now. The two have, for the most part, stuck to lighter, somewhat silly films (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not), but director Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” is anything but that.

The film is based on the true story of Olympic wrestling champion brothers Mark (Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo) Schultz and their path to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games after eccentric millionaire John du Pont (Carell) becomes personally invested in their careers. Following his 1984 gold medal win, Mark lives a solitary life consisting of little more than training with his brother, who is already a settled family man, and occasionally speaking at schools for some much needed cash. Quiet and brooding, he is clearly unsatisfied with his current situation. As he goes about his everyday life, arms wide and shoulders tense, only speaking when spoken to, he resembles a caged animal and in his interactions with Dave, he is the baby brother wanting to step out of Dave’s more celebrated shadow. 

After being mysteriously called upon to visit the home of du Pont and learning that the philanthropist wants to sponsor Mark’s career, Mark is boyishly elated. He moves out to du Pont’s estate to train, where he becomes a member of “Team Foxcatcher” (the name of the horse racing stable du Pont’s father once kept). The two develop a close father-son relationship, but it is eventually interrupted when du Pont convinces Dave to move his family and join them.

There is a pervading quietness to the film that gives way to a sense of dread. Scenes go by with very few words being spoken, yet the intensity is always such that an explosion seems imminent. This is in part owed to the understated direction by Miller, who has thrived on presenting biographical stories in a hushed tone, just as he did in his previous two films, “Capote” (2005) and “Moneyball” (2011). Carell’s creepy du Pont and Tatum’s physically explosive Mark are center of the atmosphere, however. Du Pont’s exaggerated prosthetic nose, pompous yet insecure gait and slow speaking pattern highlight a man whose own ridiculous behavior is hiding serious mental instability. Though he is physically present, his mind is far off screen. Mark, meanwhile, is a squarish muscle mass who hides behind a scowl until he is driven to physical combustion. When the two are on screen together, the tension is incredible.

Despite the film being a wholly serious endeavor, there are moments that are darkly funny. Du Pont’s relationship with his mother (Vanessa Redgrave), who turns out to be a major figure looming behind du Pont’s mental unsteadiness, brings an occasional uneasy laugh. So too does his self-obsession, which borders on the pathetic. His friends call him “golden eagle,” or so he says.

While the film’s quiet nature is a part of what makes its physicality all the more powerful, it is, at times, too quiet for its own good. The film loses a bit of its steam in its final act, but one conclusive explosion in that same act is compelling enough to redeem the slow moments.

  

Although Ruffalo often plays referee to the Carell and Tatum show, his performance would be towering in many other films and is the best from the actor in quite some time. Tatum’s performance on the wrestling mat is also something to behold; much like Natalie Portman’s dazzling performance as a ballet dancer in 2010’s “Black Swan,” Tatum appears to have mastered the craft of the mat in preparation for the role he called “the hardest acting challenge I’ve had to date.”

Overall, “Foxcatcher” is an emotionally distant, yet powerful biographical drama about troubled men who speak little of what they feel but can do little to hide it in their often-volatile actions. In that setting, performances inevitably come to the forefront, and given the chance, Carell and Tatum shine like never before. (Grade: B+)

Foxcatcher comes out Friday, November 14 in select theaters