Blog: ‘Foxcatcher’
There’s usually that one movie that changes your opinion of an actor’s abilities. Foxcatcher was that for my opinion of Channing Tatum.
I was on the hunt for a great movie this past week. One of those that slipped through the cracks of my attention and deserves some recognition. I recently wrote about how I couldn’t believe Steve Carell’s character as a predator in The Morning Show. I just couldn’t see Steve that way man. A friend of mine recommended I watch Foxcatcher and see what I thought about him playing a murderer. I had never heard of the 2014 film but after looking it up and seeing it also starred Mark Ruffalo I was sold. Channing Tatum was a fine addition too but I love me some good ol’ Mark Ruffalo.
Let me fill you in with a brief summary. Foxcatcher is based on true events about two U.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) and Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) who join the uber-wealthy John du Pont (Steve Carell) and his “Team Foxcatcher” wrestling group as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games. It first starts out with Mark moving onto John’s estate to lead and train the team, presumably to step out from living in his brother’s shadow. As time goes on, John exhibits toxic, strange behavior that will bring Mark and Dave to a dark, unforeseen fate. This five-time Oscar-nominated film is filled with great suspense that will have you on edge from start to finish.
I have to tell you- Channing Tatum really surprised me here. I’ve always thought of him as a mediocre actor with not too much range. More of a comedic guy. Within the first ten minutes of Foxcatcher, you are instantly drawn to his character in the way he moves and speaks. From Mark’s posture to his closed-off demeanor, Tatum absolutely crushes it. He’s captivating. Unfortunately, he was snubbed from the Oscars that year unlike his co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell. First of all, who doesn’t love Mark Ruffalo? I mean, if you know of such a person, please let me know. Although he has less screen time than Tatum, he still delivers in every scene he’s a part of. In preparation for the movie, Tatum and Ruffalo had to undergo intense wrestling training for about six months. You can clearly tell they put the work in because Ruffalo put on 30 pounds and they both look and move like legit athletes.
Now let’s dive into Carell’s character, John du Pont. Y’all, he is REPELLENT. Hats off to the hair and makeup department because they worked wonders to make Carell look as off-putting as he does. Apparently, close to two hours in the hair and makeup chair every day. Maybe I had an easier time accepting his character in this film than I did in The Morning Show because he’s less recognizable. I’m going to go with that. When you first meet John, you instantly get this uncomfortable feeling. The way he speaks and stares at Mark is just wild. You learn he’s an heir to the du Pont family fortune who loves the sport of wrestling. You generate conclusions like he wasn’t well-liked as a child, he never had family support for his love of wrestling and he uses money to gain favor with those around him. You do have instances where you feel bad for the guy, but it doesn’t trump the odd feeling you have about him.
Foxcatcher is a slow burn kind of movie, but the acting holds your focus all the way through. It brings you to an ending where you think what the hell just happened? and wraps up quickly. It’s worth the watch, believe me. You can rent it now on Amazon Prime Video.
