Foxcatcher was the name given to the US’s training centre for the national wrestling team where John Du Pont (Steve Carrell) hired brothers Dave and Mark Schultz (Mark Ruffalo and Channig Tatum) to be and achieve the best in order to become a powerhouse wrestling force internationally.
Admittedly, wrestling movies don’t often inspire thoughts of hard hitting, gripping drama but that is what director Bennett Miller has achieved here – a movie that has wowed critics and is right in line for Oscar glory next month.
It features a clutch of standout out performances, but special acclaim has been given to Carrell and Tatum, both of whom are not normally associated with heavyweight dramatical roles (comedy and action/ rom-com respectively being their more common habitat). However, both deliver truly career-transforming performances here, Carrell almost unrecognisable under heavy make-up effects. It’s a long, long way from The 40 Year Old Virgin, we’ll say that much!
Foxcatcher is released January 9 courtesy of Entertainment One.
