Critics rating: 2.5 Stars

Cast:  Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave.

Direction: Bennett Miller

Produced: Bennett Miller, Megan Ellison, Jon Kilik, Anthony Bregman.

Written: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman.

Genre: Sports.

Duration: 134 Mins

Foxcatcher professes to be a true crime biography. However, much like its background of wrestling, the film stalls before delivering a much-needed blow in the drama, amounting eventually to a narrative dead-end. This conclusion is the head scratcher in spite of the riveting starry line-up, an able director and a source material (Mark Schultz’s autobiography of the same name) from where one could derive enough anecdotal episodes to make a TV series. Perhaps that would have done the Schultz brothers and the ultimate tragedy more justice.

A quick summary sans spoilers for the uninitiated: Foxcatcher is based on a series of real events. Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) resents living under the shadow of his overachieving, wrestler extraordinaire Brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo). Thus, when millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell)offers Mark an assistant coach’s job at his Foxcatcher Farm, the Olympic gold medallist takes it on. Unlike the film, where du Pont insists on having Dave on board as well, this job was actually offered to Mark on Dave’s recommendation.
After some time, du Pont hires Dave to coach Team Foxcatcher, leading to much bitterness from Mark’s end until calamity strikes.

That is all the film can say about three varied lives entangled by chance, need and to achieve. Much of what you see in the film is fictionalised. Much of the incidents that could add to an understanding of the characters concerned and sufficiently build up the climax are kept out of the film.
Mark and Dave’s childhood fraught with economic difficulty does not find any mention. The ‘how’ and ‘why’ of them getting into wrestling is not explained. A little more on their interpersonal relationship would have added an edge to the story.
Foxcatcher depicts Mark as an eager athlete, willingly joining du Pont in his quest for sporting glory, when in fact it was financial constraints that drew him to accept the position. If Mark’s version is to be believed, he had been wary of du Pont from the very beginning. It is important to note that in reality, Mark and Dave were never together at the Foxcatcher Farm. Mark worked there until 1988 while Dave did not join until 1989.

In actuality, Mark’s time at Foxcatcher became difficult to bear not by the presence of his brother but because of du Pont’s egomaniacal, domineering nature. Du Pont would encroach on Mark’s coaching time, blathering endlessly or proffering wrestling tips despite being ignorant on the subject. Mark, irritated by the beleaguering told him that he was intent on making a t-shirt which said ‘Shut Up And Leave Me Alone’. Soon after, du Pont showed up with two t-shirts, for himself and for Mark with the forbidding message.