Review: FOXCATCHER

Caught Me By The Jugular

4 stars

Mini Review:

This is a mad, mad movie about a wrestler and his mentor. About a wrestler and his brother. About money and power and the desperate need to own and breed champions! About Oscar worthy performances from Steve Carell and Channing Tatum. Yes, you read the last line right.

Main Review:

Who would've thunk that the twinkle-toes star of Step Up (yes, the dance movie) who bulked up to save presidents and the western world from terrorists, would give up so much of himself and actually play a part that would mean re-shaping his body, his walk, his demeanor to something - I frankly thought - wasn't in him. Channing Tatum is a surprise as Mark Schulz the wrestling champion. 

And although the movie is about the sport of wrestling and about the struggles of an Olympics champion to remain one, if you go back to the title of the movie, you know Channing Tatum is not really the hero of the movie. It is about the man who hunts down the Fox. The man who stands tall behind the champion. Or in this case in front of the champion. 

This man is the eccentric billionaire John Du Pont, played by Steve Carell. Now I would have scoffed at the very idea, because one has seen Steve Carell play Evan Almighty, Sherman, Walt, even Gru... Roles that mean not much, or ask much from the actor. But here. Oh Mah Gawd! He is stupendous. He is so good at being bad, you want to throw things at him. He is so good at being John Du Pont, the megalomaniac, you forget that he was ever Evan Almighty. You feel sorry for him and then you want to bury him alive. You forget that this is a movie about wrestling and you wait for John to enter into the frame, any frame, and own it. 

And if you think you can 'see it coming', you would be wrong. This movie is so fabulous, you watch slack-jawed at the relationship between the wrestler and his sponsor and come out wondering if the relationships in your life are somewhat similar...