Catch of the Day

The movie Foxcatcher is not in the hunt for a Best Picture Oscar this year, but the evidence suggests that if the Academy's odd new system -- which produces anywhere from 5 to 10 Best Picture Nominees -- had bubbled up 9 nominees this year instead of 8, Foxcatcher would have been the 9th film. It did receive 5 nominations in other categories, including for two of its three main stars. Most tellingly, it picked up a Best Director nomination for Bennett Miller, making him the first director to be nominated without his Picture since the Academy went to more than 5 film nominees. But now that I've seen Foxcatcher for myself, I think the Academy probably got this one right.

The movie is the based on the true story of Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, who are approached by eccentric multimillionaire John du Pont to fund their training for the 1988 games. The brothers splinter over attitudes toward du Pont, one eager to receive his funding, the other suspicious of his motives.

Foxcatcher is indeed a movie with amazing, Oscar-worthy performances. Since Little Miss Sunshine, Steve Carell has increasingly appeared in more serious roles inside of comedic movies. (See The Way, Way Back. Except don't. Don't see The Way, Way Back.) He throws the switch entirely in the dramatic direction here, and earned himself a Best Actor nomination. At the time the movie was filmed, the brilliant Robin Williams was alive and well. But now that Williams is gone, this movie seems to be Steve Carell's audition as his heir apparent. Carell displays that same intensity in this role, playing on the audience's knowledge of all the manic energy that's being held tightly in check. Plus, in this movie, he's just damn creepy.

Then there's Mark Ruffalo, who had a hell of a 2014. He was excellent in The Normal Heart, and now he's excellent in a completely different role here. Ruffalo is a very deserving nominee for Best Supporting Actor, as he seems utterly transformed here. The way he carries himself is altered, his speech patterns are altered, his facial expressions are altered. He is every inch the battered wrestler who has burned his candle at both ends... but also a protective older brother who loves his younger brother fiercely.

But as strong as Carell and Ruffalo are, it's (perhaps shockingly) Channing Tatum that people should be talking about, that should have been looked at for a Best Actor nomination. There's no trace of the pretty boy heartthrob in his performance; he carries himself like a meathead Cro-Magnon. And even as he is so physically guarded, he's emotionally vulnerable. It's a powerful performance that changes what audiences should expect of him.

Oscar nominated director Bennett Miller guides all three actors in these brilliant performances, and proves himself smart with the camera is well. Scenes are carefully staged, lens carefully chosen, to layer the film with all kinds of allusions and subtext. The Oscar nominated makeup artists quietly support the film by transforming the appearance of all three actors; Carell's prominent teeth and hooked nose have gotten all the attention, but the cauliflower ears of Tatum's character and receding hairline of Ruffalo's are just as effective.

Foxcatcher's one Oscar nomination I don't agree with is the reason why I think it is rightly left out of the Best Picture hunt -- its nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The script for Foxcatcher feels overly long, and often focuses on the wrong things. There are numerous scenes that self-indulgently portray Carell's du Pont as a strange weirdo, many more than are necessary to get the point across. At the same time, other scenes that would have been vital connective tissue in the narrative are missing. Tatum's character of Mark Schultz goes through two significant changes in behavior and allegiance throughout the film -- a journey into du Pont's cult of personality and back. Neither change is accurately explained. Nor do the motivations behind the climax of the film make much sense... that is, if you're looking for anything deeper than "well, that du Pont is just a creepy dude."

If Foxcatcher bolsters the careers of those involved in making it, that will be a fine legacy for it. As for the film itself, I'd call it a slow-paced B-.