Fell very flat

Rating: 5/10 (3 January 2015)

I was expecting intensity, an interesting story and character study from this film, but I was disappointed.
The film is intensely bleak, dealing with the sport of wrestling, with no laughs or empathetic moments. Channing Tatum wears the same bull-like expression throughout the whole film, not really evolving much as a character. I just found him whiny, cold and dumb. Mark Ruffalo (whom I really loved in the Avengers) despite being nominated for some prizes, unfortunately didn't stand alone for me in the movie.
Steve Carell's John du Pont, in a surprising dramatic role, comes off as creepy from the moment you meet him. You know fully well that something is off with him (and of course since he murders one of his friends at the end of the film). But sadly, the film doesn't focus too closely on why du Pont murdered Dave, other than the awkward, dysfunctional relationship with his mother (Vanessa Redgrave) and the Schultz brothers distancing themselves from him.
For a film that's receiving a lot of awards and praise, this really doesn't cut it for me.