The bleak side of the Olympic dream

Rating: 7/10 (16 February 2019)

The film is based on the true story of brothers Mark and Dave Schultz (played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo), American wrestlers who won gold medals in the 1984 Olympics. The film begins after their wins as they are pursued to to live and train in a sports community owned by eccentric mega-millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell).
It is easy to distinguish this as an independent film as opposed to a typical Hollywood film. A Hollywood film would likely have ended with the Olympic glory with the final victory in slow motion (including the audience jumping to its feet) with a blaring orchestra. Instead, "Foxcathcher" shows a very deglamourized life (especially Mark's) post-Olympics, bravely showing the flip-side of the Olympic dream.
Director Bennett Miller uses a story-telling style that is deliberately bleak and emotionally distant. This mood is best shown in Carell's performance which is subtle and repressed as he portrays someone who, most of his life, was given too much money and not enough love. The only warmth in the film comes from Ruffalo whose character has found happiness with his young family.
The bleak style is fine but up to a point as the movie feels too long a 2.25 hours. Also, despite the length, there still seems to too little background of some characters. It's still praiseworthy, though, for its unique approach to sports biographies.