Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Foxcatcher Blu-ray Movie Review

An intoxicating, precisely crafted tale of triumph turned tragedy.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 24, 2015

If one who was familiar with stars Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street), Steve Carrell (The Office), and Mark Ruffalo (13 Going on 30) was to sit down to watch Foxcatcher knowing only who was in it, he or she would likely be in for the shock of their cinematic lives. The cast suggests something fluffy and easy, humorous and witty that's laser-focused on simple entertainment. The bleakly colored poster art suggests otherwise but leaves open the possibility of a Dodgeball-like movie with a darker underside that would probably spoof heavier dramas along the way to mischievous mayhem. None of that is even remotely close to the truth, nowhere near the heart and essence of Director Bennett Miller's (Moneyball) multi Oscar-nominated film. Foxcatcher, based on a true-life tragedy, tells the deeply dramatic and intensely dark story of a wealthy philanthropist who enlists a Gold Medal-winning olympian to train on his estate and, essentially, serve as a vicarious vessel for his passion for the sport and rebellion against his mother who disapproves of olympic- style wrestling as a sport, never mind her son's participation in and passion for it. Unfortunately, the relationship leads to something more complicated than passion and pride and far more sinister than rebellion.

The Golden Eagle.

Mark Schultz (Tatum) is a Gold Medal-winning olympian whose performance in the 1984 Los Angeles games has caught the attention of the wealthy heir to the du Pont fortune, John (Carell). Mark, who is in training with his brother Dave (Ruffalo), himself a Gold Medal wrestler, is invited to train with "Team Foxcatcher," work in a fancy training facility situated on du Pont's estate near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and live on the estate, all in preparation for his competition in both the wrestling world championships of 1987 and the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul. Du Pont's motives appear altruistic; he wants to ensure that Mark receives the glory he deserves and that the country likewise comes to appreciate the talent, sacrifices, and victories of its Olympic heroes. Mark agrees, but his brother rejects an offer to accompany him, placing his family's needs and comfort above his own aspirations. The arrangement appears mutually beneficial. But du Point slowly opens up and reveals a man different than his outward gestures suggest. When the relationship's highs begin to plummet following Mark's victory at the 1987 world championship event, they enter a low point that pushes Mark further away from both du Pont and his brother Dave, now on board following a second push from du Pont to get him in the program with Team Foxcatcher.

Foxcatcher sounds superficially simple and its cast roster doesn't exactly hint at complex drama. Anyone unfamiliar with the story of John du Pont could understandably be led to believe that Foxcatcher is something that it isn't. One thing that it is, however, and in more ways than one, is a revelation. It's not a revelation concerning the core story -- that's out there for anyone with Google and fingertips -- but rather a revelation of the film medium as art and a revelation in the power of complex performances, and performances coming from surprising places at that. The film is beautifully crafted in an understated and straightforward manner that is in many ways reminiscent of Miller's Moneyball but here taken to the next level. It's simple and sublime, a masterwork that commands the screen and demonstrates the power of straightforward cinema in which the story and the actors, not the camera and editing (as strong as they may be), drive the picture. The filmmakers understand and embrace the power of the lingering shot, of the camera positioned not only at the performers but at just the right place to suggest emotional, not only physical, intimacy or distance and allow the performers' nuanced mechanics to shape the story. Foxcatcher's technical details are precise and powerful, a treat for audiences appreciative not so much of creativity but the pure mechanics of moviemaking in which the technical practically vanishes in front of the eyes, leaving the screen as a detailed and evolving stage on which the story develops on its own terms and timeframe.

The lead performances are every bit as impressive as Miller's precision direction, and arguably more so. The movie thrives on its depth of character and the three lead performances are built on an intense, absorbing level of nuance that carries these actors to another level of the craft. Mark Ruffalo is terrific in a detailed performance, perhaps not the deepest of the three but certainly the most important to get right and nudge, then push, the story towards its conclusion. Steve Carell is practically unrecognizable as the millionaire who finds escape and comfort but also the path to his downfall in the Schultz family and his ascendence to prominence on the wrestling scene. Above all others, his performance is the most intimately challenging. The film slowly reveals the character in the physical state, compiling an outer list of manifested issues and problems that lead him to the film's dark finale, but it's the internal, unspoken details that elevate the performance many times beyond Carrell's outward portrait. Yet the film belongs to Tatum, whose growth since G.I. Joe must now be considered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent cinema history. The actor showed a growing range in the satisfying Dear John but has completely reinvented himself in Foxcatcher, delivering a precise, nuanced effort here that he combines with the role's physical demands with nary a hiccup in the total approach to building the character and, gradually, tearing him down. All three characters are even more complex than their outward motivations and discussions suggest. The film's beauty, meaning, and depth flow from them in every scene. Each glance, every glare, distant stare, and intimate bond on and off the mat almost overwhelm the screen in unspoken detail and dramatic pushes forward. Foxcatcher shows the sort of fine-tuned acting that should be the envy of every actor in a dramatic role and a template for study for years to come.

Foxcatcher Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Foxcatcher features a pleasantly formed and reproduced film-quality presentation. Sony's 1080p transfer may not be quite so razor-sharp as others on the format, but the minute attention to detail and upstanding clarity ease concerns over a lightly, and infrequently, soft presentation. The image finds good, complex clothing and facial details in close-ups, while distant images still reveal leaves and grasses outside and small structural nuances inside, whether the well-appointed main building or the more spartan and efficient training complex. Colors aren't dull but do lack brilliance, keeping the film toned down, a bit. The absence of a more lively palette certainly helps to better define the film's mood and structure. Still, colors impress with their exactness through the film's parameters. Black levels waver, albeit slightly, between minor crush and a hint of appearing too bright. Flesh tones are fine, again within the film's general visual pattern and lighting. Very light grain hovers, and the image appears free of any distracting blemishes.

Foxcatcher Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Foxcatcher's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is, much like the film, a nuanced, reserved experience. Musical definition, clarity, and spacing suffice and often impress, whether light piano strokes and stringy notes or Fame 90 playing at a moderate volume through a radio. The film is primarily composed of dialogue and silence. The former plays cleanly and accurately from the center with a nice bit of natural reverberation when Mark addresses schoolchildren in one early scene, a sonic effect which is replicated later when he speaks to another crowd. The lightweight, natural ambience around the film, whether outdoors at the du Pont estate or inside the grounds' wrestling facility, proves lightly immersive but naturally complimentary. A few bits of more aggressive crowd ambience nicely pull the listener into a wrestling match or two, while a couple of heavier elements -- a few gunshots and the weighty spin of a helicopter's rotors -- are nicely aggressive and precise.

Foxcatcher Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Foxcatcher contains a disappointingly brief assortment of extras, made of a featurette, two deleted scenes, and a trailer. A UV digital copy code is included in the Blu-ray case.

• The Story of Foxcatcher (1080p, 16:20): A look at the core story, project origins, casting, performances, Steve Carrell's makeup, Bennett Miller's direction, sound and score, the real Nancy Schultz's thoughts on the movie, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Conference Call (3:21) and Where's Dave? (1:52).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:20).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

Foxcatcher Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Foxcatcher doesn't appear to be anything remarkable at-a-glance, but its technical prowess and stunning performances say otherwise, as they pertain to both the core story detail and the external portrayals thereof. It's a fairly straightforward, if not deliberate, story of insanity slow-brewing beneath a mountain of wealth and an unyielding passion, both of which mask, but cannot fully contain, the reality below. The film is strikingly beautiful in its simplicity and slow simmering approach. It ends quickly, a punctuation on a carefully constructed build-up to tragedy. Shaped by gorgeously knowledgeable and exacting direction, precision editing, and several incredibly detailed performances that rank amongst the finest of the decade thus far, Foxcatcher stands as one of the strongest films of 2014. Sony's Blu-ray release of Foxcatcher comes with a disappointingly slim collection of extras, but video an audio presentations are fine. Very highly recommended.