Based on the shocking true story, “Foxcatcher” tells the story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), who despite winning a gold medal, feels overshadowed by his older brother (Mark Ruffalo) and takes matters into his own hands to overcome this feeling. In his frustration, Mark frantically joins multimillionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell) in establishing a team of wrestlers to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In time, however, they both take desperate measures to reach their own goals, which leads to an unforeseeable and brutal sequence of events.

The acting in “Foxcatcher” is indubitably the best of the year. Channing Tatum proves that he’s not just a poster boy for the film and has true potential as an actor. The best scenes involve Tatum beating himself in frustration, demonstrating his dedication to mentally and physically portraying Mark Schultz. Along with Tatum, Mark Ruffalo shines as David Schultz. As the only individual among the trio that holds a grasp on reality, Dave attempts to support the other two, but they both refuse his help.

Though both performances by Ruffalo and Tatum are masterful, it’s Steve Carell’s dramatic transformation as the erratic John du Pont, which leaves a mark as one of the year’s most transcendent performances. Known for playing the ridiculous Michael Scott from “The Office” and other various comedy roles, “Foxcatcher” is a pivotal point in Carell’s career, as he transitions to drama. And boy does he do a good job. Carell flawlessly captures du Pont’s thirst for power and greedy ambitions to impress his fellow peers. One scene shows du Pont ordering a tank, but then refusing to take it because it doesn’t include the fifty-caliber machine gun he was so eagerly anticipating on using. Carell’s depiction of du Pont is both creepy and tragic, and will unquestionably land Carell an Oscar nod in the upcoming award season.

The movie moves at a slow pace during its 134 minute run time, which eventually becomes laborious during some sequences. Many scenes which display characters thinking to themselves in silence, with next to no dialogue, become repetitive and make the film far less engaging.

The film is shot in a very unnerving manner. Most scenes of du Pont’s estate have an eerie feel to them, and even when the camera transitions inside the estate’s many buildings, it doesn’t get much better. Despite having slow pacing and a very peculiar feel to it, “Foxcatcher” does form a unique atmosphere with these elements.

In the end, it all comes down to desire and ambition in “Foxcatcher.” The characters, and even the film itself, both set goals for themselves to achieve. It’s a distinctive story that reveals a darker side in the road to success, with du Pont striving for authority and Mark desperately training to become the best wrestler in the world. “Foxcatcher” is an ambitious film, that for the most part, succeeds in reaching its goals.

3.5/5 McKennas