Foxcatcher

JP Liz V1 · 21-08-2013 1:41am #1

http://thefilmstage.com/news/first-look-steve-carell-undergoes-killer-transformation-for-bennett-millers-foxcatcher/

^ First image of Carell as John du Pont

Seems to be getting a release now around middle of December, primetime to make Oscar nominations, hopefully a trailer will be out soon

Sam Mac · 16-10-2013 9:09pm

Release date was apparently moved to early next year. Really looking forward to this - big fan of Steve Carell and it will be interesting to see him in this kind of role.

JP Liz V1 · 22-04-2014 10:20pm

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/04/22/foxcatcher-release-date/

Foxcatcher, Bennett Miller’s drama about disturbed multimillionaire John du Pont and his ill-fated relationship with Olympic-wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, will open in theaters Nov. 14. The film, which originally was slated for a 2013 release, will premiere at next month’s Cannes Film Festival

JP Liz V1 · 19-05-2014 11:05pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoxghyhoO1A

Looper007 · 20-05-2014 9:12pm

Film has been getting rave reviews in Cannes especially Carell's performance. This is a rather touching tribute of Dave Schultz just after his death shot in front of his wife and died in her arms, who's played by Mark Ruffalo in the film, considered one of the greatest U.S Amateur wrestler's ever, even trained Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle ( WWE fan's will know who he is), Dave and Mark (played by Channing Tatum) are the first brothers to win Olympic gold at the same Olympic's ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cdNfZmTZWs

maximoose · 03-07-2014 1:23pm

New Teaser

US release in November, UK/Ire in Jan

I'm really looking forward to this

JP Liz V1 · 31-08-2014 10:05pm

New trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iid93Bx2g-U

IvaBigWun · 29-12-2014 3:40pm

I think this is out here in two weeks? Surely this is the most delayed major release of recent years?

Looks very promising!

e_e · 29-12-2014 3:42pm

I think Enemy beats it. Came out last February in America but only out here on Friday.

Also just had to remind myself that there's STILL no sign of Snowpiercer or The Immigrant on these shores.

IvaBigWun · 29-12-2014 5:34pm

20 mins in and this is one of the slowest films Ive ever seen. Like really slow.

Dont think I'll be lasting too much longer with it which is a shame, I was looking forward to it.

Honey Monster · 29-12-2014 5:54pm

IvaBigWun wrote: »

20 mins in and this is one of the slowest films Ive ever seen. Like really slow.

Dont think I'll be lasting too much longer with it which is a shame, I was looking forward to it.

Can't help but say if you're browsing the intetnet while watching a movie you're not exactly giving it a sporting chance...

30-12-2014 12:29am

This is quite the movie. Tatum and Carell are excellent, really both giving outstanding performances.

Weirdly they show the guys watching the UFC in 1988 though, not sure how they make a mistake like that. Aside from that very impressed. Du Pont was one creepy man.

mark13 · 30-12-2014 5:18am

IvaBigWun wrote: »

20 mins in and this is one of the slowest films Ive ever seen. Like really slow.

Dont think I'll be lasting too much longer with it which is a shame, I was looking forward to it.

Maybe you should have held out for a version that didn't have Arabic subtitles :pac:

Saw it a few weeks ago in the Lighthouse cinema and thought it was excellent was a bit surprised by how abrupt the ending was, they skipped over DuPont's

2 day standoff with the cops, were he demanded they call him the Dalai Lama amongst other nuttiness

But overall I really, really enjoyed it, wouldn't be surprised if Carell gets an Oscar.

For anyone interested, here's the documentary that they recreated in the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4WOqUkJmFQ

h2005 · 30-12-2014 5:31am

Deleted User wrote: »

This is quite the movie. Tatum and Carell are excellent, really both giving outstanding performances.

Weirdly they show the guys watching the UFC in 1988 though, not sure how they make a mistake like that. Aside from that very impressed. Du Pont was one creepy man.

They were watching cage MMA from Japan not UFC I thought?

mark13 · 30-12-2014 6:40am

h2005 wrote: »

They were watching cage MMA from Japan not UFC I thought?

The clip they're watching on tv is from UFC 8 which took place in Feb 1996, Mark Schultz fought at UFC 9 in May of 1996, so it seems like an odd mistake to have made.

marklazarcovic · 30-12-2014 5:39pm

was a good movie, du pont was some freak ,carrell played him brilliantly

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 30-12-2014 9:03pm

Mentioned this article in the "What I've Recently Watched" thread. It's a brief look at Du Pont's life before he became involved with the wrestling. http://swimswam.com/foxcatcher-story-swimming-hall-fame-john-du-pont-not-depicted-foxcatcher-movie/

Seems a rather sad story and implies it's not very well covered in the film. Then again the film seems to be about that particular incident rather than Du Pont himself.

30-12-2014 9:28pm

Not a big fan of Miller's other stuff such as Capote and Moneyball and this did not change how I felt. Found it slow and uneventful. There was hardly any screen time given to his act of murder and the ensuing siege.

I did have a chuckle at the David Brent type moments when he acted like some sort of mentor to the wrestlers in the presence of his Mum!

Also the synopsis on thetvdb.com completely ruined the film for me as I knew nothing about what happened beforehand.

I fully accept though that I'm just not sophisticated enough to enjoy this type of film what with all the rave reviews.

30-12-2014 9:51pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a big fan of Miller's other stuff such as Capote and Moneyball and this did not change how I felt. Found it slow and uneventful. There was hardly any screen time given to his act of murder and the ensuing siege.

I did have a chuckle at the David Brent type moments when he acted like some sort of mentor to the wrestlers in the presence of his Mum! Also the synopsis on thetvdb.com completely ruined the film for me as I knew nothing about what happened beforehand.

I fully accept though that I'm just not sophisticated enough to enjoy this type of film what with all the rave reviews.

Did you not think the slow pacing of the movie really created the weird atmosphere necessary to portray the oddity of Du Pont, and I guess the emotional issues felt by shultz stemming from childhood? I think the tone and pacing really almost set it up for Carell to give his performance of this extremely strange guy.

mark13 · 31-12-2014 5:38pm

Mark Schultz posted this on facebook yesterday, it's quite interesting... seems like the movie took some massive liberties with the truth.

Contains Spoilers

I was already an Olympic and WORLD Champion before I met du Pont. The director took my 1985 World Title away in the film. I was not emotionally fragile as critics suggest. I didn't move to Pennsylvania to wrestle for Foxcatcher. I took an assistant coaching job at Villanova. I never looked up to duPont as a mentor, leader, father figure. He was a lot dirtier the first time I met him and he was drunk. He told me he would have nothing to do with Villanova which was the only reason I went there. du Pont was a repulsive sickening freak. I could barely stand looking at him. I never touched him except for a photo at the hall of fame and when I threw him in a headlock for a documentary. I never showed him any moves or taught him anything about wrestling. I never coached him in a wrestling match. I never read any speech he gave me. I never dyed my hair.

Dave was my older brother, not a father-figure. After I won the NCAA's and Dave took 2nd, Dave started asking me about technique and calling himself Mark Schultz's brother. I was a 3x NCAA Champion. Dave won once. After 1986 I started beating Dave in practice consistently. I never worked out in the new wrestling complex duPont built in the film. If du Pont ever slapped me I'd have knocked his head off. I never wrestled after Dave moved onto Foxcatcher Farms. I was doing Jiu-Jitsu at BYU. Dave was never a head coach anywhere. I was a Division I University Head Coach for 6 years. Dave was intelligent but no more than me. Just coz I wasn't filling the silence with superfluous noise all the time doesn't mean I was inarticulate. I earned a masters degree with a 3.6 gpa. I'm a corporate speaker and life coach.

The movie doesn't show hardly any of my victories. It focuses on only my losses. The personalities and relationships between the characters in the film are primarily fiction and somewhat insulting. Leaving the audience with a feeling that somehow there could have been a sexual relationship between duPont and I is a sickening and insulting lie. I told Bennett Miller to cut that scene out and he said it was to give the audience the feeling that duPont was encroaching on your privacy and personal space. I wasn't explicit so I didn't have a problem with it. Then after reading 3 or 4 reviews interpreting it sexually, and jeopardizing my legacy, they need to have a press conference to clear the air, or I will.

Many say du Pont was insane or crazy. He had cocaine psychosis which cleared up in jail. He always knew what he was doing. He was so arrogant he bragged to me once he could get away with murder. He was also fighting a lawsuit at the same time as the murder trial to try to prove he had the mental capacity to control and manage his own money when his family tried to get him committed to take control of his money. It set up a dynamic where on the one hand he's saying he's insane in the criminal case and competent enough to handle is monetary affairs. The insanity plea was 100% fiction. During the trial he was wheeled into court every day. His hair and beard were grown out. Then he was convicted and he dropped the act. The day he was sentenced he walks in and out of court un-aided without a wheelchair, was clean shaven, and spoke for the first time. What he said made perfect sense considering his arrogance. He said "I want to say sorry to Dave's kids for any inconvenience". Ha! INCONVENIENCE! PERFECT

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 31-12-2014 5:46pm

The article I posted above there, although from a different angle, implies basically the same thing, there's not a lot of truth in the film.

Mickeroo · 31-12-2014 7:24pm

Changes like that are standard for most hollywood movies based on truth I would have thought.

01-01-2015 11:59am

Interesting all of that. He seemed pretty positive about things here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY6sfFiGIUg

Looper007 · 01-01-2015 7:11pm

watched this earlier today, Not a masterpiece by any means (its very very slow at times, it could have done with some cutting in places) but the acting is really top notch especially by Tatum who isn't been given enough credit. Carrell is very good as is Ruffalo. It's Very much a film that is all about its acting, like all of Miller's films. Well worth checking out but I doubt it be winning Awards come the Oscars imo.

cunnifferous · 02-01-2015 2:12am

Haven't seen the film yet but Mark Schultz seems to have some kind of mental breakdown after watching the film. Threatening to kill the director on twitter

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/1/1/7473855/mark-schultz-tweets-extreme-anger-director-foxcather-channing-tatum-steve-carrell

titan18 · 09-01-2015 11:05pm

Thought the acting was excellent in it, but not a big fan of the film. Like others have said, it was very slow. Tatum, Ruffalo and Carell kept me interested but it was meh when you took out their acting.

Drag00n79 · 11-01-2015 4:12pm

I saw it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know about the du ponts beforehand. I'm glad though I hadn't read this thread first - especially some of the early posts - as they would have ruined the end of the film for me.

Drag00n79 · 11-01-2015 4:12pm

I saw it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know about the du ponts beforehand. I'm glad though I hadn't read this thread first - especially some of the early posts - as they would have ruined the end of the film for me.

santana75 · 11-01-2015 6:23pm

I hate using spoiler tags so I'm just gonna say its best to stop reading now if you haven't seen this movie yet........

Anyway went to see it last night and I thought it was......well honestly I think I'm still processing what I saw so its hard to pass judgment. What I can say though is that this is a film of immense atmosphere, I mean from the word go you just have this feeling that things aren't gonna end well. The acting is supreme. A lot has been said of Steve Carrel's performance already but I gotta say that it is a genuinely creepy and disturbing turn. If you think about brick from anchorman and then you have this du pont guy.......man that's a guy with serious acting range. I've known individuals like john du pont and they're the kind of people that just make you feel instantly uncomfortable. They have this spaced out, detached presence and talking to them is like trying have a conversation with someone who's just dropped a tonne of acid. Only with du pont there was an air of menace about his spacey-ness which carrell has absolutely nailed.
Every time he's onscreen I had this uneasy feeling, like he could do something crazy at any moment.......and not good crazy, dangerous crazy, like someone's gonna get fcuked up. Carrell could well win the Oscar, although I think Michael Keaton deserves it a bit more. Mark ruffallo is brilliant too, but I think its unfair that Channing Tatum hasnt received the the same acclaim as the other two guys. He is great in this. There's a scene where he headbutts a mirror and its for real......I think he at least deserves an Oscar nomination.
Its a disturbing story that ends in a shocking manner. It made me angry, I wanted to beat the **** out of du pont for senselessly killing a guy that was universally loved and respected. It made me sad as well because it is sad how people will accept unacceptable behavior from someone just because they're rich. Kurt angle said in an interview that there were so many warning signs of what was to come but that they all, him included, turned a blind eye, because they didn't want the gravey train to stop. Du pont comes across as a very lonely man who used his wealth to try and buy friends. That's sad too, that someone's life got to that point and maybe this was the reason why he flipped out and killed dave, who had told him shortly before hand that he was leaving foxcatcher?
I dunno, this film is like watching two women fighting in temple bar on a saturday night, its disturbing and you're compelled to watch but it doesn't leave you feeling good about yourself after.

Pierce_1991 · 13-01-2015 1:09am

Just back from the cinema having seen it. Really enjoyed the film, Carrell and Ruffalo excellent but Tatum steals the show. I can see him winning an oscar one day. The story moves a bit slow but I think it helps create an atmosphere. This goes a long way towards

shocking the audience when Du Pont shoots Dave. The shooting is quite sudden and I think that was done on purpose after most other scenes had moved along so slowly. Very well done.

I think I'll have to go see this again though because it was ruined slightly by a bunch of people in the cinema just chatting away and laughing throughout the film. A couple behind me basically just conversed for the entirety of the film as if they were having a coffee at their local starbucks, I won't need to buy the DVD because they've already given me the running commentary. There was also a gang a few rows down that seemed to find the film hysterically funny, don't ask me how. So frustrating!

Ageyev · 13-01-2015 11:40am

I went to see this recently. As I aware of the story previously from my interest in wrestling the particulars of the story didn't surprise me so I was looking out for performances, accuracy and overall direction. Thought it was quite good and would recommend.

As mentioned it is a slow-burner so maybe not a first date film. I heard Carrel on Mark Kermode's podcast recently talk about the sense of foreboding throughout which as the previous poster said

makes the shooting of David

all the more shocking. I knew it was coming but I leapt out of my seat as did a number of people around me.

Went to see it in the IFI. The audience was respectful and picture/sound was fine.

johnnysmack · 14-01-2015 1:04am

Ageyev wrote: »

I knew it was coming but I leapt out of my seat as did a number of people around me.

Me too! I knew the story and what was going to happen but it still caught me off guard and made me jump.

Very good film. Tatum, Carrell and Ruffalo all excellant in it.

MakeEmLaugh · 14-01-2015 10:41am

As I am unfamiliar with the world of sports, not least wrestling, I did my best to avoid all press relating to this film prior to seeing it, in the hopes of avoiding the ending being revealed. Sadly, after Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's joke about Steve Carrell at this year's Golden Globes (I won't reproduce it, lest anyone else have the film's dénouement hinted at) I knew where the film was heading, which ruined some of the tension for me.

Very good performances all round. The prosthetics weren't too distracting. I admire when comedic actors take dramatic roles and stretch themselves, as Carrell seemed to be doing here. Ruffalo was perhaps the most naturalistic, though that may relate to the fact his character was the warmest in the film.

There were hints of Behind the Candelabra in Tatum and Carrell's relationship, though without the explicitness.

I don't know if this will win any awards come Oscar season, but it's worth watching nevertheless.

LuckyLloyd · 14-01-2015 11:46am

It was hard going. The film is brave in its almost total commitment to creating a tense, bleak and ever more unsettling atmosphere. So often films like this have a love story tacked on or they choose to round out or smooth the edges of the central characters. This film has no give in those respects. Tatum is happiest when blankly pursuing his goal and crumbles to dust when his focus wavers. Dupont is presented as savagely one eyed in attempting to fabricate a 'legacy'. Ruffalo is the only chink of warmt in the film - but even he, in the end, will make compromises to get the right setup and win. The film is slow and quiet and the dialogue in keeping with characters who are often unable to articulate themselves.

All three central performances are excellent but I found Tatum to be particularly superb. He totally sells the years of dogged determination and wear and tear - his rounded over shoulders, permanent grimace and pigeon toed walk are fully naturalised. It is those three performances that make this worthwile. The film hangs its hat on their immersive nature.

Ultimately this is a very serious and sombre film. It takes extreme liberties with the facts of the underlying true story and focusses on a sport that will be very unfamiliar and strange to audiences over here. I thought it was more impressive than enjoyable and I doubt I'd look to watch it a second time.

Dirty Steve · 15-01-2015 9:32pm

Very good film, creeped the hell out of me though, so I don't think I'll be a hurry to watch it again.

Would have thought Tatum would get more recognition for his role during the award season, seems to have been passed over though.

First_October · 16-01-2015 9:53pm

Saw this today and thought it was brilliant. Great acting from the three leads. The pacing and over-all tone of the film were superb. The autumnal rural Pennsylvania setting was gorgeous on screen and really added to the atmosphere. It is a testament to the film that

the majority of the audience jumped when du Pont shot Dave Schultz!

MrStuffins · 18-01-2015 4:58pm

Watched this last night and I must say, I was disappointed. Great performances but it didn't grip me at all.

One of the major issues was when they were training for the 1988 Olympics and sitting watching a video of a fight in the UFC.The UFC didn't exist till 1993. Then, seemingly in the same time frame, another major occurrence

the shooting of Dave Schultz

was depicted which didn't take place until 1996. All over the shop!

The Black Oil · 18-01-2015 5:21pm

Cards on the table first, I don't like wrestling. I really don't.* That means it's unlikely I'd watch this again. Like some of you've pointed out, it is quite a bleak film, really. I can't really fault the performances. Props for the use of Für Alina too.

*That's not to say I think wrestling is without some sort of in-built code or language in those early touches just before you fully tackle your opponent. There's skill involved, sure.

As is often the case with these things, it's as much about the battle outside of the ring than in it. The whole thing is underpinned by a war like mentality, patriotism and blood which are featured literally and metaphorically. Representing one's country is a personal project for Du Pont (Steve Carell) hence his interest in Mark (Tatum). There's a lot of uncertainty that looms from the get go. Mark is unconfident in his life, giving school talks, somewhat lonely and naive, with a poor diet. At the same time, both men are accomplished in their professions, be they past or present. Du Pont's got plenty of resources, pull, trophies, yet he also feels distant and mysterious, at least when

he's not coked off his head.

The gun scene at the end was probably the sharpest intake of breath I've heard from an audience in a while. I jumped a little, along with half of them - it wasn't unexpected, but the sound was thunderous.

Saipanne · 18-01-2015 7:50pm

Very disappointed with this. Too slow moving. There Will Be Blood is my favourite film, so that previous statement says a lot!

e_e · 19-01-2015 1:46am

Funny you mention There Will Be Blood, because that film was in my head through a lot of this. I guess it's a little like spending 2 hours in Daniel Plainview's mansion at the end.

Alonso77 · 19-01-2015 5:51pm

Bit of a letdown alright, interesting story but overall a bit too bland and dreary.

candy-gal1 · 25-01-2015 8:57pm

This is just my opinion of it and tbh it wasnt really my type of movie anyway , but boring as hell, kept leading to something that didnt really happen except the end, exceptionally slow paced and kinda too long for what it was!

8-10 · 26-01-2015 4:00pm

MrStuffins wrote: »

One of the major issues was when they were training for the 1988 Olympics and sitting watching a video of a fight in the UFC.The UFC didn't exist till 1993.

I imagine the majority of people don't know that to be honest (I certainly had no idea they were even watching UFC) so not that major an issue. I think it made sense to overlap the years a bit to make the film more concise over the same timeframe rather than moving between different actual events, felt the film was slow enough as it was

therickster · 27-01-2015 3:42pm

8-10 wrote: »

I imagine the majority of people don't know that to be honest (I certainly had no idea they were even watching UFC) so not that major an issue. I think it made sense to overlap the years a bit to make the film more concise over the same timeframe rather than moving between different actual events, felt the film was slow enough as it was

MrStuffins wrote: »

Watched this last night and I must say, I was disappointed. Great performances but it didn't grip me at all.

One of the major issues was when they were training for the 1988 Olympics and sitting watching a video of a fight in the UFC.The UFC didn't exist till 1993. Then, seemingly in the same time frame, another major occurrence
the shooting of Dave Schultz
was depicted which didn't take place until 1996. All over the shop!

@Mrstuffins, I caught that myself, the video of UFC being used was ridiculous! Felt like they had nothing else to use so they just stuck in some footage from the UFC in the hope nobody will cop on to it! Which is ridiculous!

I disagree that the vast majority wouldn't notice that, considering the movies main focus is on wrestling and it would of course draw in audiences from the wrestling, mma and combat sports world, many would pick up on that.

Consider Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler", that is to me the best wrestling film made. The movie is so true to life for many pro wrestlers that it could well be considered a documentary. Scarily accurate depiction, it received great feedback from those within the industry.

It's a small error on the movie makers part here in Foxcatcher but I'm sure many picked up on it.

Foxcatcher

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