Sony Classics has released the theatrical trailer for Bennett Miller‘s Foxcatcher and I haven’t watched any of the trailers up to this point so I’m not sure if the shot of Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz, working the stationary bike, has been in previous trailers, but it is in this one and it is one of the best parts of the entire film.
From my review:
Mark, on the other hand, is an even greater mystery to me. When we first meet him he’s speaking in front of a group of elementary school children and next he’s training with his brother. Instability and violence are all you see in this brute of a man. He’s like a bull in a china shop, a man you wouldn’t want to be around when he cracks and he looks as if he could crack at any moment. One scene in particular finds Mark on a stationary bike, a hooded sweatshirt covering most of his face, but Tatum’s eyes are burning with a fire as fierce as I’ve ever seen. Tatum’s performance is largely understated, but when Mark explodes… watch out, because you don’t want to be in this animal’s way.
I found it impressive that the best part of Tatum’s performance is this scene, a scene that requires no dialogue, just burning ferocity. You can read my full review right here and it’s a movie you may best be prepared for because it’s not likely to be exactly what you expect.
Foxcatcher begins hitting theaters on November 14.
Based on true events, Foxcatcher tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers.
When Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is invited by wealthy heir John du Pont (Steve Carell) to move on to the du Pont estate and help form a team to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics at his new state-of-the-art training facility, Schultz jumps at the opportunity, hoping to focus on his training and finally step out of the shadow of his revered brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). Driven by hidden needs, du Pont sees backing Schultz’s bid for Gold and the chance to “coach” a world-class wrestling team as an opportunity to gain the elusive respect of his peers and, more importantly, his disapproving mother (Vanessa Redgrave).
Flattered by the attention and entranced by du Pont’s majestic world, Mark comes to see his benefactor as a father figure and grows increasingly dependent on him for approval. Though initially supportive, du Pont’s mercurial personality turns and he begins to lure Mark into an unhealthy lifestyle that threatens to undermine his training. Soon du Pont’s erratic behavior and cruel psychological game-play begin to erode the athlete’s already shaky self-esteem. Meanwhile du Pont becomes fixated on Dave, who exudes the confidence both he and Mark lack, knowing that these are things even his money cannot buy. Fueled by du Pont’s increasing paranoia and alienation from the brothers, the trio is propelled towards a tragedy no one could have foreseen.
Foxcatcher is a rich and moving story of brotherly love, misguided loyalty and the corruption and emotional bankruptcy that can accompany great power and wealth. As with Academy Award® nominee Bennett Miller’s previous feature films, Capote and Moneyball, he explores large themes in society through his complex character portraits of real people.
