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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Lessons learned from events in Ferguson, Mo. Auction to benefit Boys & Girls Club 40th annual Ski Swap starts Saturday Learn about the latest Apple operating system Rotary Clubs pitch in to rebuild the Weed Libary Education In Portland, mindfulness classes ease stress of high school Student beats the odds AHS students form ribbon for AIDS awareness Kiwanis, Lions team up to help Nature Center Teacher's Tips: College not the end-all for every student Environment ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Don't like weather where you are? 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Revels Latest Stories Meet the real Jacob Marley Community blog: Poetry for birders, birds for poets Festival of Light brings cheer to downtown Ashland Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Best Bets: Nov. 28-Dec. 3 Theater Meet the real Jacob Marley New design for Bricks takes shape Hard to keep a straight face with 'Red Noses' 'Red Noses' is a romp through slapstick and pathos 'The Drunken City': Bachelorettes meet bar-crawlers Music Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Longtime area musician Steve Read, 64, dies The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Bass Clarinet Takeover Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Interview: Benedict Cumberbatch on playing ‘The Imitation Game’ Interview: Reese Witherspoon experiences life in 'The Wild' Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'Citizenfour' is a matter-of-fact bore Movie review: ‘Foxcatcher’ will leave you shaken and spellbound Food and Drink Blue bows out of Granite Street site, Agave moving in Chef count up at feast for the senses Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Rotary Clubs pitch in to rebuild the Weed Libary Troubleshoot common water boiler problems 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Dec. 5-7) Lost in Suburbia: Out of the cast iron pan and into the fire Dear Monty: Ten helpful home-listing tips Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Longtime Ashland New Plays Festival artistic director is retiring ... Auction to benefit Boys & Girls Club ... 40th annual Ski Swap starts Saturday ... Longtime Ashland New Plays Festival artistic director is retiring ... Auction to benefit Boys & Girls Club ... 40th annual Ski Swap starts Saturday ... Movie review: 'Foxcatcher' will leave you shaken and spellbound By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Nov. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Nov. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News “Foxcatcher” is not going to be on anyone’s feel-good-films-of-the-year list. It’s a grim telling of the true story concerning obscenely wealthy, definitely psychotic John du Pont and his edgy relationship with Olympic gold medal-winning brothers Mark and Dave Schultz. It’s also an actors’ showcase, a character study, and a fascinating tale of what might have been good intentions ending up in very dark places. The actors playing the characters are Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. Plenty has already been written about Carell’s switch from comic actor to serious thespian in this film, but that’s actually a little unfair to him, as he’s previously hit plenty of straight-ahead “serious” notes in films including “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” His John du Pont, stifled by his domineering mother (Vanessa Redgrave), looking tense and worried, stands stooped over, but with his head tilted up, appearing to be physically uncomfortable. He’s gone from one hobby to another, switching to something new when he tires of something old. In 1987, when the story takes place, he’s started collecting and supposedly coaching amateur wrestlers, with dreams of winning a gold medal via one of them. Carell, with assistance from a prosthetic nose and a beading up of his eyes, is quietly creepy in the role. Tatum gets better with every part, strutting his stuff in “Magic Mike,” demonstrating nicely tuned comic timing in the “Jump Street” films and now portraying Mark Schultz, a troubled man confused about his direction in life but proud of his gold medal, and ever-ready to talk about its significance, especially to kids in elementary school lectures. The makeup folks have given Tatum cauliflower ears, but he provides the other physical traits, from the brooding facial expressions to the slow walk that makes him look like he’s in constant pain. Not much needs to be said about Ruffalo, whose Dave Schultz has got it much more together than his younger brother. He works as a wrestling coach, he’s got a tight-knit family and he’s a happy man. Ruffalo might not know how to give a bad or even mediocre performance. The details of the story can easily be found on Google. But if you didn’t follow the events back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, see the film first and then do the research. The story catches you off-guard, then turns horrific. Tatum and Ruffalo give the film a great start with an intense, almost wordless wrestling workout. Tatum obviously studied the craft of wrestling for the part, and Ruffalo already knew the basics, as he was a wrestler in high school. Shortly after their close but slightly strained relationship is established, there’s a phone call to Mark and an invitation to visit Foxcatcher Farm, where John du Pont has put together a wrestling facility. “I’m a wrestling coach, and I want to speak with you about your future,” he says to Mark upon his arrival there. But there’s something in his voice, or maybe on his face, that makes you wonder if it’s maybe his own future he’s talking about. Mark likes the idea of being part of the team being assembled there. He soon invites Dave to join him, but Dave is too settled and has no interest in uprooting his family. Mark’s not alone in the idea of Dave joining him. Du Pont thinks it would be great to have his brother there, too, to help him coach. But it’s still a no. Little did either of the Schultz brothers know that du Pont wasn’t much more than a petulant rich kid, long used to getting his way. A feeling of unease rears its head when du Pont is seen firing pistols on a range with local police. The psychological games begin when he pulls Mark aside and says, “Dave will never let you be what you can be. You’ll always be in his shadow.” Who is this guy? What does he want? What’s he capable of? More questions arise when he tells Mark to stop calling him Mr. du Pont and to start calling him John or Coach or Eagle or Golden Eagle. By the time he says, “I want Dave to come here,” and it’s clear that it’s now an order, not a request, things are going downhill, and that unease never goes away. The film takes us to Olympic trials in Pensacola and later to the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, where an appalling act that destroys lives and careers plays out. You’ll come out shaken and spellbound. Ed Symkus writes about movies for More Content Now. Rated R. Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman; directed by Bennett Miller. With Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Nov. 26, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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