If the interesting ideas a film raises are the exact same as the ones that just come from considering the true story on which it's based, is the film doing anything more than dramatising Wikipedia? That's the question Foxcatcher grapples with and the answer is a disappointing one. The story of "coach" John Du Pont and wrestlers the Schultz brothers is fascinating, the complex mental states of its central players and crime thriller climax making it ripe for bringing to the screen. And when the film looks at the inner workings of its three characters it shifts into interesting territory. Sadly, any exciting moment is short-lived - thanks to an oddly paced script the film always seems eager to go back to the more by-the-numbers sports story. Yes, you need to show some wrestling and see the guys training, but more often than not these divergences don't add much to the more interesting story going on behind-the-scenes. Bennett Miller managed to make a film about the inner workings of baseball, widely regarded as one of the most bland sports out there, that was an electrifying watch. With wrestling, a sport with more visual flourish and a great tie to the film's homoerotic undertones, he somehow fails - whenever Tatum or Ruffalo are engaging in one of the numerous fights you can't help but wish the film would get back to story that is, after all, the real reason it's being made.
