While “Foxcatcher” is inspired by real people and events the film’s roots are in a psychological examination of its lonesome and disturbed characters. Channing Tatum plays Mark Schultz, the 1984 Gold Medalist in Men’s Wrestling. Going nowhere with employment and training, he receives a chance of a lifetime from being recruited by John E du Pont (Carrel), a reserved and awkward multi-millionaire, who wants America to win the gold again in the 1988 Olympics. At Du Pont’s mother’s farm, he organizes the new US wrestling team for the International games. Their relationship becomes the basis of this film and how it rises and then ultimately deflates.

From the first five minutes we are introduced to Du Pont, he is presented as a wealthy, charismatic individual with a peculiar way of speaking and an even more peculiar nose. Progressively, we get to see the type of man Mark has befriended as he spirals out of control, engaging in drug abuse, guns, and irrational behavior. Carrel has performed a role at first glance may seem hard to swallow. However, he portrays his character in such a style that it is truly terrifying. Beneath the hours of make-up, he can display absolute nothingness, uncontrollable rage, and even pure narcissism without even speaking. Director Bennett Miller relies heavily on non-verbal scenes, allowing the silence between the actors on camera to create tension and intriguing interactions. This is a tough accomplishment, and he hits it head-on at every point. 

The screenwriters supply the actors with straight-to-the-point, yet brilliant dialog, and the cast carry the weight of their characters superbly. Who could have imagined that Channing Tatum or even Steve Carrel could deliver such vulnerable and sophisticated characters? Mark Ruffalo is extremely limited in screen time but he is up to par with his leading co-stars as Mark’s caring brother. The only setback “Foxcatcher” has is the ending. The first 100 minutes are electrifying and engaging, but the final 20-30 minutes kind of meander and depict a series of events that feel thrown in together. Too much of Carrel and Tatum looking depressed make a snail’s pace for this timeframe. I wanted more character interaction and an actual conclusion that ties in with the violent tragedy of Dave Schultz’s murder. It merely happens and Du Pont is arrested. No trial. No final face-to-face showdown between Mark and Du Pont. Not even a moment where Mark mourns his brother. As a viewer, the ending is quite cold and rather withholding.

“Foxcatcher” is a great movie. I would definitely buy it when the Blu-Ray hits retail stores. Yet I don’t think it is as great as some of the other movies released in 2014. 

“American Sniper” is a movie that can be very easily interpreted as American propaganda. The use of the word “American” in the film’s title is enough for some to make this claim. The motto “God, country, and family” rings true to mind in what this film depicts. In actuality though, “American Sniper” is a feature that takes a patriotic individual, hoists him up as a legend and then brings him back down to the harsh level of a haunted soul. Clint Eastwood is a master director who knows how to show the flawed and imperfect nature of humanity. Just watch “Unforgiven,” “Mystic River,” and “Letters of Iwo Jima.”

With US Seal Sniper Chris Kyle, he is portrayed as an unsophisticated character. From youth, we get to see his life grow from a god-fearing hunter who dreams of being a cowboy to the deadliest sniper in American history. In response to 9/11, just like many American men and women, he enlists in the Navy to serve his country. We watch as he endures four tours of active duty in Iraq and tries to readjust in the safe confines of suburban America. Writer Jason Hall molds him as a sympathetic and likable person, whom is determined to eliminate the enemy and protect his home.

It is Bradley Cooper’s deeply expressive performance that captures the essence of this simple yet larger-than-life person. As an actor, Cooper has acquired a power to display in both voice and face great emotion. Without him even uttering a word, we can comprehend the thoughts going on in his head. His performance is nothing short of deserving an Oscar nomination. Clint Eastwood smartly keeps the camera on him for the majority of the film, allowing the audience to empathize and understand his character. He also gives us a parched, desolate, desert landscape plagued by violence and cruelty. The amount of dedication in the cinematography and production design give viewers a gritty look of Iraq, which rivals Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.” The war sequences are quite brutal and intense. The final action scene alone is truly marvelous as a sandstorm blankets the battle-stricken Baghdad.

“American Sniper” unfortunately falls short on many other aspects, dragging what could have been a great movie down to mediocrity. While the focus is on Kyle, other parts of his life are introduced and then just as quickly dismissed. We get to see his younger brother join up the marines and then we never see him again. Likewise, the relationship between his strict father takes precedent in the first ten-minutes, and yet it goes nowhere afterwards. His war buddies appear, disappear, and then reappear usually for a plot device. As a viewer, we barely get a chance to know them like Kyle. When they are killed off, we really do not feel any emotional engagement or loss. The added subplot of a Middle Eastern sniper targeting US Soldiers feels clichéd and a poor attempt to draw a main antagonist for the lead character. Even the relationship between Kyle and his wife is limited in time. We are left with following a great American patriot consumed with torment. The frequent jumps between war and home grows old very quickly. An entire movie could have been just based upon one of Kyle’s tours and it would feel like a more completed film. 

In short, this movie left me wanting more than the 132-minutes had to offer. That is the sad problem with most biographical films. They are spread so thin that they actually show too little in too much time. I’m probably in the minority on this one, but “American Sniper” is a slightly above average film, and that is mainly because of Bradley Cooper’s performance. I wanted to love this, but I cannot. Regardless, I still appreciate the people who brought Chris Kyle’s story back to life.