Last night's rewatch was Foxcatcher from 2014, the bizarre true story of Olympic wrestlers Mark and David Schultz and their acquisition by John 'Golden Eagle' Dupont, played by a near unrecognisable Steve Carrell. John is a wealthy heir to the Dupont family fortune with an overbearing mother and a bit of a gun fetish. He has dreams of coaching an Olympic wrestling champion so makes Mark an offer he can't refuse, all the while hoping to secure the services of Dave, the real star of the family. Mark is easily persuaded by the prospect of money and a father figure so drives out to the Dupont estate, a sprawling compound of mansions, servants, horses and even a tank.
The whole film has a very deliberate uneasy feel, not miles off the tension that Michael Haneke creates in most of his work, silently suggesting that something bad could happen at anytime without warning. Some shot choices and settings feel like horror film staples. Mark going to Dupont's has a feeling of being invited but not welcome, it gave me something of a similar feeling (although of course not to compare the films) to Norma Desmond's in Sunset Blvd or Manderley in Rebecca.
John begins to show instability, Mark is unsure of their relationship and when Dave arrives, things only get worse as a jealousy triangle forms. There are lots of hidden dynamics between the three that are only noticeable through acting subtlety, it is a film of underrated performances and in my book it should be talked about more.
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