Foxcatcher

Touted by critics as one of the best films of the year since its premiere at Cannes back in May, Foxcatcher comes with lofty plaudits and even heavier expectation. Boasting a trio of superb performances, this slow-moving, engrossing drama should pick up a slew of well-deserved Oscar nods.

The film opens with Tatum's Olympic Gold winning wrestler, Mark Schultz, struggling to make ends meet in an underfunded wrestling program. He lives to train, as does his big brother and coach Dave, played by an effortlessly warm Mark Ruffalo. When the younger Schultz receives a call from an aide to eccentric billionaire, John du Pont (an as good as you've heard Carell), he up sticks to his estate to train a team of elite wrestlers in a camp called Foxcatcher that's funded by du Pont himself. Soon, the troubled, controlling du Pont begins acting erratically and his dangerous tendencies come to the fore.

Having previously helmed Moneyball, a film less about baseball and more about the fiscal issues surrounding the sport, and somehow making that entertaining, director Miller has more overtly meatier material here. The Schultz brothers were wrestling royalty in America, but never really revered in a household capacity as some of the other sports. Two men who obviously cared for each other very much, Miller does a beautiful job of subtly exploring their relationship and the strain that du Pont put on it.

Painted as malicious, insecure weirdo, Steve Carell does his finest work to date as du Pont, never overdoing it and allowing the flawless makeup to compliment his strange, animal like movement. There's a hint early on that this guy isn't right, but Carell draws you in, even managing to make you feel bad for the guy a couple of times.

As good as Carell is, Tatum matches him at every turn. The actor is an absolute revelation here; showing genuine wrestling skills (an extremely tough sport) while an intense rage and vulnerability bubbles just enough under the surface. Inexplicably, Carell and Ruffalo are picking up acting nods as awards season moves on, but Tatum isn't. We can only hope that that injustice is corrected come Oscar night

A sombre, enthralling drama with a trio of top drawer performances. Fantastic stuff.