Foxcatcher

Steve Carell stars in Bennett Miller's compelling Foxcatcher as the real-life billionaire John DuPont, heir to a legendary American fortune and a paranoid schizophrenic who murdered wrestling champion/coach Dave Schultz in 1996. At first glance, Carell looks like a “stunt” choice for the part of DuPont, but it is inspired casting by Miller (Capote, Moneyball). With his awkward compulsion to be both father and brother, benefactor and lover, boss and buddy, DuPont has a lot in common with Carell's heretofore most iconic role—Dunder Mifflin regional manager Michael Scott on TV's The Office. While this is the darkest and bleakest role that Carell has ever played, he uses his comedy-honed physical and vocal chops (and generous amounts of makeup) to disappear into the role of the pale and paunchy DuPont. Miller and cinematographer Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty) abet Carell by giving Foxcatcher the teeming, sweat lodge claustrophobia of a wrestling room.