Team Foxcatcher Netflix Movie Review

Team Foxcatcher (2016)

Team Foxcatcher - Crazy and tragic.

Watch Team Foxcatcher
Written by: Documentary
Directed by: Jon Greenhalgh
Rated: R

Plot:
This Netflix documentary depicts the story of John du Pont, heir to the du Pont fortune, philanthropist, and convicted of murdering gold medal winner Dave Schultz.

Verdict:
It's an attempt to mimic the ESPN 30 for 30 series that misses the mark. This is a tragic story, but the documentary never probes deep enough to uncover why du Pont is this way or why Dave Schultz remained a friend. It's a surface level retelling that's more wikipedia overview than investigative journalism.
Skip it.

Review:
John du Pont steps in and gives wrestlers a stipend and training facilities. He paid for them to chase their dreams and win. U.S. wrestlers had to quit the sport in their prime to earn money to support families. Russia paid their wrestlers so they didn't have to quit Russia amassed many championships in a short time.

John du Pont wanted to live vicariously. He was never an athlete, but with his fortune he could pal around with them and feel like one of the guys. He paid to create wrestling tournaments for men his age and even paid wrestlers to let him win these tournaments. We don't know what was in du Pont's head or if he felt accepted, but in the interviews it's clear he wasn't. He was the money.

Dave Schultz was the main attraction. A top performing wrestler and charismatic, it's easy to see how a rift could form between him and the insecure du Pont.

The movie goes to length to establish du Pont is crazy. It doesn't delve into why, just reestablishing the same point. Since he was rich had had connections. He was a honorary police officer, the force used his farm for target practice. It was because of this connection that the cops would chase du Pont's wild imaginary stories.

Everyone humored du Pont because he was rich. They didn't want to lose the cash flow, the housing, the salary. Because du Pont was rich he got away with anything. He had no boundaries.

This just doesn't have the depth of a 30 for 30. Did du Pont have any family or childhood acquaintances that could be interviewed? Could his childhood be a reason for his erratic behavior later in life?

It's a tragic story. Dave was a friend to du Pont, but when du Pont is funding your dreams you don't want that to stop, not matter how crazy your benefactor may be.