2014 has been a year of lack-luster films, and many more from franchises that have outlived their welcome. If anything can save a year of mediocre films, all of the Oscar bait films are expected to be of higher quality. Sadly this is not true. Some of the front runners are basically gimmick films trying to find a formula that will make it win for the sake of the gimmick and not for the quality of the film.
I was going to review Foxcatcher, but I feel that what I have to say about the film would not be objective enough. Foxcatcher is described online as a "crime drama." What? The end is a crime, but the first two hours is a snooze-fest with the Sandman himself, Channing Tatum. His performance was nothing special, and to follow his character's path through the film was a chore since he never made you care for the character.
Usually Oscar nominated films can give a good impression on how an actor may perform in a future role. If this is how Channing Tatum will be as Gambit, I hope it tanks.
It was not just that he was bad in the film, he made it so that you could not fully appreciate the performances by others like Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo. Steve Carell's character at one point calls Channing Tatum's character an "ape," and that is pretty much all Tatum is. A big brute with dead eyes and no personality.
Steve Carell did a great job of portraying a very broken man through the culture of the super rich he grew up in, and the sociopathic tendencies. Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher compared to Bruce Banner is completely different. Tatum is the same as he was in G.I. Joe Retaliation.
The film itself is only made terrible because of how bored I was having to watch Tatum through most of it. A lot of what he does is comical in how much of an ape he acts like, such as jumping up and down on top of a tank.
I used to love analyzing films to appreciate amazing performances, clever writing, and camera shots that have lighting and framing that are beautiful to look at. Instead I sat through Channing Tatum jumping on a tank for no apparent reason.
Currently I am debating whether or not to continue writing reviews in 2015. It is easy to tear apart a bad film, and it is nice to share great films. It is a struggle to write anything about a mediocre film.
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