Bennett Miller's 'Foxcatcher' tells true story of money and murder

Even though "Foxcatcher" was inspired by a true crime story involving murder, money and the Olympics, director Bennett Miller was not interested in sensationalism.

Miller, who also made the films "Capote" and "Moneyball," was more interested in examining the two odd characters at the center of the story: John du Pont, one of the wealthiest men in America, and Mark Schultz, a skilled but socially awkward Olympic wrestler.

In the film, which opens Wednesday, Schultz receives an invitation out of the blue to du Pont's home on the Foxcatcher Estate. After being picked up by the billionaire's private helicopter Schultz meets du Pont, who introduces himself as a wrestling coach.

"What do you hope to achieve, Mark?" du Pont asks.

"I want to be the best in the world," Schultz mumbles. "I want to go to the '88 Olympics in Seoul, and win gold."

"Good," says du Pont. "I'm proud of you."

Du Pont had built a training facility on the estate, and brought in a number of wrestlers including Mark Schultz's brother Dave. Du Pont named himself head coach, even though he knew essentially nothing about wrestling.

"And part of the transaction was that everyone had to accept the charade," Miller said.

The movie follows the downward spiral of the three men's troubled relationships. Du Pont saw himself as a father figure, and he becomes frustrated when he can't control Mark, who turns to his older brother Dave for guidance and training. Ultimately, an enraged du Pont shoots and kills Dave Schultz. Du Pont was convicted of murder and later died in prison.

Comedian Steve Carell plays du Pont as a patrician who believes the fictions built around him.

"I am leading men. I am training them, I am teaching them," he says in the film. "I am giving them a dream, and I am giving America hope."

A prosthetic nose makes Carell almost unrecognizable in the movie. Miller said the months of preparation that went into the make-up paid off, in the way it transformed the actor and his performance. It even changed how the cast and crew treated Carell on set.

"People tended to stay away from him," Miller said. "He really was sort of repellent, in this make-up, in this get-up. And it, I think, helped him with the role."

In the film, as in real life, du Pont becomes increasingly erratic, megalomaniacal, and ultimately murderous. Bennett Miller said he was careful, though, to make sure du Pont was portrayed as a man, not a monster.

"He did a monstrous thing, he killed somebody," Miller said. "But the film resists the temptation to make conclusions, so it could look more deeply into him and the story."

Miller praises Carell's preparation for the role, as well as Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, who play Mark and Dave Schultz respectively.

"You are constantly reminded that this happened," he said. "This really happened and I think I and the actors both felt some kind of weight, the weight of responsibility to honor the truth of what happened."