Release Date: 9/9/2011
Warrior, directed by Gavin O’Conner (Miracle), is a sports drama with a healthy dose of intense action-packed fighting sequences. It follows two brothers who haven’t spoke in years, who end up fighting in the same MMA tournament. The film opens with a lot of great character development and back story as it sets up the drama for the rest of the film. The acting is a great surprise for a post summer, early Oscar season film. Where most films usually fall into the limbo of mediocrity, Warrior sets itself up as a great sleeper contender for some acting Oscar noms. The film exceeded all my expectations and showed that this is a dramatic sports film to be reckoned with. It will most likely be a crowd favorite, in the same boat as The Fighter from last year, and it is without a doubt one of the best films of 2011 so far.
An ex-Marine haunted by a tragic past, Tommy, played by Tom Hardy, returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh and enlists his father, Paddy, played by Nick Nolte, a recovered alcoholic and his former coach to train him for an MMA tournament. As Tommy blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother, Brendan, played by Joel Edgerton, a former MMA fighter unable to make ends meet as a public school teacher, who returns to the amateur ring to provide for his family. Even though many years have gone by, what happened in their past keeps Brendan bitterly estranged from both Tommy and his father. But when Brendan’s unlikely rise as an underdog sets him on a collision course with Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront the forces that tore them apart, all while waging in the most intense battle of their lives.
I need to start off by saying that Tom Hardy is a complete beast in this movie. He is going to absolutely kill the role of Bane in next year’s much anticipated film The Dark Knight Rises. He portrays the angry brother with a dark past with such a swagger that it is being compared to Marlon Brando. I could see looking back at his illustrious career and considering this as his true breakout performance because people still don’t seem to know who he is, even after a solid turn in last year’s Inception. Joel Edgerton, who starred in a wiseguy favorite from last year The Square, is also impressive in this as the older brother who is fighting for his family. He carries the most screen time and I can see him excelling as a leading man in years to come. Nick Nolte is the real standout though. Showing off his wide range of emotions as the recovered alcoholic, he takes it from his sons from all angles. He has some really touching scenes throughout, but one in particular game me chills, you’ll know it when you see it. He may have a best supporting actor nomination in his future if he plays his cards right. I would support that 100%.
I give director Gavin O’Conner a lot of credit he really did a fantastic job all around with this film, especially in portraying the realistic MMA fights. O’Conner’s last film Pride and Glory had one of the most realistic bar fights I have ever seen. Just imagine that but extended throughout the entire third act of the film. The final 45 minutes is the entire “Sparta” tournament, as it’s called, and the fights during it make for some of the most intense action packed moments I’ve seen all year. My crowd was cheering and I have a feeling they will be all over the country when this gets a release tomorrow nationwide. O’Conner solidifies himself as one of the best sports directors working in the business. The music selection was also extremely key, because two songs by The National were perfectly placed and highlight the film in an amazing way. The trailer makes this out to have a predictable ending as well, but it had me guessing right up until the conclusion. The ending is so perfect I can’t wait to experience it for a second time. It pulls at the heartstrings in a major way.
My only problems with Warrior are minor ones, it lacks a great female performance as the only real actress in this is Jennifer Morrison from FOX’s House and I feel she missed out on some key scenes. Also the fighting loses some believability because of the PG-13 rating, these fights could have a lot more brutal and should have been much more bloody, which would have just added to the carnage.
Overall, Warrior is one of the most well acted films of the year with Hardy and Nolte as standouts, but it also combines an exceptional mix of action and drama to make one of the finest films of 2011.
Go to war on September 9th if you are ready for the intensity, I’ll warn you, Warrior might make you tap….in a good way.
IMDB: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Movie Wiseguys: 9/10
