Nordling here.
I should have seen WARRIOR before now - it's screened a whole bunch here - but I'll be finally sitting down to this tomorrow. But online people (I know Drew McWeeny loved it, according to his Twitter feed) have been going nuts for it - saying it's Gavin O' Connor's ROCKY, that Tom Hardy is a force of nature in this movie - and I'm pretty hyped to see it at this point. Batphantom went to a screening last night and loved it as well. Here's his two cents:
Hey Harry (et al), batphantom here. Caught an advance screening of WARRIOR last night. It's incredible. Even now, when I think about the ending, I get teary. I know there's a bunch more reviews heading your way after tonight, but I thought you might like an early one.
I was not prepared for WARRIOR. I expected a rah-rah sports film about MMA fighters, instead I got an emotionally engaging character piece about forgiveness, family, and fortitude, with three amazing performances under a director capable of incredible restraint in a bombastic world. The main reason I wanted to see the film was Tom Hardy, and this is easily his best performance since his breakout role in BRONSON. Tom Conlon is a mountain of a man, shattered on the inside from assault after assault over his young life. His only outlet is the world of MMA, where he can beat a man half to death and not go to jail for it. His brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is a former pro fighter, now a high school science teacher. Their dad Paddy (Nic Nolte) is a lifelong alcoholic, who trained Tommy to wrestle but tore his family apart by constantly beating his wife. A grand prix tournament gives the brothers a chance at a five million dollar purse, but their reasons, though different, drive them to overcome the odds at any physical and emotional cost. Now, this sounds a little trite, but each story stands on its own, and as events played out, I was completely drawn into both stories equally. What’s interesting is a lack of cartoony villains (except for some of the tournament’s combatants), all the conflict comes from the characters. It’s remarkably grounded, and it made me root for both brothers for different reasons. You can’t help but feel bad for Paddy but it forces a painful question: Can you ever forgive the unforgivable? The triangle between the brothers and their father is painful to watch, you just want them to hug it out, but the pain is too deep. That much suppressed rage can only legally be released in the ring.
Hardy got me on board, and he completely loses himself in Tommy. He’s perfect. The quiet exterior, the rage behind the eyes, the intimidating physical presence, there’s so much to his performance where he doesn’t need to say a word. His scenes with Nolte are fantastic. Nolte’s played the old recovered drunk before, and all that experience comes through. He actually makes you feel bad for Paddy, until you’re reminded of his past, but you believe he wants to make it right. Joel Edgerton’s an unknown here (he played Uncle Owen in the STAR WARS prequels), but he’s a great counter to Hardy. He’s a family man who grew up in Tommy’s shadow even though he’s the one who went pro as a fighter, though his career was short with little success. His pain as a father literally trying to keep a roof over his family is something we can all understand, much more than Tommy’s story, and his never-say-die attitude makes him a danger to himself as much as his opponent. Jennifer Morrison (HOUSE) plays his smoking hot wife, who’s unable to allow him to go back to a sport that left him in the hospital years ago. She’s great too, though she doesn’t have much to do.
Don’t like MMA? No worries. This could have easily been a boxing film twenty years ago, but the nature of the combat makes it all more visceral. I was worried about the screening being overloaded by Ed Hardy wearing bro’s, but the audience was well balanced, and they seemed to really enjoy the film. Hardcore MMA fans will likely be disappointed by the lack of action, but the fights that are shown are intense, and not as cartoony as the boxing sequences in ROCKY, though unlike real MMA, no fights go to the judges here. The most amazing thing about WARRIOR is director Gavin O’Connor’s amazing sense of balance. Things could have easily got out of control at any time, there’s lots of opportunities for cheesiness, but he keeps the focus on the family. The script stays grounded throughout, which makes the emotional payoff of the finale massive. I’m man enough to admit I cried. Like I said, I wasn’t prepared to care about these characters, but it’s one of the best films of the year. It’s an underdog in the current market, but hopefully strong word of mouth will build an audience.
Can't wait to see it myself. Tomorrow! Nordling, out.
