An excellent tear inducing movie, that left me on the edge of my seat

Rating: 10/10 (6 May 2014)

Warrior, directed by Gavin O' Connor in 2011, is a powerful and emotional driven movie that places three men into an everlasting feud, until two of them begin to fight over it physically. Between battling their relentless pasts, their undecided futures, their persistent financial struggles, and lifelong regrets, Warrior has to do a lot more with just two men who duke it out in a ring until one of them lies unconscious. Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) are two brothers who both struggle with financial and personal issues. Their past has them against each other, and both of them struggle to find a truce between one another. When a competition in wrestling comes to town with a $5 million prize, it leads them onto a collision course with one another to determine who takes the money, and the pride over the other. It's the emotional power, and the visualization of the physical pain that the characters go through which makes Warrior an excellent film, and one I would truly recommend.
When Tommy shows up on his father Paddy's (Nick Nolte) doorstep for the first time in years, he's subtlety impressed and more-so surprised by his father's sobriety, which is what caused his own disappearance. In return, his father is surprised to see Tommy's appearance after years of his silent estrangement, and graciously welcomes him into his home. With his alcoholic carelessness, what Tommy and Brendan's father did to cause their family to tear apart and take on separate paths cannot be forgiven. His father attempts to reconcile with him, but Tommy only wants him to train with so he can have a shot at the $5 million. He wants nothing to do with trying to have his father back in his life, which is the best his father can get to have him again.
On the other hand, neither Tommy or Paddy realize that their brother and son is also going to attempt to win the competition. With personal struggles of his own, and his daughter's medical bills pushing him towards the edge of foreclosure, Brendan, a high school teacher and ex-martial arts player, begins to practice once again in his free time. His wife (Jennifer Morrison) doesn't necessarily approve of this new habit Brendan is forming once again. He shows up late at his home with a couple hundred dollars, in exchange for bruises and cuts on his body which attract the attention of the school's administration (Kevin Dunn). They suspend him without pay, and with no way to hold off his payments on his home, the competition is the only thing that stands between him and financial freedom for him, his wife, and his two daughters.
The incorporation of family struggles and issues within this movie, along with the physical action between the family themselves is what truly makes this movie a powerful and emotional film. It gives you a sense of sentimental feelings for the father when all he wants are his sons to come back to him, but also gives you a feeling of acrimony at the same time, and feel as if he deserves to be treated that way by his sons for not being there for them. The way Brendan tries to keep his family tied together, his daughters healthy, and his marriage in check makes you feel sentimental for him. He tries with an exorbitant amount of effort in order to keep his life straight, while still maintaining the goal of winning the competition, while keeping his ties with his estranged brother and his former alcoholic father. Even though he hates his father, Brendan remains functional unlike his brother. The one truly impressive character though is Tommy. This estranged and lost brother makes his own path in order to reach his goal. He's truly a power to fear, and leaves anyone in his way unconscious. Completely disregarding skill or strategy in the competition, Tommy pulls through by only his strength and sheer determination. The thought of beating his own brother in the competition in both ways was satisfying to him, and after their mother left, and they took separate ways, nothing else sounded more accomplishing. Even though he swiftly leaves his opponents in the competition unconscious, while quickly leaving the arena, Tommy still needs help and guidance. Inside the unmovable and invincible persona he tries to pull off, he's just a hurt and lost man. He goes to his father for help and training, and even goes as far as helping him when he gives up his years worth of sobriety. Even then he isn't forgiving, and instead chooses to constantly remind his father of the poor choices he made in life. He reminds him of what he did to his own wife and children. The insane character build up in this film, which is usually unaccounted for in other films, is truly remarkable. Each character has their own traits and personality quirks that make you love them, but hate them at the same exact time.
Warrior is not only a suspenseful and action packed film, but also a grueling and sentimental film. It makes you question your feelings for a character on a movie more than any other, it makes even the toughest of men cry, and it leaves you feeling satisfied, as if the conclusion of the movie has brought together the main conflicts within the characters. The storyline itself was incredible. Two brothers brought together by family and financial issues, face each other in a winner-takes-all tournament, with a grand prize of $5 million. The way the movie portrayed the characters throughout the whole story was beyond exceptional. Every scene with the characters made you either confirm a feeling you had for them, or just turn it around on you completely. Warrior is an exceptional movie with truly impeccable acting, great character build up, and it's definitely one movie that I would recommend to anybody who is a fan of either dramas, or fighting films.