Brutality with a heart?

Rating: Null/10 (17 September 2011)

Since I lived my life in the midst of very real, extreme violence most of my life I'm, generally, not really one to rush to an "Action Movie" featuring large servings of violence. I've experienced enough to last several lifetimes. Generally. Warrior was the only film in my local theater I hadn't seen, so I bought the ticket. The experience turned out better than I expected.
The film revolves around the two grown sons of a family headed by an abusive-alcoholic, Marine war-veteran father with frustrated delusions of an athletic youth. So, he tortured his boys to grow up to be tough, honorable men with leanings toward violence against others by training them and pushing them to compete in amateur wrestling. As that story began to unfold I was thinking, do I really want to stay? This is my life story for cryin' out loud. In the end, I opted to watch more as after all, there was that exorbitant ticket expenditure.
The focus of the film is the life struggle of the brothers; Brendan Conlon very ably played by Australian Joel Edgerton and British actor Tom Hardy as his Marine Corps brother Tommy Conlon. The unenviable role of the father is masterfully enacted by veteran actor Nick Nolte as Paddy Conlon. The film belongs almost entirely to this trio; the rest of the actors being mere counterpoint; albeit excellent counterpoint. Sadly, Nolte's character is a sad example of the breed. He drank, abused and bullied his way through life and now he clearly wants to finally make a relationship with his two sons; but complications ensue. Neither of his sons want anything to do with him on a personal level. * In their teens, their mother leaves their father, taking her younger son, Hardy, with her. The older boy, Edgerton, stays with his father. Hardy's character remains sullen and brooding as he ages and joins the Marines. He deserts the Marines in the desert and flees back to the states to become an MMA fighter, brilliantly hiding from authorities by going by his mothers maiden name while his face is spread all over worldwide media. Hardy plays the character so Brutish and mean that it's impossible to have any feeling for him but revulsion. The performance is nearly over-the-top and the realism they may have been looking for falls short as a result. In making that choice of characterization I feel the director made the mistake of letting it happen. A little more of a balanced character would be more realistic and play better.
Edgerton's character gets an education, marries, has children and becomes a physics teacher. Not surprisingly, both of the sons grow up to hate their father for the decades of abuse they, and their beloved martyr of a mother, suffered under his roof. They also harbor bad feelings and overall resentment towards each other, designed to heighten the film's tension. Nolte is, doubtless, superb in his performance of the lifelong booze sponge trying to finally clean up his act, while at the same time, he feels himself teetering on the rim of hell, contemplatively staring into the abyss he's soon to join. He expects to find forgiveness from his sons and a chance to know his two little granddaughters, whom he doesn't know. Of course his sons reject him, appropriately. But, Hardy wants him as a trainer so he can go beat up more people with greater efficiency (he reportedly gained 30 pounds of muscle for the role) so he enlists his hated but efficient father to help him achieve his goal.
The sympathetically Edgerton, finds himself in a financial bind over the catastrophic medical expenses of one of his daughters. I can't help but feel that they're trying really hard to make me like this guy. Predictably, he decides to get himself right, financially, by returning to the underbelly of MMA for quick paydays. That sets up the world of MAA as a reuniting force that finally slams, quite literally, the two brothers back together. Right there should be a winner, because, after all, what guy has not wanted to pound his brother into a bloody pulp at some point, and here is the vicarious opportunity!
The separate roads they take before reaching the cage is splattered with a large amount of gratuitous violence. The "fighting" is barely removed from street brawling and the "fighters" were beaten relentlessly. It's also peopled, as it was pointed out to me, with a generous serving of male bodybuilder-type meat for the enjoyment of the distaff attendees. I found it odd that the film makers didn't take advantage of the rating to include at least some gratuitous female nudity. Such an addition would, at least, be non-violent.
I have seen bloodier and more violent films, but this one is solidly ensconced in that genre. Brutal might be a better word. Still, given that vehicle, I have to admit that the filmmakers have managed to inject some humanity in the subtext. The boys, although explicitly unforgiving of their father, are also torn over that position by their own humanity. Edgerton has what appears to be a great relationship with his wife, well played by Jennifer Morrison. He is also loved by his kids, his students and at least one colleague, played by Kevin Dunn as Edgerton's boss. He also appears to have a friendship of mutual respect with Frank Grillo as his friend and trainer. The best thing that can be said of the remainder of the cast is that they seamlessly create the authentic feeling atmosphere, which is the be all and end all of MMA; and it is brutal, bloody and at times sickeningly violent.
By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/