Warrior: A Powerful Film About Family

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2011)

WARRIOR is one of the finest films of the year - and that is a statement coming from one who does not like violent films. The film does deal with UFC fighting, a mania incomprehensible to most), but it is more an extraordinary story about the magnetism of family. Writer Gavin O'Connor (with Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman) also directs this intense film and his sensitivity in bringing out brilliant performances from everyone in his cast is simply amazing. This is a monumental achievement worthy of Academy Award consideration.
Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) has returned from a tour with the USMC in Iraq where he ran away after saving his fellow marines in a near fatal situation, witnessed the death of his closest buddy Manny, and went AWOL from the stress: he returned to the US to make sure Manny's family was cared for. An ex fighter, Tommy drinks and does drugs and finally returns to his father Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte) to gain new training as a fighter. The Conlon family history is tragic - the mother took Tommy away from Pittsburgh hoping her older son Brendan (Joel Edgerton) would follow - escaping the spiraling alcoholism of the father. Tommy moved with his mother who subsequently dies: Brendon stayed with his father and the family ties seem to have been forever broken. When Tommy returns Paddy is 1000 days sober, but instead of love for this father Tommy loathes him and only wants his expertise as a trainer. Paddy consents and the two begin training at Paddy's old friend Colt Boyd's (Maximiliano Hernández) Gym. In Philadelphia Brendan is a high school Physics teacher and has married Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and they have two little girls, one of whom has renal damage that has been so costly that both parents must each hold down two jobs to survive. Brendan happens upon a Mixed Martial Arts fight (he spends his nights as a bouncer in a club making very little money) and decides that the money he can gain through fighting may save his home from going into foreclosure): he fights, and wins $200. When he shows up at school to teach he is bruised and cut and is suspended without pay for disgracing the school (the principal - Kevin Dunn - hates to lose his finest teacher). With a dim financial outlook Tess hesitantly agrees for Brendan to re-enter fighting for money and Brendan hires his old friend Frank Campagna (Frank Grillo) to train him.
There is a much publicized tournament for the championship in Mixed Martial Arts in Atlantic city and through many strange coincidences the two brothers end up in the final fight - fighting each other. The end is brilliant in its understatement, not stooping to resolve all family problems, but at the same time having the courage to show how powerful is the love of two brothers no matter how different their lives. Both Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton are brilliant as the brothers and Nick Nolte gives the performance of his career. Every character created by this extraordinary cast is pitch perfect. For this viewer this is one of the most moving films that has been released in a very long time.
Grady Harp