Warrior

Rating: 7/10 (8 June 2016)

All I knew about this film was the leading British actor, and that it was something to do with fighting, I didn't know if it was boxing or wrestling, turned out to be something sort of in-between the two, I was looking forward to watching it anyway. Basically Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) is a former U.S. Marine haunted by a tragic past, he returns to his hometown in Pittsburgh, he has never fully forgiven his father Paddy Conlon (Oscar nominated Nick Nolte) for his alcohol-driven abuse, Paddy has now returned to being Catholic. Paddy was formerly Tommy's coach, he enlists his father to train him for a winner-takes-all MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) tournament called Sparta, awarding $5,000,000, the biggest prize in the history of the sport, but Tommy does want Paddy to attempt to reconcile their relationship. Tommy trains hard and blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is struggling to make ends meet as a public school teacher, he is a former MMA fighter, he decides to return to the ring at an amateur level to provide for his family. Years may have passed, but recriminations and betrayals in the past have kept Brendan bitterly estranged from both his brother Tommy and his father Paddy, but Brendan's unlikely rise as an underdog draws them closer together. The brothers are set on a collision course to confront each other, Tommy and Brendan must face their demons that tore them apart, and eventually of course comes the final intense battle, it is unclear who will win in the fight between the brothers, but after it is all over they do reconcile as their father looks on smiling. Also starring Jennifer Morrison as Tess Conlon, The Grey's Frank Grillo as Frank Campana, Small Soldiers' Kevin Dunn as Principal Zito, Bryan Callen as Bryan Callen, Kurt Angle as Koba and The Truman Show's Noah Emmerich as Dan Taylor. Hardy definitely makes a great impression as the aggressive fighter who tries to separate himself from his family, Edgerton is as compelling as his tough brother and eventually competitor, and I can see why Nolte was nominated the Oscar for his performance. Mixed martial arts has increased in popularity and really rivals boxing and professional wrestling, this is probably the first film I've seen that really covers it, the fighting sequences certainly grab your attention with their brutality, besides that it works well as a story of a broken family slowly coming back together through, all in all it is a most watchable sports drama. Very good!