One of the best movies I've seen in a long time

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2014)

I'm not even an MMA fan but I was totally engrossed in this and even moved to tears more than once. Heartbreaking and compelling, I guess you could say the story is also somewhat predictable (we've seen similar done in other sports themed movies before) its even far fetched, especially when it comes to the schoolteachers storyline, but the thing is, it just doesn't matter because it's such a great movie.
And the acting, wow, its downright amazing. Nick Nolte's character is heartbreaking, but on that note (except for one slip up) we don't get to see him when he was a practising alcoholic either and from the state of his broken, shutdown boys you know he must have been a really, really bad man. I liked how this was left vague.
Yeah his sons; Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy, so many layers to these guys especially Hardy who is captivating. He plays the youngest son who returns home and enlists the help of his remorseful (recovering) alcoholic father -and former coach- to train him for an MMA tournament awarding the biggest purse in the history of the sport. Meanwhile his older brother is on the verge of losing his house and also returns to the ring which sets the estranged brothers on a collision course for the title.
The fight scenes are gripping and intense and had me peeking through my fingers "arm bar for the tap out." In the end, I mean you do want the brothers to come together and face off in the ring but jeez... that final round rips your heart out.
A big hit and instant classic for me. 10/10/14