Warrior is probably the most underrated film of 2011, a film that captures emotions perfectly in it’s 140 minute run time. It not only moves you with captivating performances from the cast, but keeps you entertained with a mixed martial arts tournament and the lives of two brothers competing in it.
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Starring Tom Hardy as Tommy Conlon, the youngest son of a former alcoholic boxer Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte), we first see him returning home to his Dad after years apart. Their relationship is a strained one and the opening scene where they meet for the first time in 14 years is filled with emotion, emotion that seems so real from both Hardy and Nolte. Their performances throughout are amazing, especially Nolte who was rightly awarded with a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Joel Edgerton plays the olders son Brendan Conlon, who also has the same strained relationship with his father. He is a psychics teacher by day, and a boxer by night, fighting to survive and keep afloat in the world. He is becoming short on money and along with his wife (Jennifer Morrison) they work tirelessly to support there family of two daughters.
The moment where Paddy meets Brendon outside his house one night is ultimately one of the key things I will remember about this movie. It is so real, and so deep that it really hits you hard.
When the brothers hear word about a 16 man elimination style martial arts tournament with a prize of $5,000,000 they both become very interested. Tommy also needs the money, for reasons we find out later in the plot as things develop. He decides to team up with his former boxer father, it what he wants as an entirely professional partnership. This is of course hard for Nolte to keep entirely professional, as he longs for both his sons love.
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Frank Campana (Frank Grillo) is a friend of Brendan’s and a trainer at a renowned gym. He decides to train him after Brendan’s compassionaite pleas and from there the movie sets off. I really enjoyed the fighting scenes in this movie, and while they are similar to a lot of boxing movies (The Figher, Million Dollar Baby) it still feels unique and not just the same old thing over and over.-
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This movie does not let down with it’s ending, in what is both full of twists and extremely moving. There is also an appearance by Kurt Angle, who plays Koba, hyped up as the best mixed martial arts athlete in the world.
Directed by Gavin O’Connor, this movie was well loved by those who saw it, but for some reason simply enough did not manage to. I have seen it more then once now and it is as moving every time. For an ‘action’ type movie, the emotion it fills you up with is phenomenal.
I highly reccomend you watch Warrior, a movie that I consider in the clear best two of 2011, and currently in my Top 10 ever. The cast and acting was great, the storyline superb and the directing and sound was good as well. I loved it! A+
