‘Warrior’ is being marketed as a testosterone fueled fight film, one that places action above all else.  I’m happy to report that the movie is a far cry from that, and a far better piece of cinema for it.  The film is about a lot of things.  It’s about the damage a father can do to his sons,  it’s about the difficulty inherent in sewing together a fractured family, it’s about the lengths one will go for the ones that matter the most, and it’s about, in a very real way, the American spirit.  Co-writer/director Gavin O’Connor has made what is more a companion piece to his underrated “Miracle on Ice” Disney film ‘Miracle’ than it is to last year’s different but somewhat similar ‘The Fighter’.  I think this may actually be the better movie, though like that other fight flick, it features a bevy of Oscar worthy performances.  It’s an inspirational and rousing movie…one of the best of the year so far and definitely a player in the Oscar race.

The story follows the two very different paths taken by brothers Brendan (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (Tom Hardy).  Both had hard lives with their alcoholic father Paddy (Nick Nolte).  Both were also athletes with real potential.  Tommy was a prodegy of sorts under the tutoledge of Paddy, a taskmaster with questionable tactics.  However, when their mother needed to get away, Brendan doesn’t go with Tommy, as he’s fallen in love.  That caused a rift that never healed.  Tommy gave up sports and ended up in the Marines, while Brendan married Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and had a brief and unmemorable career in the UFC.  Things change years later when Tommy returns home from the military and seeks out Paddy to train him for a big MMA tournament.  The tournament becomes a desire for Brendan too, who now has 2 young daughters and a house the bank is about to take away.  Each taking their own path, they wind up in the tournament, called Sparta.  Tommy is a dark horse who appears unstoppable, while Brendan is the longest of shots, someone with no chance at winning.  Both have their reasons for needing the title (and the money that comes with it), but both have emotional wounds that they need to resolve with each other as well.  It’s no secret that the wind up unlikely opponents in the finals, but the journey there is the real treat.

Tom Hardy gives a performance worthy of heavy Oscar consideration.  Outside of his gonzo work in ‘Bronson’, he’s never been better.  Hardy’s interpretation of Tommy is that of a caged animal, someone who gets in, destroys, and gets out.  It’s an intense work that stays with you long after the credits roll.  Among other things, it gets you really excited to see Hardy play Bane in ‘The Dark Knight Returns’.  As for Edgerton, he’s excellent as well, but the role is a bit more subtle and less likely to be embraced by the Academy.  He’s the underdog who’s fighting for his family.  To paraphrase a line in the film…if he doesn’t win, he goes home.  But if he doesn’t win, he doesn’t have a home.  He’s got the biggest emotional stakes and you find yourself rooting for him in a big way.  Also giving nomination quality work is Nick Nolte in a heartbreaking supporting turn.  He’s a former alcoholic who just wants to make things right with his kids, something that seems less and less likely as time goes on.  Nolte could be in line for another nomination if things break his way.  Morrison is very solid as Brendan’s loving wife, and the rest of the cast includes Kevin Dunn, Frank Grillo, Noah Emmerich, and former wrestler Kurt Angle as a beast of an opponent.   The ensemble is very good, but Hardy is the one you can’t take your eyes off of.

Gavin O’Connor relies a bit too much on handheld cameras, but by and large he does a wonderful job in the director’s chair.  He gets you to really feel for these characters, making the fights have a stake.  They’re also shot incredibly well, making you almost forget it’s a movie.  You’ll find it hard not to stand up and cheer when Brendan makes a last minute comeback in one of his fights.  He also paces the movie really effectively, preventing you from noticing that film is just a bit shorter than 2 and a half hours long.  As for the screenplay, which O’Connor authored with Cliff Dorfman and Anthony Tambakis, it’s a bit on the standard side, but it hits all the right notes.  Those comparing it to ‘The Fighter’ will find some similarities in terms of the average screenplay boosted by the acting and the directing, but that’s more or less where the similarities end.

As the film is a bit of a surprise Oscar contender, it pays to run down exactly where its chances lie.  I’d say it’s in the conversation for Best Picture, but it’s more of a dark horse there than anything.  Best Director would be a real long shot too.  Best Actor for Tom Hardy could definitely be something to watch, though they could bump him to Supporting Actor just as easily (it would be minor category fraud, but Joel Edgerton is more of the lead anyway).  Nick Nolte could be in for Supporting Actor if Hardy stays lead.  Those are the ones to watch, but you never know what might happen.

I went into ‘Warrior’ expecting an entertaining fight movie, and got so much more.  It’s moving in so many ways, while also being exhilarating and incredibly entertaining.  Buoyed by Tom Hardy’s amazing work, along with Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte, this is among the best acted films of the year.  Right now it cracks my Top 10 of 2011 so far list, and that’s saying something.  I don’t know if it can sustain that all year, but right now it’s an excellent movie and one well worth seeing.  I recommend it highly!

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