For Your Consideration – Best Lead Actor – Joel Edgerton
Film: Warrior
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Screenplay: Gavin O’Connor, Cliff Dorfman and Anthony Tambakis
Realistic Nominations: Best Supporting Actor – Nick Nolte
Oscar Scene: “I’m sorry, Tommy…I’m sorry…tap, Tommy…it’s okay…it’s okay…I love you, I love you, Tommy!”
Warrior is an endearingly predictable and sentimental sports drama with big lunges of emotion that end up being more powerful than they have any “right” to be. This success can be primarily attributed to the film’s two stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, who articulate the Bitter Introvert With A Dark Past and the Everyman Thrust Back Into One Last Fight, respectively, much better than its screenplay ever does. Many critics have (not unjustifiably) heaped praise on Hardy, but sadly, Edgerton’s work has been relatively ignored. That’s unfortunate; for my money he was actually the film’s MVP.
Edgerton has an enviable ability to convey a number of emotions with only his glassy, bright blue eyes. This lends his acting style a transfixing stillness and gives him a more vulnerable appearance than most Hollywood leading men. He fashions those strengths to bring out an enticing push-pull internality in Brendan as he faces the terror of financial ruin and the prospect of climbing out of it through the very profession he swore off to start a family.
Though the script has him repeatedly assert that he’s only entering SPARTA to save his house, his demeanor belies such reluctance. The playful facial ticks that greet every worried skeptic of his chances in the ring, his barely-contained springiness as he asks Frank to be the tournament replacement, and curt refusal to take a loan to pay off his debts strongly point to Edgerton’s Brendan as a man who desires to break out of his family man life – if only briefly – as much as he steadfastly works to protect it.
It's okay, we all need a good man-cry sometimes!
Since the film is back-loaded with a string of fight scenes, one would think that the addition of personal shading would end there. But no, Edgerton continues to surprise with an assemblage of revealing details in every round of his fight scenes, making his Brendan Conlon arguably the most layered and well-defined character in the film. This reaches its high point in the climax, tearfully comforting his brother as he administers his final submission against him as an act of kindness and emotional release.
Understand that none of what I’m saying is a knock against his co-star (though I remain baffled at the acclaim for Nick Nolte’s blubbering, Oscar-baiting performance that is a far cry from what he’s capable of). Tom Hardy is remarkably intimidating and conveys through his whole body a deep, brooding sadness. What makes him fall a little short is that Tommy Riordan doesn’t offer the same challenges (i.e. opportunities) as his “brother.” The film didn’t often enough require him to dig deeper than being resentful and menacing, and I’m pretty sure Hardy could do that reading the phone book.
But I suppose it is somewhat fitting; as Brendan is the underdog in the film, so must the actor playing him be a bit underrated himself. If the odds of him receiving Academy recognition are slim to nil, then I hope that studio execs at least recognize his gifts here and give him a future opportunity to deliver another knockout performance.
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Tags: academy awards, Best Actor, Circuit Consideration, great performances, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, Warrior
8 Comments
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Another I agree with!
I agree too with the exception of the jab at Nolte who I thought was absolutely phenomenal.
He gave such a heartfelt performance. I loved everything about this movie
Me too!!
I love this film, a little generic yes, but it had heart and is so much better than The Fighter.
Though Nolte was my fave, I can’t really say that Hardy was better than Edgerton. Underrated, as the film was in general.
I love those little links you sneaked in like you did with Swinton! Clean is another on my list, didn’t realise Nolte was in that!
I have to admit, on the comparisons between The Fighter and Warrior, I come down firmly on the side of David O. Russell’s more fluid, vibrant and ambitious film. Warrior is – strictly speaking – not one iota distinguished from countless other standard sports dramas and I enjoy it almost in spite of itself (which, again, I credit mainly to Edgerton and Hardy).
And thank you for the kudos to my links! I figured it was a good way to put out the best of a particular person’s work without crowding my article with movie titles.
Love this choice! Not just because he’s a fellow Aussie who I’ve always thought was good enough for the big time, but because he was tremendous in The Warrior. Nolte was best in show for me, but I rated Edgerton slightly above Hardy. Such a well-acted film.
While I disagree that Nolte was “blubbering” (I thought it was solid, though not awards worthy), I definitely agree about Edgerton. He had the strongest role in the film and stole every scene he was in. Even in some of the film’s most cliched moments, he shined. I also agree that Hardy, while good, didn’t have as much to work with. The casting of Edgerton as the underdog was indeed fitting as you said. Hardy may have gotten the attention like his character, but Edgerton is the true victor, even if people don’t realize it. You were wise to choose him for consideration.