Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton feud as estranged brothers at the Pentagon. Nick Nolte plays a rehabilitating father with deep-seated demons. From these dynamics emerges a family drama that on the surface dances to the usual Rocky schema - but again, not at all. Warrior is, in fact, a very special sports film. Not just because of its specific sport (MMA is unlikely to play a role on the big screen anytime soon), but the storytelling of how director Gavin O'Connor manages to weave together the emotional facets of this masculine world.
For both Tom Hardy and especially Joel Edgerton, this film was their big breakthrough. Since then, Hollywood has been hot on their heels for almost everything. After seeing this flick, one has to honestly say that this is totally fine. Although I don't think too much of Edgerton's rather stoic and monotonous acting, he fits the role of Brendan perfectly. A "reasonable" family man with clear principles, but who has never lost his passion for fighting from his younger years. Even more on the nail, however, is Hardy's embodiment of his character Tommy. Although he is actually sullen and taciturn for the entire 130 minutes of running time (just a typical Hardy), you always have the feeling that there is so much more to this loveless-looking person. When you learn more about his background in the second half of the film, the other character traits clearly come into play. In that respect, Hardy was of course given the more interesting and diverse character, but his rousing performance never really makes you dislike this fundamentally unlikable person after all. The acting masterpiece of the film, however, goes to the account of a gentleman who had long been considered an icon in Hollywood at that time: Nick Nolte. After he had disappeared into oblivion for some time before, Nolte returns here in absolute top form. The role of the recovering alcoholic is tailor-made for Nolte. He plays everything from totally grumpy and distant to empathetic and highly emotional, and in the final part he provides one of the most memorable individual scenes in recent memory, at least in my opinion. You understand this man, want to hug him for his crumbling relationship with his sons, but can still understand why they want to avoid him.
At first glance, the film's unwinding seems generic and genre-oriented. However, if you venture beneath the surface and get involved with the not-uncomplex plot, you are completely caught off guard and left wondering. If I weren't a cold hearted person when it comes to crying at movies, I probably would have shed enough water for ten. Warrior gives you so much more than just half-naked men beating the crap out of each other in a pointless martial art. It's about passion, revenge and reconciliation. These elements are conveyed by O'Connor and the cast in such an incredibly authentic and profound way that you almost can't believe that the declared genre of this film is "sports movie". Rather, it is a breathtaking roller coaster of emotions with a lot of heart with an admittedly slightly exaggerated ending.
