inclusus_review
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inclusus_review's rating
Most of my reviews are long but this I'm going to keep as short because I think you really benefit from going into this film as blind as possible. I'm not going to say much about the story or even compare it to any other film as that in itself would give away part of the beauty of the film. The only thing I will do is send a warning that this is a very brutal film and does require quite a strong stomach. I had been waiting for this one for a while as was interested to see if it would live up to all the hype it was generating on the festival circuit. Well I can say it more than managed to in my mind. I found director Ben Wheatley's first feature Down Terrace only mildly interesting and nothing special but this is a big step up being one of the most powerfully emotional cinema experiences I've recently had.
The film is simply - but fittingly - shot with much of it in that hand-held documentary style giving a 'real' feel to the proceedings. The story is actually pretty simple too – to start with anyway. Two war buddies turn to dubious jobs to help pay the rent and things get out of hand is the general gist. But the film is also so much more than those expectations of a run of the mill Brit gangster flick being a thriller, tense drama and of course horror too and as for the ending well you'll just have to wait and see.
I found the characters believable and sympathetic even when events take a turn for the worse. Much of this is down to the quality of the acting which is pitched perfectly. Of course the acting only works if you have the script to support it and in this case it does. The banter between the two main characters is wonderful and so black it has you laughing at the most inappropriate moments. But its also believable, it's the kind of back and forth you have with oldest friends – rude, un-PC, funny and just very real.
The acting and the script combine well to help maintain the tension produced from the beginning in the opening scenes. We see these people should be a tight circle of family and friends but also given clues that maybe it's not all that rosy. A little comment here, a little frown there could be missed but all help undermine what we think we know about these people. And what about the mysterious Kiev incident? The violence in the film is very full on and up there with some of the Asia extreme cinema but also very cleverly done. Much of it adheres to a Scorsese school of violence - there is not violence continually through the film and when it does take place it's brutal, messy and then normality returns. The settings of these acts are everyday – kitchens, parking lots – that look like places we all know, not some unattached and unidentifiable place. It is partly this that I think makes it all so jarring. Another technique used around the violence is long takes. Usually with a brutal moment the film will cut to a close-up or a view where the dummy can then be unrecognised. Here however the shots follow the actor to a point where you think 'I know what might happen next but surely it can't as I know that is the actor' And then it does happen! Sound is well used and while the soundtrack is minimal the tone and emotion of scenes are carried extremely well through the sound design. At no time is it intruding into the story or has the feeling of 'here's a filler bit of music while we look at the scenery' – exactly as a soundtrack should be. Here again there is also intelligent editing ramping up the tension and then suddenly jolting back to normality. Top marks here.
It's not without its faults however. Some of the scenes could have been tightened up and I found the ending a little unsatisfying. I have seen moans it was confusing or left-field but I don't agree, I just found it lacking a little clarity as if it didn't quite know itself how to end. There are a few narrative jumps I didn't like (that I won't spoil by putting in) but parts were made to be a big deal and then once arrived had an air of 'oh well, lets get on with it anyway' making for a juddery inconsistent flow.
These are all minor irritants though. I came out of the cinema totally exhausted by Kill List - I found it emotionally tough to watch with the violence but found myself so drawn into the experience that by the time the crazy finale begins I was rapt. I think I've marked it up a bit too partly due to seeing it on the big screen with deafening sound, I'm not so sure it will work as well on the small screen. I saw a reviewer elsewhere liken it to Dead Man's Shoes and while they are narratively very different it's a good parallel I think – if you enjoyed that then you would love this . (Actually Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur was a trailer at my viewing and looks good too.) At the end of the film some people applauded while other gave a WTF laugh but I defy anyone not to be emotional jolted by this.
Hmmm this didn't turn out to be a short review after all! 8 out of 10
The film is simply - but fittingly - shot with much of it in that hand-held documentary style giving a 'real' feel to the proceedings. The story is actually pretty simple too – to start with anyway. Two war buddies turn to dubious jobs to help pay the rent and things get out of hand is the general gist. But the film is also so much more than those expectations of a run of the mill Brit gangster flick being a thriller, tense drama and of course horror too and as for the ending well you'll just have to wait and see.
I found the characters believable and sympathetic even when events take a turn for the worse. Much of this is down to the quality of the acting which is pitched perfectly. Of course the acting only works if you have the script to support it and in this case it does. The banter between the two main characters is wonderful and so black it has you laughing at the most inappropriate moments. But its also believable, it's the kind of back and forth you have with oldest friends – rude, un-PC, funny and just very real.
The acting and the script combine well to help maintain the tension produced from the beginning in the opening scenes. We see these people should be a tight circle of family and friends but also given clues that maybe it's not all that rosy. A little comment here, a little frown there could be missed but all help undermine what we think we know about these people. And what about the mysterious Kiev incident? The violence in the film is very full on and up there with some of the Asia extreme cinema but also very cleverly done. Much of it adheres to a Scorsese school of violence - there is not violence continually through the film and when it does take place it's brutal, messy and then normality returns. The settings of these acts are everyday – kitchens, parking lots – that look like places we all know, not some unattached and unidentifiable place. It is partly this that I think makes it all so jarring. Another technique used around the violence is long takes. Usually with a brutal moment the film will cut to a close-up or a view where the dummy can then be unrecognised. Here however the shots follow the actor to a point where you think 'I know what might happen next but surely it can't as I know that is the actor' And then it does happen! Sound is well used and while the soundtrack is minimal the tone and emotion of scenes are carried extremely well through the sound design. At no time is it intruding into the story or has the feeling of 'here's a filler bit of music while we look at the scenery' – exactly as a soundtrack should be. Here again there is also intelligent editing ramping up the tension and then suddenly jolting back to normality. Top marks here.
It's not without its faults however. Some of the scenes could have been tightened up and I found the ending a little unsatisfying. I have seen moans it was confusing or left-field but I don't agree, I just found it lacking a little clarity as if it didn't quite know itself how to end. There are a few narrative jumps I didn't like (that I won't spoil by putting in) but parts were made to be a big deal and then once arrived had an air of 'oh well, lets get on with it anyway' making for a juddery inconsistent flow.
These are all minor irritants though. I came out of the cinema totally exhausted by Kill List - I found it emotionally tough to watch with the violence but found myself so drawn into the experience that by the time the crazy finale begins I was rapt. I think I've marked it up a bit too partly due to seeing it on the big screen with deafening sound, I'm not so sure it will work as well on the small screen. I saw a reviewer elsewhere liken it to Dead Man's Shoes and while they are narratively very different it's a good parallel I think – if you enjoyed that then you would love this . (Actually Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur was a trailer at my viewing and looks good too.) At the end of the film some people applauded while other gave a WTF laugh but I defy anyone not to be emotional jolted by this.
Hmmm this didn't turn out to be a short review after all! 8 out of 10
I was lucky enough to catch Warrior at Empire's Big Screen at the O2 in London last week as one of their secret screenings and I have to say it was a very pleasant surprise. It seems it wasn't just me either, eves-dropping on rest of the audience as we left revealed there was an all round endorsement by the crowd. Funnily many of the conversations would begin 'I wouldn't usually go and see a film like that but
' which I can certainly second. I will also avoid spoilers here as I went into this completely unaware and certainly benefited from it.
The film follows two fighters and their families as they enter the big bucks mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, Sparta. It has the usual balance of down on his luck good guy doing it for the family (Joel Edgerton) and a seemingly brutal fighter who is looking for a payday (the suddenly ubiquitous Tom Hardy). Throw in Nick Nolte as a sad, reformed drunk of a father and we have the basic elements of another run of the mill sporting movie. Or at least that's how it starts. It doesn't particularly throw any curve balls to be honest but it does unfold interestingly and we are not given the whole story on a plate which was refreshing. It examines family relationships and regret and faces the terrible truths when some wounds just cannot be healed by forgiveness once it is too late.
It's not all family drama though and unsurprisingly it does have a hellova lot of fighting in so even though I think it is enjoyable for most if you can't stomach the violence then don't bother with it. However the fighting is well balanced within the narrative, excellently shot and excitingly edited so we do not get the cliché slow-mo or the epic hour long battle even for the big finale. Some of the fights are brutally quick and even those that go the distance are edited down very well indeed while maintaining that punishing feeling - they certainly had the audience ooomph'ing and wincing along with every slam and punch. There will be blood along with some horrible curdling crunches too.
Aside form the action Rocky (1976) and The Wrestler (2008) seemed to be more about the individual and their demons and while there are elements of that here it really focuses on the (dysfunctional) family drama. Of course it is going to get the obvious comparisons to The Fighter (2010) but I don't think it's a bad thing and that should really be taken as a compliment. I would not be surprised to see it picking up a few awards along the way too. Even if one was to compare the two I think Warrior stands up very well and having the film follow two fighters marks it apart. Like the fighter though the two leads are outstanding and worthy of all the attention they will receive for them. Performances are impressive across the board in fact and it's wonderful to see Nick Nolte back in the frame with a delightful role that he seems to slip perfectly into. (A sorry ex-drunk with a history of violence - apologies Nick!) As well as their acting performances the two main characters are to be complimented on their believable appearance as fighters with some impressive physique on display. Both of our fighters here are easily as believable as the muscled yet high pitched and whiny Wahlberg and certainly must have done a fair bit of training for the role too. Although that wouldn't really be a surprise for anyone that has seen Hardy in Bronson (2008) most will know him from his turn in Inception (2010) which is something completely different. Joel Edgerton too looks different from the roles I remember him in – Kinky Boots (2005) and Animal Kingdom (2010) - as well as his Uncle Owen turn mean this is another impressive transformation.
As much as I love this film there are a few gripes as there always has to be (sorry I've yet to find a 10/10 film!). Props to director Gavin O'Connor who also wrote the story and starred but the direction could have been a bit tighter and its not a movie where every scene is trimmed with a few wasted shots or lazy and obvious camera work. Although performances were all good some of the characters seemed to lack depth and I felt the wife (Jennifer Morrison) was a little underused as I thought Nick's role also seemed to be forgotten about in the final third. These are very minor quibbles but unfortunately the main one is that it's a product of its self - it's difficult for any film like this to avoid the cliché or cheesy ending. A film focusing on two main fighters in the same competition was always limited on outcomes and although Warrior does it's best I'm afraid the ending could have been handled a bit better.
Very enjoyable movie that I hope gets the audience it deserves. Give it a try even if it's not your usual cuppa tea.
8 out of 10
The film follows two fighters and their families as they enter the big bucks mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, Sparta. It has the usual balance of down on his luck good guy doing it for the family (Joel Edgerton) and a seemingly brutal fighter who is looking for a payday (the suddenly ubiquitous Tom Hardy). Throw in Nick Nolte as a sad, reformed drunk of a father and we have the basic elements of another run of the mill sporting movie. Or at least that's how it starts. It doesn't particularly throw any curve balls to be honest but it does unfold interestingly and we are not given the whole story on a plate which was refreshing. It examines family relationships and regret and faces the terrible truths when some wounds just cannot be healed by forgiveness once it is too late.
It's not all family drama though and unsurprisingly it does have a hellova lot of fighting in so even though I think it is enjoyable for most if you can't stomach the violence then don't bother with it. However the fighting is well balanced within the narrative, excellently shot and excitingly edited so we do not get the cliché slow-mo or the epic hour long battle even for the big finale. Some of the fights are brutally quick and even those that go the distance are edited down very well indeed while maintaining that punishing feeling - they certainly had the audience ooomph'ing and wincing along with every slam and punch. There will be blood along with some horrible curdling crunches too.
Aside form the action Rocky (1976) and The Wrestler (2008) seemed to be more about the individual and their demons and while there are elements of that here it really focuses on the (dysfunctional) family drama. Of course it is going to get the obvious comparisons to The Fighter (2010) but I don't think it's a bad thing and that should really be taken as a compliment. I would not be surprised to see it picking up a few awards along the way too. Even if one was to compare the two I think Warrior stands up very well and having the film follow two fighters marks it apart. Like the fighter though the two leads are outstanding and worthy of all the attention they will receive for them. Performances are impressive across the board in fact and it's wonderful to see Nick Nolte back in the frame with a delightful role that he seems to slip perfectly into. (A sorry ex-drunk with a history of violence - apologies Nick!) As well as their acting performances the two main characters are to be complimented on their believable appearance as fighters with some impressive physique on display. Both of our fighters here are easily as believable as the muscled yet high pitched and whiny Wahlberg and certainly must have done a fair bit of training for the role too. Although that wouldn't really be a surprise for anyone that has seen Hardy in Bronson (2008) most will know him from his turn in Inception (2010) which is something completely different. Joel Edgerton too looks different from the roles I remember him in – Kinky Boots (2005) and Animal Kingdom (2010) - as well as his Uncle Owen turn mean this is another impressive transformation.
As much as I love this film there are a few gripes as there always has to be (sorry I've yet to find a 10/10 film!). Props to director Gavin O'Connor who also wrote the story and starred but the direction could have been a bit tighter and its not a movie where every scene is trimmed with a few wasted shots or lazy and obvious camera work. Although performances were all good some of the characters seemed to lack depth and I felt the wife (Jennifer Morrison) was a little underused as I thought Nick's role also seemed to be forgotten about in the final third. These are very minor quibbles but unfortunately the main one is that it's a product of its self - it's difficult for any film like this to avoid the cliché or cheesy ending. A film focusing on two main fighters in the same competition was always limited on outcomes and although Warrior does it's best I'm afraid the ending could have been handled a bit better.
Very enjoyable movie that I hope gets the audience it deserves. Give it a try even if it's not your usual cuppa tea.
8 out of 10
