Director: Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte
Running Time: 140 minutes approx
Certificate: 12A
Extras: Making of Documentary, Brother Versus Brother: Anatomy Of The Fight, Mixed Martial Arts Strategy, A Tribute To Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis Jr., Feature Audio Commentary With Filmmakers And Actor Joel Edgerton, Full Contact – Blu-Ray Enhanced Viewing Mode, Deleted Scene (With Optional Commentary) and Gag Reel
Hollywood doesn’t deal in happy families. From the recently-released THE DESCENDANTS (2011) to Sam Mendes’ modern classic AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999), family troubles are fodder for studios and often equal Oscar gold, with George Clooney being touted for his role in THE DESCENDANTS, and Sam Mendes and Kevin Spacey both taking home statues for AMERICAN BEAUTY. Gavin O’Connor doesn’t appear to have got the memo. With WARRIOR, released on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, he has made a film so gritty and emotionally tough the Academy largely ignored the film.
WARRIOR follows two brothers, Tommy (Hardy) and Brandon (Edgerton), and their father, Paddy (Nolte). The film opens with the reunion of Tommy and Paddy, seating the two actors in a room for ten minutes talking. It’s a surprising start to a film based around UFC-style mixed martial arts, but it helps to set the tone of the film.
The brothers are a tremendous juxtaposition. Tommy is a grizzled, hard-edged man who seems to be angry at everything, whilst Brendon is a family man who is trying to escape his past, as a mixed martial arts fighter. However it’s Paddy who steals the film. As the dishevelled, recovering alcoholic father Nolte is spectacular – a role he would, in the past, have over acted. His Oscar nomination is well earned and it’s disappointing that the film does not garner more nominations for its actors and cinematography.
Setting the film in a mixed martial arts environment seems to be a simple choice given the emergence of the UFC in recent years. Fortunately the film uses this purely as a backdrop to the emotional journey the warring siblings and the wounded father go on. The fight scenes are, however, excellent and, whilst I’m no UFC fan, put me on the edge of my seat.
Being a sports film you’ll be hard pressed to find anything here a surprise. What WARRIOR does is tell a simple story of redemption and reconciliation in a thrilling, stylish way. The final confrontation is emotionally charged, helped along by The National’s song ‘About Today’. For the sensitive of you it may even bring a tear.
Extras: The Anatomy of a Fight and the making of documentary (Blu-Ray only) are informative and bring you closer to the dedication put in by the actors and film makers. The audio commentary is pleasant enough and the deleted scene and gag reel are definitely worth your time. There is also a nice tribute to Charles Lewis Jr., the co-founder of TapouT clothing, suppliers to UFC and this film.
WARRIOR is available to buy on DVD & Blu-ray now
