Warrior

Boxing, fighting type films have been done many times prior such as last year's "The Fighter" and others, but with "Warrior", I wasn't quite expecting the polished film that unfoled before my very eyes.

The youngest son, Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer, Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte) returns home, where he reluctantly asks his father to train him for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament--a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his older brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton).

Brendan is physics instructor at a high school and boxes at night to help keep the home he, his wife, Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and kids are living in. When Principal Zito (Kevin Dunn) finds out he's boxing at a strip club, Zito is forced to put Brendan on an unpaid suspension. So to make ends meet, against his wife's approval, he decides to get back into boxing professionally and asks his long time friend/trainer, Frank Campana (Frank Grillo) to train him again. Will the boxing bring these brothers closer or drive them even farther apart?

Others to round out the cast are Maximiliano Hernandez as Colt Boyd, Bryan Callen and Sam Sheridan as themselves, Fernando Funan Chien as Fenroy, Jake McLaughlin as Mark Bradford, Vanessa Martinez as Pilar Fernandez, and Denzel Whitaker as Stephon.

The effectiveness of the characters in this was delineated well by director Gavin O'Connor ("Comfortably Dumb" '95, "Tumbleweeds" '99, "Miracle" '04, "Pride and Glory" '08). You could feel the gut-wrenching pain these characters were definitely experiencing. O'Connor could possibly receive an Oscar nod for his work. This was written by O'Connor, Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman based on a story by O'Connor and Dorfman. The writers really dug deep revealing all kinds of layers to the complexities of these characters which made the script that much more meaty. This family definitely puts the 'D' in dysfunction, and with the bitterness, unforgiveness and hatred practically destroying the family, you would think there is no hope ever for a reconciliation.

If you like excellent acting, directing, writing with a good story, you'll love this. Like "The Fighter", this wasn't so much a boxing film as much as a great character study with a boxing backdrop. The emotional roller coaster ride in this will take you on that same ride, so hold on to your hat.

Out of 4 stars: 4                         Rated: PG-13                          140min.