My View : Warrior

"Fight for Family VS Fight for Country"
When i saw the rating of this movie at IMDb, i was a little shocked. My surprise came for, not the rating of the movie, but for seeing Tom Hardy with six packs and that the movie didn't run for a long time in Chennai. I missed to watch it in a theater. The rating was 8.2 when i saw it for the first time on IMDb but now it's 8.3. It's very rare and difficult to see the rating of a movie increase, after being on the list for a long time on IMDb. I didn't know anything about Tom Hardy and haven't watched any of his movie, before watching the "Inception". After watching Inception, he was one of my favorites. And in this movie, "Warrior", he has shown that he is one of the best in the industry but not yet recognized as a great asset for many filmmakers. I always like MMA and watch it sometimes even if not regularly and i can say that this is the best refined film for the sport of MMA.

image from google search

Well, the movie is about two brothers fighting for the Mixed Martial Arts Middleweight Championship of the World. And the winning prize is $5million. Now, the reason for the two brothers to fight to win this money is the main story. One fights for his family and another fights for his country [in a different way]. Now, the director is Gavin O'Connor and the casting is as follows, they are the main casts, so, didn't include everyone  :

* Tom Hardy ----- Tommy Conlon
* Joel Edgerton ----- Brendan Conlon
* Nick Nolte ----- Paddy Conlon
* Jennifer Morrison ----- Tess Conlon [ Brendan's Wife]
* Frank Grillo ----- Frank Campana

Well, let me tell a short synopsis of this movie. The movie starts with Paddy coming out of a church. Paddy was an alcoholic former boxer, who left Tommy and Brendan with their mother alone, due to his alcoholic behavior. He stopped drinking and was on a course of 1000 non-alcoholic days. He meets up with his younger son, Tommy outside his house. They chat for sometime until Tommy dozes off. Brendan, elder brother, is a school physics teacher, who has loads of money problems. He works hard and honestly to save his home from being taken away by the bank, for his failure in mortgage. His wife works too, supporting him at all times. Tommy joins a local gym, where he used to train when he was a kid. One day, he finds an opportunity to show his skills. He acts as a substitute sparring guy for a guy who is very famous in the gym and a main contender in the upcoming tournament called The Sparta. For everyone's surprise, Tommy beats the hell out of him and knocks him down. One guy takes a video of this fight secretly and publishes it on web. And it spreads like a wildfire. Tommy asks his dad to train him, so that he can enter the tournament and win it for which Paddy agrees. Brendon starts fighting small fights to earn money. When his wife finds out, he somehow convinces her to understand him. Later, he joins Frank's, an old friend, gym, as he's suspended from school for fighting. He tries to get in the tournament and somehow gets in. Tommy wins all his fights easily and quickly but Brendon struggles a lot in all his fights but he wins. There are a lot of emotional scenes in between, which words cannot express. You must watch it to feel it. In the end, both brothers face off for the final. Just before final, everybody comes to know that Brendon and Tommy were brothers. Brendon was fighting to save his family and home, but Tommy was fighting for something else. In the end......well i will not tell it...go and watch this to know it.

Now, based on acting, everybody did their best. And i mean it. From Tom Hardy [Tommy] to Kevin Dunn [Principal Zito], everybody did their best. I am mad about Tom just like i am mad about Mr.Heath Ledger. He was perfect in this movie. His acting at the starting of the movie, while talking to his dad, after getting drunk was nice. I didn't expect him to fight Mad Dog like that in his first fight. He knocks him off. His easy going attitude talk with his brother Brendan was cool too. As if, he didn't care for any shit, other than winning this tournament. But i was totally drawn to him in two scenes. One, when he knocks out his opponents and just blazes off from the  cage to his dressing room. Second, when he supports his drunken dad in a hotel, before the semifinal. And, there is no need to exaggerate his emotions while fighting. He was like a tiger waiting to pound on his prey. His anger, disrespect, hatred, bloodlust, every emotion was perfect.

Joel Edgerton [Brerndon] was not as cool as Tom but no less than any other in the movie. He was a perfect husband and a perfect father. An honest man relying only on his fighting rather than bankruptcy. Little weaker than Tom and other fighters but his never to give up attitude wins him all matches. I liked him when he did all those training and when he was concerned about dad at the final. His emotions were not easily distinguishable but it was noticeable. Nick Nolte [Paddy] was great in his daddy job. His acting moved me to such extent that i felt terribly pity for him. A father, who is trying to change and amend his mistakes but his sons, not forgiving him for what he did. His acting after getting drunk in the hotel was nice. It showed a true character of a heart suffering alcoholic. When he gets insulted by his son at slot machine, his face was so pitiable that i felt that no father should undergo like that. Jennifer [Tess] and Frank [Brendon's coach] did their best too.

Overall, it was one of the perfect movies i have watched after a long time. It was sensational and inspirational as well as raw, relentless and mesmerizing. If you wanna know the story then please watch it. I wish the ending was a little more than that, but still it was a perfect movie. Leave your ideas and thoughts and reviews in the comments.

My Rating : 9/10