Warrior

Rarely have I been in an audience which, at the end of a film, remains in total silence. Usually as soon as the last line is said, the last plot point is concluded and the characters walk off into the sunset to live happily ever after, there is a sudden rush for mobile phones, bags and nearly-empty mega-sized packets of crisps. All this is accompanied by a loud cacophony of chatter and general verbal rowdiness because, you know what, we haven't spoken for nearly two hours! This common state of affairs was no where to be seen at the end of Warrior. As the credits rolled, not a single person spoke. Sure, people began to collect their personal belongings but not in the usual state of mild panic as if there were a bomb somewhere in Row E and they must run for the nearest exit. People moved quietly and considerately and seemed to have a respect for both their fellow audience members and for what they had just seen. It was certainly a refreshing change.

Warrior follows two brothers who, having not seen each other for many years due to a family break-up, begin training to fight in the biggest mixed martial arts tournament in the world. The younger (Tom Hardy) returns to see his ex-boxer and recovering alcoholic father (Nick Nolte) in order for him to train him up to become the best in the business. Meanwhile, his brother (Joel Edgerton) also begins training in order to better the financial situation of his family. This is fairly standard Hollywood stuff: guy uses sport to improve himself and discover what's important in life. The likes of The Fighter and The Wrestler have recently used the same formula and, on the surface, Warrior seems to be a carbon copy (albeit without the definite article). However, I was pleasantly surprised. The first plus point of the film is the strong cast. The relative new-comer Tom Hardy (recently seen in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) is excellent as the troubled younger brother and really does deliver a multi-faceted performance. Edgerton as his brother is also convincing and the two, presided over by Nolte's shattered and unstable father figure, work extremely well together.

In terms of narrative and plot, the film is rather sentimental (in fact, you'd probably get less sentimentality in a Victorian love poem) and does, at times, over-do it. The denouement can be seen from miles away and, if you didn't see it coming, then you're frankly not trying. That said, Hardy and Edgerton just about hold it together and prevent the whole thing from crashing an over-emotional ball of flames. Sometimes (and only sometimes, mind you) there's nothing wrong with a bit of a corny story as long as it only rears its head occasionally and all the other elements surrounding it are strong and effective. The fight sequences in Warrior certainly did-away with any sentimentality and you know what, they hurt. Every punch, kick and blow was felt in high definition by every audience member and this made the fight scenes all the more involving and effective. The cinematography during these fights really was beautiful and captured perfectly the pain, chaos and thrill of a fight. Clearly, the cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi had planned each shot with surgical precision. On a general level, the close-up shots of the actors' faces throughout much of the dialogue gave the whole film a claustrophobic edge, with the characters been trapped in their problems as well as serving to mirror their entrapment in the boxing ring. This cinematography, combined with skilful direction, ensured that the audience remained engaged with both the characters and their plight. Even though a blind bat wearing ten pairs of sunglasses could have seen the ending coming, it still had enough emotional punch (pardon the pun) to move me, not to floods of tears, but to a (slightly compromising) heightened eye-moisture level. The film's real skill lies not in its set-up, not in its portrayal of sport but in its use of violence as a way of bringing two men together and conveying a powerful message on an emotional level. This juxtaposition was totally unexpected and yet, worked brilliantly.

And so, as the credits rolled and the girl in F7 sobbed into her mangled tissue and her boyfriend awkwardly fiddled with his phone, I decided that Warrior, despite its over sentimentality and reliance on predictable plot lines, was a film worth seeing. Even if you're a girl. Even if you hate violence. Even if you've no interest in any sport. And that's coming from a guy who thinks kickoff is something angry people do. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * * *