Warrior (2011 film): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 08:15, 7 January 2012
| Warrior | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gavin O'Connor |
| Screenplay by | Gavin O'Connor Cliff Dorfman Anthony Tambakis |
| Story by | Gavin O'Connor Cliff Dorfman |
| Produced by | Gavin O'Connor Greg O'Connor |
| Starring | Joel Edgerton Tom Hardy Jennifer Morrison Frank Grillo Nick Nolte |
| Cinematography | Masanobu Takayanagi |
| Edited by | Sean Albertson Matt Chesse John Gilroy Aaron Marshall |
| Music by | Mark Isham |
Production companies | Mimran Schur Pictures Filmtribe Solaris Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release date |
|
Running time | 140 minutes[1] |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[2] |
| Box office | $23,057,115[2] |
Warrior is a 2011 American sports action-drama film directed by Gavin O'Connor and starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. Warrior tells the story of two estranged brothers entering a mixed martial arts tournament, and deals with the brothers' struggling relationship with each other and with their father. The film was released on September 9, 2011 to overall positive reviews. Warrior is dedicated to the memory of Charles Lewis Jr., as seen just before the ending credits.
Plot synopsis
The film opens with Tommy Riordan (Hardy) visiting his father, Paddy (Nolte), a former alcoholic who has become a Christian. Tommy becomes angry about his father's formerly abusive behavior, and Paddy fails to convince him that he has truly changed. The next day, Tommy enters a gym where he beats a professional fighter named Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes (Erik Apple) unconscious in less than a minute, in a fight which is filmed via a flip video camera and later uploaded to the Internet where it goes viral. Tommy asks his father to help him train for a winner-takes-all mixed martial arts tournament called Sparta, but only under the condition that they do not try to reconcile their relationship. It is later explained that Tommy enters the tournament in order to give the money he hopes to win to the widow and son of his fallen friend in the Marine Corps.
Meanwhile, Paddy's older son, Brendan Conlon (Edgerton), a high school physics teacher and former UFC fighter, is struggling to financially provide for his wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and two daughters, and faces the possibility of his home getting foreclosed if he does not pay the bank in three months. Despite he and Tess working a total of three jobs between the two of them, Brendan risks returning to his former profession as a mixed martial arts fighter battling amateur fighters for money in order to pay the bank in time. Rumors of Brendan fighting in the ring begin spreading amongst his students, and the school, objecting to his participation in such dangerous activities, suspends him without pay. Left with no other option, Brendan seeks the training of old friend Frank Campana (Frank Grillo)and begins competing in smaller venue fights for money. After the fighter he planned to enter into the Sparta tournament is injured during training, Brendan convinces Frank to enter him as a replacement.
Paddy visits Brendan during this time to inform him that Tommy has returned home and in order to reconcile with his son, which he is unable to do. Brendan says he forgives Paddy for all the wrong he has done to him in the past, but that he still does not trust him. And later, after entering the tournament, Brendan discovers that Tommy has also entered. When Brendan confronts Tommy for the first time in several years, it is explained that Brendan chose to stay with his father and then-girlfriend Tess when he was sixteen years old instead of leaving with Tommy and their mother, who later grew ill and died. Tommy says that he refuses to forgive Brendan for this and leaves.
Meanwhile, the video of Tommy beating Mad Dog attracts the attention of a Marine in Iraq whose life was saved by Tommy months prior. The information and video of Tommy saving the Marine is shared with the press and Tommy becomes a national hero, gaining a massive fan base with not only viewers, but with the U.S. Marine Corps as well. Paddy tells Tommy that he is proud of him for saving the Marine's life, but Tommy gets so furious at his father that Paddy has a relapse and becomes drunk the next day. Tommy comforts Paddy and the two finally make peace with one another. However, things turn around when Tommy's records surface from the Marine Corps and reveal that he took absence without leave from the military after he was nearly killed by friendly fire. It is explained that Tommy took his mother's maiden name, Riordan, as his own surname in order to evade arrest for his desertion, and that police will take him into custody after the tournament is over.
Over the next few nights, Brendan and Tommy have contrasting fortunes. Tommy violently and quickly pulverizes his three hapless opponents, the third being Mad Dog, whom he disposes of within seconds. Following each victory he angrily storms out of the cage and ignores the winner's announcement. Brendan has by comparison a much tougher time, particularly in the semi final where he has to face Koba, a monstrous undefeated Russian champion. He wins his first two bouts with clever Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but in the third he is punished severely for the entirety of the first two rounds. In the third he mounts a valiant and spirited attack against his superior opponent and eventually surprises Koba with a kneebar and holds on for dear life. Koba eventually submits and Brendan shocks the world of mixed martial arts. At the end, both brothers come face-to-face with each other in final round and unleash all anger they had towards each other. The fight between the two brothers shows Tommy having the upper hand initially, taking down Brendan and punishing him with some ground-and-pound, but in the third round, the tides turn as Brendan catches Tommy with an omoplata armlock. Brendan manages to dislocate Tommy's shoulder, leaving Tommy handicapped. Brendan pleads to his brother to stop fighting, but Tommy continues to fight with one arm. In the next round Brendan traps the injured Tommy in a rear naked choke. While they both lie struggling on the mat, Brendan tearfully apologizes to Tommy and tells him that he loves him, and after a brief hesitation, Tommy taps out. The film ends with the two brothers exiting the ring, Tommy in tears with Brendan's arms around him, as their father watches them and smiles.
Cast
- Joel Edgerton as Brendan Conlon
- Tom Hardy as Tommy Conlon
- Nick Nolte as Paddy Conlon
- Jennifer Morrison as Tess Conlon
- Frank Grillo as Frank Campana
- Kurt Angle as Koba
- Kevin Dunn as Principal Joe Zito
- Denzel Whitaker as Stephon
- Erik Apple as Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes
- Nate Marquardt as Karl Kruller
- Anthony "Rumble" Johnson as Orlando "Midnight" Lee
- Josh Rosenthal as himself
- Bryan Callen as himself
- Rashad Evans as himself
Themes
Described by critics as "heartbreaking and emotionally satisfying,"[3] "really gripping,"[4] and "an unapologetic powerhouse of emotional conflict,"[5] and self-described as a "rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit," Warrior has received the most praise for the emotional approach it takes to the themes of forgiveness and "the enduring bonds of family" that it explores. In their review, Common Sense Media cites unconditional love as a major theme, further explaining that "some weighty issues" such as estrangement and alcoholism are dealt with.[6]
Production
Mogul Minds Studios, (now 31st Street Studios), located in Pittsburgh, was used during the filming, as well as the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center and the Twin Hi-Way Drive-In. North Hills Senior High School was also used for some scenes. Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City was used for the exterior scenes of the main fight venue, along with scenes filmed on the boardwalk and beach.[7][dubious – discuss]
Producers of the film revealed to Esquire Magazine that the story of protagonist Tommy Riordan was vaguely based on Ewan G.P. Pennington, who met with one of the writers during before third tour to Afghanistan.
Hardy went through a demanding training routine for gaining muscle during the film's pre-production, gaining around 28 pounds (13 kg) of muscle and raising his overall weight to 205 pounds (93 kg) (a physique which he also used to portray Bane in The Dark Knight Rises).[8]
Additional filming was shot at the former West Virginia State Penitentiary, located in Moundsville, West Virginia.
Additional scenes were shot around the historic Pitt Hotel and Restaurant in McDonald, Pennsylvania.
The film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "sequences of intense mixed martial arts fighting, some language and thematic material."
Release
Marketing
The Men of Warrior book was released on July 19, 2011.[9] Lionsgate's "We Are All Warriors" project to support the release of Warrior by highlighting everyday heroes was launched August 1, 2011.[10]
Box office
Warrior debuted in third place in its first week at the U.S. box office with $5,242,107 behind Contagion and The Help.[11] It dropped down to #8 the following weekend.[12] The film has made $13,657,115 in United States and Canada, and $9,400,000 in foreign countries for a worldwide total of $23,057,115.[2]
Critical reception
Warrior has received strongly positive reviews from critics, with many praising the themes, strong emotional content, acting, and fight scenes. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 83% critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.2/10, based on 159 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Warrior relies on many of the clichés that critics of the genre love to mock — and it transcends them with gripping action, powerful acting, and heart."[13] Metacritic reported that 71% of the 35 reviews it aggregated were positive about the film, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]
Bruce Diones of The New Yorker highly praised the actors' performances, especially Tom Hardy's, as "convincingly real" and "sensational." He further complimented the film as "cathartic" and "winning," and said that the film as a whole "achieves a surprising compassion and honesty."[5] Simon Miraudo from Quickflix praised the character development of brothers Tommy Riordan and Brendan Conlon: "When they speak to each other for the first time in the film – amazingly, only once before they actually meet in the ring – we understand their relationship completely." He called the film as a whole "beautiful" in spite of how violent it is, and gave it 4 out of 5 stars.[3] Common Sense Media's Sandie Angulo Chen called the film "a touching family drama wrapped in an intense 'David vs. Goliath'-style fight."[6] Meanwhile, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, declaring that "this is a rare fight movie in which we don't want to see either fighter lose," while praising Gavin O'Connor's direction and Nick Nolte's performance.[15] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was also complimentary towards O'Connor, stating that he "comes out swinging in this flawed but fiercely moving family drama,"[16] while A.O. Scott of The New York Times credited the film for being "appropriately blunt, powerful and relentless," also praising the "skillfully staged" fight scenes.[17]
Some critics, including Philip French from the UK magazine The Observer, have noted similarities to other sports drama films such as Rocky (1976), The Wrestler (2008), and The Fighter (2010).[18]
Home release
Warrior was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on December 20, 2011. The Blu-ray release includes a DVD copy of the movie, as well as a downloadable digital copy. With the exception of the Blu-ray including an additional Feature Length Enhanced Viewing Mode, extras are similar between both releases.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nick Nolte | Pending |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor | Nick Nolte | Nominated |
| Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Nick Nolte | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nick Nolte | Won |
| Satellite Awards | Actor in a Motion Picture | Tom Hardy | Nominated |
| Actor in a Supporting Role | Nick Nolte | Nominated | |
| Film Editing | Aaron Marshall, John Gilroy, Matt Chesse, Sean Albertson | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Nick Nolte | Pending |
References
- ^ "Warrior << British Board of Film Classification". British Board of Film Classification. 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ a b c "Warrior (2011) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b Simon Miraudo (October 25, 2011). "The fight stuff – Warrior review". Quickflix.
- ^ David Edelstein (September 9, 2011). "Movie Review: The Clichéd, Great Warrior". New York Magazine.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Bruce Diones. "Warrior : The New Yorker". The New Yorker.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Sandie Angulo Chen. "Warrior - Movie Review". Common Sense Media.
- ^ "Warrior: Filming Locations".
- ^ "Interview with Tom Hardy". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ "The Men of Warrior Coffee Table Book!". About.com. July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ "We Are All Warriors: FIRST LOOK: Exclusive Photos from the Action-Drama Movie". iVillage. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
{{cite web}}: External link in|work= - ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for September 9-11, 2011 - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for September 16-18, 2011 - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Warrior". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Warrior Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.
- ^ Roger Ebert. "Warrior".
- ^ Peter Travers (September 8, 2011). "Warrior". Rolling Stone.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ A.O. Scott. "Warrior (2011)". The New York Times.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Philip French (September 24, 2011). "Warrior – review". The Observer.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Text "Film" ignored (help); Text "The Observer" ignored (help)