Living With B

‘Warrior’ directed by Gavin O’Connor is about an estranged family who finds redemption in the unlikeliest of places: the MMA ring. Tommy, an ex-Marine with a tragic past, returns home and enlists his father, a recovering alcoholic and former wrestling coach, to train him for “Sparta,” the biggest MMA tournament ever held. But when Tommy’s underdog brother, Brendan, fights his way into the tournament, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart.

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first thoughts

This was a film that Denver was interested in, and I too, since I enjoy sport-centered dramas. When he explained what the plot was, I expected this to be heartwarming as these brothers faced their trauma together. I found the plot intriguing and the cast to be stellar!

main characters

Tommy Conlon portrayed by Tom Hardy is a rough and gruff ex-Marine who is struggling with not only his traumatizing childhood but also with the Marines. I found him to be hard to like, but I couldn’t help but empathize with him, much like his father. He is a man who is struggling and is willing to ask for help.

Brendan Conlon portrayed by Joel Edgerton is the older brother of Tommy who, despite his trauma, made a life for himself. Although he is struggling financially with his teaching job, he tries to be a good husband and father.

Paddy Conlon portrayed by Nick Nolte is a man I did not want to empathize with considering all of the trauma he put his family through. It hurt me to empathize with him, but I could not help but feel bad for him. He is not a good man and you know that from the beginning but the way the character is written and portrayed does make it hard not to sympathize with him, even if it is just a little bit.

final thoughts

I believe this movie is underrated when it comes to storytelling. A movie that can keep me in a state of anxiety the entire time is a movie I can easily give a high rating to. I enjoyed the different dynamics of the two characters as they both went through hard times and similar traumas. The story is heartwarming like I thought it would be, but I think it is a wonderful story that touches on the complications of forgiveness and trauma.

do i recommend this movie?

I do! It is more than a sports drama, in my opinion. It’s a story of trauma and dysfunctional families and the different ways people handle them. I enjoyed this movie a lot and would recommend it to anyone that wants to watch just an overall good movie!

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