Warrior

This is why I watch movies: to find a gem like this. I had emotions coming out of my ears, my heart was pounding at 106, and tears were streaming down my face. Drama combined with sports is kind of thin ice. The games have to entertain, they can't be overdone, and they don't mean anything if the drama doesn't come through. But here the foundation is solid, the story is catchy, and the actors have an incredible zest to perform. An amazing cinematic experience. 5 stars. (12/07/2011)

A deceptively familiar plot template, masculine sweat in every minute, and problems that will stare back at you forever. Warrior is at first glance a somewhat calculated bit of screenwriting. It takes elements from the various premises of famous boxing dramas and wraps everything up in themes that appeal to both audiences and critics. Iraq, heroism, trauma, high school, debts, and alcoholism all intersect here, with the strongest family values remaining at the center, wrapped around bitter memories. But it works, and it works perfectly. Gavin O'Connor has learned from Miracle that some emotions work better implied and without words, and with each scene that delves into broken family relationships, he escalates the atmosphere of unwavering cheering and the desire for reconciliation. And last but not least, it features Tom Hardy in the forefront, who shatters all doubts with his brute strength. It's hard to say why guys so easily melt the moment they hear that characteristic sound of a blow hitting a muscular body, but the adrenaline that surged in me during each major fight could have powered a regional power plant. When even the most hidden memories and the emotions that go with them bubble up during the closing song, there is no defense against the power of this narrative. (12/10/2011)

Cliché over cliché where everything goes according to a template seen hundreds of times, following the expected tracks, when it’s very easy to guess the development of the plot for long minutes ahead, even the dialogues you can chew in your mind before the actors let them out of their mouths. The comparisons with Rocky are ridiculous; more than anything, Rocky was an original and unconventional love affair, while Warrior has nothing original and unconventional at all. PS: Forget the much-vaunted Oscar, boys and girls. (12/11/2011)

So this is the best picture so far this year. An intense emotional and action-packed fireball with the faultless Tom Hardy and unexpectedly great Joel Edgerton, whose future is starting to look promising. A great idea, swimming in Hollywood sauce and the exiting environment of MMA has exactly the right ingredients. Warrior is about a struggle between two losers, both heroes in a way, but just one of them can win. Sorrow is overcome at the end by joy and the classic lesson “Don’t give up" rings true. I wouldn’t be surprised if this picture became a favorite for an Oscar. (12/08/2011)

Hollywood fluffy filler about one brother's (lack of )bonding, dosed in the style of an impactful arena film. We see emotions pass through stone faces, cheap whiskey, and the musculature of movers, but the film tries so hard that it's more or less impossible not to succumb to it. Let's take the occasional outpourings of hatred around with a grain of salt and off to the gym! (12/27/2011)