Warrior

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)

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)

An ode to (movie and viewer) joy that is spoiled just by trying to catch too many birds in bushes. To hell with all those clichés, but I would welcome it if it concentrated only on the brothers and father (plus their demons); this does actually happen, but not until the very end. Which means that all of the preceding, subordinate motifs just fizzle out. (12/14/2011)

Muscly tough guys torn by emotions, depicted in brilliant performances by the up-and-coming acting elite. Their display of physical prowess, especially Tom Hardy’s, and commitment to the characters and the story are what make this otherwise simple and unoriginal film so powerful. You believe every word they say and perceive the weight of their disaffection, and thus all the more thoroughly feel the film’s ending, which is impossible to watch without a tear in your eye. Veteran actor Nick Nolte is a worthy teammate to the younger guys and director Gavin O’Connor is a guide with a clear vision. Warrior is a brilliantly cast actors’ film. (01/01/2012)

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)