Warrior (2011)

Brothers Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, estranged from each other and their recovering alcoholic father Nick Nolte, separately make the decision to compete in a winner takes all mixed martial arts tournament. I don’t find enjoyment from fighting sports in general and even less the beat the hell out of each other version that is mixed martial arts, so I wasn’t attracted to the plot presented here. The characters at their base are uninteresting clichés: Edgerton being a financially struggling teacher and father and Hardy brooding, secretive ex-military. Luckily the actors manage to sell their roles well and the performances by the three are really strong, making a contrived set-up feel somewhat believable and rather engaging.  

Oscar Nomination: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role