Warrior (2011)

Jack and I watched this DVD because it got Nick Nolte a nomination in this year's geezer race (more on that later) and it's good but he doesn't have a big scene that we could pinpoint for the nomination. He plays the 1000-days-sober dad of two men who return to mixed martial arts for various reasons and have to reunite with their father and each other after long estrangements. Nolte is convincing, and perhaps the academy thought it was his time (nominated twice before for The Prince of Tides (1991) and Affliction (1997), he was also great in (here are my favorites) Heart Beat (1980), Cannery Row (1982), 48 Hrs. (1982), Down & Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Cape Fear (1991), Mulholland Falls (1996), After Glow (1997), Trixie (2000), Hulk (2003 - the Eric Bana one), and Hotel Rwanda (2004)), though I suspect Christopher Plummer will get the Oscar. I call it the geezer race because, while Jonah Hill (29) and Kenneth Branagh (51) are among the Supporting Actor nominees, the others are Nolte (71 yesterday), Plummer (82), and Max von Sydow (82). Nolte was also nominated for this role by the Screen Actors' Guild and Critics' Choice Awards.

The sons are played with much intensity by Joel Edgerton (he's been in a lot of things, most of which I haven't seen, but my favorite is the hilarious Kinky Boots (2005)) and Tom Hardy (known best in this country for Inception, plus he was in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). Hardy is British and his American accent is a little off, but Edgerton, who's Australian, has his down pat. I also like Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron in House on Fox and Emma in Once Upon a Time on ABC) who plays Edgerton's wife.

Director Gavin O'Connor (I meant to see his Tumbleweeds (1999)) worked with Cliff Dorfman (worked on some episodes of Entourage) on the story and screenplay as well as Anthony Tambakis (a writing professor and novelist, he makes his feature debut with this). O'Connor is also in a few scenes as the promotor of the big match at the end--you knew there had to be a big fight at the end, right?

The wonderful composer Mark Isham (I last covered him in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans) gives us suspenseful tunes (listen here and continue with anything with the same picture), many with a Beethoven theme, because one of the trainers believes it helps his fighters.

If you want to catch up to all the nominated movies, check this out, but be forewarned, there's fighting and blood. Rottentomatoes' critics gave it 83% and audiences 92%.