Warrior<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\nI went and saw it the other night (got tix to a preview) and I really liked it. It\u2019s the story of two estranged brothers and their reformed alcoholic father (very well played by Nick Nolte, who inhabits the role). Both sons, for very different reasons, enter a mixed martial arts championship and have to fight their way through a punishing series of battles. Consequently, it is, at one level, an \u201caction movie\u201d with well-choreographed fight scenes that left my wife (whose father was a boxer from the age of 5 in the hardscrabble existence of Depression-era Idaho) a bit squeamish. <\/p>\n
At it\u2019s heart though, this is a film about redemption, forgiveness, and mercy which doesn\u2019t pull its punches about just how screwed-up a family can get. The younger brother is not unlike the Prodigal Son, except he has every reason to wish his father dead. His father carries his back-breaking penance for his crimes against his family with the dignity of Job. And the (departing from the parable) the older brother labors to save his family in a flawed but sincere way.<\/p>\n
It resolves in an anguished and beautiful way, which I won\u2019t spoil for you. My son\u2019s verdict on the (emphatically PG-13) film was \u201cThat\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve ever been brought to tears by a film about people beating the crap out of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
I like it. Go see it. I think it\u2019s as good as, if not better, than \u201cRocky\u201d. <\/p>\n