Last night I had a ticket to see a screening of “The Change-Up.” Last time I went to a screening at the Landmark, not too many people showed up. So, I thought I would grab some dinner and then get to the theatre an hour before the movie and I would be good. Well…I was wrong. The line was wrapping around the bridge. So, I was not confident I would make it in. I ended up making it to the front of the line. There were about 10 people in front of me, and they announced the screening was full.
There was another screening for the movie “Warrior.” I didn’t know anything about it, but they offered us in line to go to that screening because there were open seats. I looked it up really fast on IMDB and saw a picture of what looked like boxing. So, I thought “why not? I liked ‘The Fighter’ and ‘Rocky.’ I might as well give this one a try since I was here already.”
I got in, and the theatre was pretty full, but being there solo I was able to find a seat in the top middle. Before the film they gave away door prizes, which I had not entered for since I was “late to the party.” They also gave away a bunch of t-shirts. People were going crazy over t-shirts!
Here’s a quick synopsis of the film:
A young man comes back to his hometown to face his alcoholic father after leaving as a teenager with his mother. He was a wrestling champion in high school and decides to get back into the sport through MMA ( Mixed Martial Arts). His brother, who stayed with the father, but is now estranged, was also a wrestler. He is now married with a family and is a school teacher. After being suspended from his teaching job, he decides to get back into the sport through MMA as well.
If I had known this film was centered around MMA, I probably wouldn’t have gone to see it. MMA is a hard sport for me to watch. I wish someone had a camera on me while I was watching the movie during the fighting scenes. It would have been hilarious. I tend to cover and close my eyes. I can deal a little more with boxing because it is mainly punching. But when you add body slamming and kicking, it takes it to a whole other level.
Gavin O’Connor is the director. The film I am most familiar with of his is “Miracle,” which is a film I really enjoyed. So, I was confident somewhat with his capabilities of showcasing a sport film. But what made this film was the emotional story of this dysfunctional and for the most part disconnected family. And watching them struggle to be at peace with the past and move on into the future.
Nick Nolte, who plays Paddy Conlon, the recovering alcoholic father, did an amazing job. For some reason I wasn’t expecting too much from him, but he did great. I dare say he gives an Oscar worthy performance.
Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play the Conlon brothers. Totally opposites and both great characters played by two smaller actors.
It is hard to write this review without mentioning the end. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but it’s a good one. I wanted more at the end. Which, most of the time is the sign of a good film.
There were parts of the film I felt could have been a little better. Some scenes were confusing because there was backstory that had not been revealed yet. And some of the transitions of scenes were abrupt. But it had a great score/soundtrack. Which is always a vital part for me in a film.
I would recommend seeing “Warrior.” Not sure if it is good enough to see in the theaters. But if you are a couple and your husband/boyfriend loves MMA, this may be a good one to go to, because it also has the family drama the ladies will be into 🙂
Until next time…PEACE OUT!
The One... 