Warrior

Gavin O'Connor directed this not unfamiliar story of boxing/martial arts brothers who inevitably must confront each other and the demons of their pasts. While the story may remind some of last year's hit "The Fighter," the acting by Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy help to make their characters interesting. Edgerton plays a high school teacher who goes back to his fighting past in order to save his house. Hardy is the younger brother and a returning vet from Iraq, who has his own hardships. In the middle of it all is their recovering-alcoholic father (a terrific Nick Nolte), who wants to make amends after all these years. He is met with skepticism by both brothers. It is the family dynamic that makes "Warrior" an emotionally satisfying experience, and one of the best acted films of the year!