GRADE: A-

The best thing about Warrior is that we finally have a movie that might just make those Ed Hardy t-shirt-wearing, blowout haircut, tattooed muscle men cry in theaters. I say this because I witnessed it first hand at Warrior. Before the trailers played, the man sitting in front of me dressed like a long-lost member of the Jersey Shore said to his girlfriend, “I’m just here for the ass-kicking.” 75 minutes later I peek over the seat and he is crying his eyes out. Why? Because Warrior is a heart-breaking drama that manages to be uplifting at the same time.

The film balances two gripping stories about brothers living their own lives. Both are bent out of shape for different reasons. Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) is battling an army of inner demons, headlined by his father’s (Nick Nolte) shadowy past as an alcoholic. Meanwhile, Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) is just trying to get his life together and save his house, which is scheduled for foreclosure. The money isn’t coming in as a school teacher, so he gets back in the ring. The general story of Warrior is nothing new. It’s essentially Rocky split into two separate narratives that collide in the end. Then again, most sports movies explore related narratives. You’ve even got a Russian fighter iconic in his country who comes to the U.S. for his first stateside bout. Ring a bell?

By the end of the film, you want both Tommy and Brendan to win the title. But as any great film does, it puts you in a position to choose. Both are fighting for worthy “causes” and no matter what there is something good in the result. But when it comes down to the inevitable championship fight between the two, you can’t help but feel torn. Yet, in the midst of it all, you somehow know who is going to win. If you’ve seen a sports drama before, you know who is going to win. It may be slight, but there is still a discernible difference between the good guy and the better guy.

While the MMA twist is welcome for its ridiculous violence and “awww damn!” moments in the ring, the movie’s strength is in its drama. Warrior is in its own fight with the audience, constantly trying to push them beyond their own comfort levels. While their childhood memories remain mysterious, clearly the brothers experienced some seriously traumatic events at the hand of their drunkard father. And they take out these frustrations on him by either neglecting him completely or getting right in his face. It’s hard to watch these characters go around filled with so much hate for an entire film. The misery is palpable and yes Paddy Conlon (Nolte) continues to force himself back into his sons’ lives with only the best of intentions. It’s just sad, and it breaks your heart to see even the worst of men reduced to such a pitiful act of groveling.

The only question that remains after seeing Warrior is where it might end up at this year’s Oscars. There are plenty of other films that we know will take precedent over it in the final votes. But Warrior is as strong a film as any this year. It might not be your favorite of the year. It may not even be your favorite sports movie of the year (echem, Moneyball), but it deserves a place in the Academy Awards. More importantly, the performances deserve a place there as well. In what could amount to be one of the best Supporting Actor crops in recent memory, Nick Nolte deserves a place in it. While he shines on the performance side, it is Tom Hardy that steals the show.

Tom Hardy is a monster. We saw him bare all and beat the living shit out of people in Bronson, but that film also showcased his amazing acting talent. In Warrior, he is terrifying. Certain moments, especially in the final fight, he epitomizes intensity. Imagine being in the ring with a rabid gorilla that just found out you slept with his gorilla wife. That’s about what it looked like. And all this time, while completely immersed in the story of Warrior, I couldn’t help but think, “Holy shit, Tom Hardy is going be an amazing Bane.” If we take only one thing from Warrior, it is that The Dark Knight Rises is going to have one badass villain.

What Should You Do? If you like sports movies, or simply just a story filled with expertly crafted drama, get out and see Warrior.