Chris Sullivan pops along to watch a screening of new movie release, Warrior, and finds it a bit of a mixed bag...
Warrior tells the rather simple tale of two estranged and very different brothers who take part in Sparta, the world’s biggest cage fighting tournament in Atlantic City.
Unlike many of the reviewers who, by informing me of the climax, almost scuppered the picture, I will only tell you that the two brothers separated when, Brendan, played by Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, Ned Kelly) now a physics teacher, went with their former alcoholic and physically abusive boxer pa, while the other, Tom, rendered by the great Tom Hardy (Bronson, Inception) is a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and stuck with his ma.
Rather like Cain and Abel the former is a level headed calm kind of chappie while the latter is as big a bag of nasty brooding fucked in the head malevolence as one might ever care to meet.
And it must be said that Hardy rises to the role and delivers a performance that is simply astonishing in every single way. In truth he makes the movie and must be odds on fave for an Oscar. And it’s not only his physique - that must’ve taken at least six hours a day of heavy gym workout plus a tump of steroids - that stands out, it is also his demeanor.
'It is as corny as Rocky and just as unfeasible'
We’ve all met utterly mean and nasty individuals just like the man he plays. Chaps who possess not one redeeming feature other than they will kill at the drop of a hat and what’s more love it and Hardy (who apparently is rather a nice fellow) has that look in the eyes. The dead look. The one that’s nigh on impossible to fake. But Hardy seems to easily fit the space allowed such a man - if not a little uncomfortably.
And then there’s Edgerton. I knew people like him too. Boxers I trained with who were as nice as pie but worked harder than anyone else, learned their craft and beat the animals. Still it’s hard to believe that Edgerton is able to defeat some of the monsters he comes up against in this film. It just doesn’t wash. In fact most of the film doesn’t either.
It is as corny as Rocky and just as unfeasible. It is hopelessly maudlin and disgustingly patriotic (in one scene about a hundred or so marines turn up in uniform next to each other in one stand and sing the national anthem!!) and yet, as with Rocky, I am unable to condemn it whole-heartedly. The fight scenes are excellent, Hardy is superb and there are some truly great moments. Maybe go see it and take it with a shovel of salt. I did.
'Hardy is superb and there are some truly great moments'
After the screening it was off to the opening of the new Spencer Hart flagship store opposite Claridge’s. The menswear brand is the brainchild of my old pal Nick Hart who is the man who pioneered the thin lapel jazzy rat pack skinny tie look years before the High Streets got hold of it and has clothed the likes of David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Kanye West, Usher and Duran Duran.
Indeed the event was full of his clients such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Massive Attack and Brett Anderson of Suede and a good time, lavishly lubricated by Billecart Salmon champagne, was had by all.
A quite gorgeous shop, with it’s unimpeachable bebop jazz drifting out of the sound system, marvelously understated mufti and beautiful original sixties furniture – it is too excruciatingly tasteful for words. On the way home I had a chicken kebab with extra chilli sauce. Bloomin' marvellous.
Warrior opens in the UK on September 23
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