The Iron Claw
"No Full Review. Holidays and stuff.
Based on the true story, "The Iron Claw" follows professional wrestler, "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), of the "<PERSON>" family, who, along with his brothers, "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), and "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), are pushed by their aggressively domineering father, "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), into the world of wrestling. While <PERSON> starts a relationship with the love of his life, "<PERSON>" (<PERSON>), he also fears the so-called "<PERSON> Curse", that he believes killed his older brother as a child. 351
As their father's obsession with winning the championship title pushes the brothers even further, <PERSON> ends up being the one to experience all of the consequences as the family experiences tragedy after tragedy after tragedy.
Written and directed by <PERSON>, "The Iron Claw" admittedly omits a few details (Such as yet another brother, "<PERSON>", who also like the rest, met a heartbreaking, undeserved fate) in favor of time or apparently just to avoid the film being more of a downer than it already is. These gripes aside, it's a well shot, realistically written, powerfully acted drama, that gets you so attached to these characters that you feel like your heart has been brutally ripped out when we reach the second half's series of saddening events. The entire cast gives their all, with <PERSON> really shining in such a unique part for him and one that he's deserved for some time, along with the always reliable <PERSON> (Who is terrifically cruel in a way that you can see any loved one being manipulated by, even when they don't even realize it themselves). I had an old lady sitting next to me, crying her heart out, along with some teenage girls who I assume just came to ogle <PERSON> and left completely distraught by how much of a tearjerker this was." 217