Peaceful Warrior (2006)

[operalover21]

Scott Mechlowicz. Nick Nolte. Amy Smart. Tim DeKay. Ashton Holmes. Paul Wesley.

Directed by Victor Salva from the book by Dan Millman.

 

Okay, I'll admit I decided to watch this movie because it was about male gymnasts. Apparently, it's a very famous and well-loved book that I have never heard of.

 

I suppose it will be a movie you'll hate or love but, somehow, I find myself in the middle. The lead actor is appealing in a nerdy jock kind of way that I can't quite explain. He's both too tall and not muscular enough to be a gymnast but that's true about the other actors in the film as well. I guess they couldn't find too many 5'6" muscular actors in Hollywood to play the parts! That's okay.

 

There's a lot of ZEN stuff going on, some fortune cookie philosophy that some might interpret as "deep" and "meaningful." Some of it is but some made me want to laugh out loud.

 

Nick Nolte is Nick Nolte doing his grizzled, wise old man routine. In the end, you're not entirely sure what is real and what is inside the characters' heads but .... it's a pleasant way to spend a couple hours. Oh, and there's lots of shirtlessness .... always a plus in movies like this.