Great acting, horrible script !
Nolte, Hardy, Edgerton - all great actors with great performances, but the story was so terribly clichéd that I lost all interest in the characters - apart from the fact that you knew the outcome after the first 15 minutes. All the details added later on did not change the expected ending.
Since a movie is mainly a narrative, the story / plot is the basic element on which my evaluation of a good movie is based; acting, cinematography, music, editing etc. can turn a good movie into an excellent one. Unfortunately, this was not the case here, because the foundation was (figuratively speaking) rotten and plain silly.
My (personal) problem is the glorification of violence - even if it is disguised as "sport". But my problems with the script would have been the same even if the two brothers played golf.
If you enjoyed the movie and had a good time - good for you. It's just my humble opinion.
Nali