Redbelt
Written and Directed by David Mamet
Set in the west-side Los Angeles fight world, a world inhabited by bouncers, cage-fighters, cops, and special forces types, Redbelt is the story of Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Jiu-jitsu master who has avoided the prize fighting circuit, choosing to instead pursue an honorable life by operating a self defense studio with a samaurai's code.
Terry and his wife Sondra (Alice Braga) struggle to keep the business running to make ends meet. An accident on a dark, rainy night at the Academy between an off duty officer (Max Martini) and a distraught lawyer (Emily Mortimer) puts in motion a series of events that will change Terry's life dramatically introducing him to a world of promoters (Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna) and movie stars (Tim Allen). Faced with this, in order to pay off his debts and regain his honor, Terry must step into the ring for the first time in his life.
Member Reviews
It's not bad until the last 10-15 minutes - rnhaas
This is an interesting film for much of its runtime. As usual, there is clearly something else going on, but we don't know what it is. It seems like he is almost commenting on his own genre, once the explanation comes out. But then there is this bizarre climax after the anti-climax that I really can't get my head around. The tone changes and I just don't like it.Exploration of Honour - zaakistan
Veteran screenwriter David Mamet directs another contemplative film. Honour is something that is often quickly sacrificed in western culture in order to cash in or avoid responsibility. When a Japanese understanding of the concept confronts Los Angeles culture, we quickly see the power honour has to influence others and the difficulty one has to perserve it.
Mike Terry owns a jujitsu club and teaches the martial art to his devoted students. As a principle, he has decided to avoid using his mastery of the art in competition as he believes it weakens the fighter, but when his life begins to unravel, one competitive fight could turn it all around.
Mamet's characters do not often seem to be multi-dimensional as they seem to personify issues more than complex people. I don't see this as a deficiency, just a unique and strong way of exploring issues.Spoofing Another Film Genre, Mamet's Speciality - CharleyJames
It’s always fun to watch David Mamet Mametize another film genre: The heist picture (Heist), the war movie (Spartan), and now, in Redbelt, the go-for-it sports drama. How’s Mamet’s Rocky? Fast. Lively. In your face. Very watchable. And, like its predecessors, so bizarrely convoluted it barely holds together. But the underpinnings are consistent.
As Mamet evolved into a confident, resourceful director, his view didn’t budge. What changed is that his heroes manage to protect themselves from life’s inevitable betrayals.
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a jujitsu instructor. The opening gives Mamet a chance to do his specialty: The character that intones lessons for combat that end up being lessons for life, a series of power struggles. This time the protagonist has an Eastern tilt.
Ejiofor is a great Mamet spokesman. He internalizes the lines — he internalizes everything — so you’re not aware of all the finicky punctuation. Like Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog, he can speak of the spirit and honor of the samurai without making me long for John Belushi.
Early on, we learn that Mike has never fought competitively and he’s short of money, a source of irritation for his sex-bomb wife (Alice Braga). It’s no surprise that he ends up preparing for battle but the road to the ring is rich in sudden reversals. Should you ever wake up in Mamet Land, here are a few tips: Movie stars and their agents will bestow instant money and power, and withdraw them just as fast. Wives and girlfriends will always go for the mother lode. Joe Mantegna is not to be trusted. Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet’s wife) is especially not to be trusted.
For a change, Mamet gives us a guileless woman (Emily Mortimer), and Mortimer and Ejiofor make an irresistible Rocky and Adrian. The final fisticuffs are good, although everything around them is preposterously bad.
I wish Mamet had tried sci-fi: Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Rebecca Pidgeon distributing pods.
Member Reviews
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It's not bad until the last 10-15 minutes - rnhaas
This is an interesting film for much of its runtime. As usual, there is clearly something else going on, but we don't know what it is. It seems like he is almost commenting on his own genre, once the explanation comes out. But then there is this bizarre ...Exploration of Honour - zaakistan
Veteran screenwriter David Mamet directs another contemplative film. Honour is something that is often quickly sacrificed in western culture in order to cash in or avoid responsibility. When a Japanese understanding of the concept confronts Los Angeles culture, ...Spoofing Another Film Genre, Mamet's Speciality - CharleyJames
It’s always fun to watch David Mamet Mametize another film genre: The heist picture (Heist), the war movie (Spartan), and now, in Redbelt, the go-for-it sports drama. How’s Mamet’s Rocky? Fast. Lively. In your face. Very watchable. And, like its predecessors, ...