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Redbelt (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

You can hardly go wrong with someone who has given us the insouciant variety of Glengarry Glen Ross or Wag the Dog. Redbelt is a classic of the same cadre, hands-down the best martial arts movie you have seen in a decade, if not the very best of all time.

Without any flying dragons or crouching whatchamaycallits, mind you. Without even the guttaral shrieks of your standard issue kung-fu flick. So don't be going seeing it expecting your typical jumping jacks and shenanigans from Hong Kong.

It starts in what looks like your average ramshackle dojo teaching Brazilian Judo tricks. The authenticity of the maneuvers is instructive, and gripping. But this soon builds into a thrilling rumination of our common human tussle between staying true to our integrity and giving in to the practical conveniences of the moment.

The screenplay is vintage Mamet. We get a steady dose of one-liners ("I don't teach people to fight. I teach them to prevail.") The narrative offers some unexpected twists but exhibits a gentle unaffected beauty, an austerity that seems almost effortless. You'll watch it in one swoop.

For some inadequately explored reason Amazon and various other sources insist on billing this as a Tim Allen starrer, which is puzzling. He fritters a guest appearance at best (what happened--not enough dates?) and is basically quickly forgotten.

See it instead for the irrepressible tenacity of Ejiofor. He's one of those actors you have seen in strident supporting gigs before, but handed his first meaningful protagonist role here, he brings quite a spine to the film. His character calmly copes with the insidious commercialism and scheming all around him, but his resolve is not without its frailties. Still, we root for him from basically the first ten minutes onwards.

The ending may feel a trifle pat, or at least sudden, but this is undeniably a memorable work of art. Even for people without a flair for martial arts. A highly recommended keeper.

Spoiler Free Review...

I own every Mamet play and dvd and I found Redbelt thrilling. Mostly because he was able to craft a killer story structure. A protagonist with a noble pursuit, in the shadowy underworld of the MMA.

But like most Mamet films, this is not an action movie, it's suspense-drama.

The dialogue is brutal, and the subtext is deep. This movie hits the viewer on a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level. It's a demanding film. If you watch and you only half pay attention, when the plot twists happen, you'll be struggling to understand.

I watched this with a group of seven, half Mamet fans, half virgins. We all watched the same movie, together, and three people just didn't get it... One fan, two virgins. The other four loved it.

The video and audio quality make this one of the best looking Blu-rays. It's razor sharp, deep black, rich color. Everything looks better and sounds better in HD, and, at least for me, Mamet in HD is wicked sweet.

I highly recommend Redbelt on Blu-ray.

"Redbelt" is probably the finest martial arts film ever made, if one is looking for a combination of martial arts plus the underlying philosophy of the way of the warrior. This is not the kind of lip service paid in Bruce Lee and Steven Segal films (which I love) where the hero says that "peace is the way" and then proceeds to kill and/or maim hundreds of people. Rather it is a demonstration of the difficulty of "the way" and how being true to yourself is a struggle. But don't fret, at the end of the day, a very reluctant hero is forced into a confrontation, and the martial arts display is formidable.

The film is written and directed by David Mamet and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor with a great supporting cast that includes Tim Allen, Joe Mantega, Alice Braga, Max Martini, Ricky Jay, and MMA former champion Randy Couture.

David Mamet was twice nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe ("Wag the Dog" in 1998, "The Verdict" in 1983), was nominated by the Writer's Guild 4 times ("The Untouchables" in 1987 and "Glengarry Glen Ross" in 1992) and won a cable ACE award for "A Life in the Theatre" (1993). He produced such memorable series as "The Unit" and "The Shield".

Mamet has his own stock company that includes Joe Mantega, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Ricky Jay who appear in "Redbelt", but his other regulars are absent (e.g., William Macy, Alec Baldwin, J.T.Walsh).

- Joe Mantega is perhaps best known for his role in the great TV series "Criminal Minds", but he's given us many memorable roles in the 100+ films and TV shows in which he's appeared, including winning the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film festival for "Things Change" (1988), 3 Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. My favorite Joe Mantegna roles include Joey Zasa in "Godfather 3" (1990), Dean Martin in "The Rat Pack" (1998), and Fat Tony on "The Simpsons" Mantega appears in several Mamet films including "House of Games" (1987), "Homicide" (1991), and "Things Change" (1998) and worked with him on Broadway ("Glengarry Glen Ross"). Mantega plays the fixer for Tim Allen and does a good job, although it's hardly a big enough part for the talented Mantega.

- Ricky Jay is a grizzled face you'll recognize even if the name escapes you. He's been in more than 2 dozen films and given us memorable roles as Kurt Longjohn in "Boogie Nights" (1997), the villainous Henry Gupta in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997), and Milton the Magician in "The Prestige" (2006). He's a favorite of Mamet and appeared in "House of Games" (1987), "Homicide" (1991), "The Spanish Prisoner" (1997), "Things Change" (1998), and "Heist" (2001). Ricky Jay plays the role of a sleazy corrupt individual extremely well.

- Max Martini worked with Mamet on "The Unit" where he played Master Sgt Gerhardt (the guy whose wife cheats on him). He had small roles in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) and "The Great Raid" (2005) and has been very active in TV. Mac brings his usual intensity to the role of the policeman in "Redbelt" who is torn between his loyalty to his teacher and his loyalty to his family.

- Rebecca Pidgeon is Mamet's second wife, and appeared in several Mamet films such as "Homicide" (1991), "The Spanish Prisoner" (1997), "Things Change" (1998), "The Winslow Boy" (1999), "State and Main" (2000), and "Heist" (2001) as well as a recurring part as Charlotte Ryan in "The Unit" (2006-2009). She plays Tim Allen's wife with a cunning distain for others.

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master. He was twice nominated for a Golden Globe for his film work ("Endgame" in 2009 and "Tsunami" in 2006) and once for TV ("Kinky Boots" in 2005). He's been in more than a dozen films and he's best known for his work in "American Gangster" (2007) as Denzel Washington's brother.

We know Tim Allen from his many comedies, including the hit TV series "Home Improvement" (1991-1999) and films like "The Santa Clause" (1994) and "Toy Story" (1995). Playing a Sinatra-like celebrity would be the last thing we'd expect from Allen, but he manages to pull it off and suggests that he has some real talent for dramatic acting.

Emily Mortimer plays a lawyer who comes to form the center of Ejiofor's quest, when everything else seems to have deserted him. She played Bruce Willis' love interest in Disney's "The Kid" (2002), Clouseau's love interest in "The Pink Panther" (2006, 2009), and Alec Baldwin's love interest in "30 Rock" (2009). She manages to be both vulnerable and nonetheless anchor the Jiu-Jitsu master.

Writer/director Mamet believes the film is a samurai film in the tradition of Kurosawa. That's not exactly true, as most Kurosawa films have a lot more action and a lot less philosophy. And very few Kurosawa films have such intricate plots. In truth, the film is more of a blend of Samurai film with film noir. Leaving the comparisons aside, this is a thinking man's film and gets better with additional viewings, as the interrelationships of the characters reveal themselves in layers.

The last 10 minutes or so of the film are basically without dialogue. Mamet allows the action to unfold and tell the story. We think of Mamet as a dialogue based director and not a visual director, but in this film he shows that he can match cinema shot for shot with the best of them. What is most interesting for me is that in Mamet's 1991 book "On Directing Film" he said "The job of the film director is to tell the story through the juxtaposition of uninflected images" (p. 60). Most of his films post 1991 don't refelect this goal, but Redbelt is probably the best example Mamet has ever produced of his own methodology.

The camera work by Robert Elswit is memorable. Elswit won the Oscar for his work on "There Will Be Blood" (2007) and was nominated for "Good Night And Good Luck" (2005). He also gave us "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "8mm" (1999) among his many films.

The film is enhanced greatly by the music. Stephen Endelman has scored dozens of films, including Home of the Brave" (2006), "The Proposition" (1998), "City of Industry" (1997), and "A Bronx Tale" (1993). He was nominated for a Grammy for his work on "De-Lovely" (2004).

If you love martial arts films, or character studies, this is the film for you. Photography, music, acting, story, and direction are all excellent. If the film has any fault at all it is the relative complexity of the plot, but this minor inconvenience will not stop you from having a great experience.

Mixed Martial Arts have been in the spotlight ever since the emergence of UFC and some Hollywood films such as the Karate Kid clone "Never Back Down" (which I have also reviewed) have attempted to capitalize on its popularity. Writer/director David Mamet's "REDBELT" may well be the best U.S. filmmakers have come up with in regards to the world of Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. The film is about honor and integrity, it cleverly blends the Japanese "code of the Samurai" into the dark side of the world of corruption in competitive sports. The film offers something to think about and for martial artists, it can get under your skin.

Mike Terry (Cheitel Ejiofor) is a well-respected but struggling teacher of Jiu-Jitsu. Terry has his own code of honor and would rather be poor than to compromise his integrity, much to the dismay of his wife Sondra (Alice Braga). His life intertwines with a student/policeman, a fragile young attorney (Emily Mortimer) and a hotshot actor named Chet Frank (Tim Allen). Frank becomes a witness to Terry's fighting skills when he assists him resolve a barroom brawl, and offers him and his wife a business arrangement. However, things go from bad to worst, his ideas are stolen and certain things may well force Terry to compete for money--something he does not believe in.

Rather than focusing on dynamic, jaw-dropping action sequences, "Redbelt" is more a riveting character study of one man. The film may be simple in terms of plot and some key elements may be a little unoriginal, but the storytelling is structured well and the script does provide the necessary emotions to add to its effectiveness. The old adage; "Good Guys finish last..." may come to mind, but what that phrase doesn't complete is that "..but good guys also guarantees their soul.." and I believe in that. The film is nicely paced and the proceedings does exactly what it is trying to say. While Terry is admired by students and other folks, his strong integrity may just hamper his success when it comes to the real world of money and material needs. Mike Terry is a man torn between his principles and his obligations. I truly love his principle of "competition is not a fight, I teach my students to prevail but not necessarily to fight". I also admired Mamet's definition of what exactly a "black belt" represents philosophically and that a belt is just something to hold up your pants.

The film is a real densely executed character study and the spirit of martial arts, and of course, textbook manipulations would occur that would lead to its gripping encounter. The film does offer some of the most realistic fight sequences I've seen on camera. The moves are on display as Terry fights for his goal, although Asian martial arts films will provide a more entertaining experience. I've read that actor Cheitel Ejiofor trained in London, under Carlos Gracie in his academy, and the man definitely owned his role. This was a very good advantage as it did help the actor be more convincing in his role, since he did train in one of the best schools of Jiu-Jitsu. He knows the moves and it showed that he does, I bet the stunt coordinators appreciated this fact as it would be easier to choreograph the art's very complex moves.

REDBELT also delves into the spirit of Jiu-Jitsu as well as the way of the samurai, and it also explores the corruption of money-driven competition; "everything that involves money is fixed" (we all know this but we just tend to deny it). The film shows money-driven competition's ugly face, and it is a very bleak view that is similar to the world of boxing. Quite a real gutsy move in the part of David Mamet. Surprisingly, Tim Allen does a great job as Chet Frank, at first impression, I thought he was miscast but he fit his role. Emily Mortimer may seemed a little "doopie" in the beginning but she also contributes to the film's emotional impact. The film does have a solid cast that reflects its solid direction.

Mamet definitely knew what he wanted to do with the film, the man wants to communicate the integrity and honor of a good man in a very cynical and materialistic world and he does so; the film is structured well and the writing is sharp. The circumstances that led to Mike being pushed to a corner was convincing enough and the links between the characters were credible. The spirit of Jiu-Jitsu is treated as if it is "hallowed ground" when it is within the confines of Terry's school; men and women can find themselves inside while leaving the real world behind.

The film's climax may leave some audiences asking for more and some may even say it seems a bit too cheesy, but if you were paying attention to its entirety, it does make a fitting ending. The climactic fight that occurs outside the ring does effectively represent just what Mike Terry stands for. "RedBelt" may not have that many sequences of fisticuffs and those who are looking for an abundance of choreographed martial arts are better off looking elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a character-driven, thinking man's martial arts drama, then this film will not disappoint.

REDBELT effectively portrays the beliefs and the philosophy of martial arts. As someone often told me; "the measure of a man is not to be judged with the size of his wallet, but what he holds in his heart; if he works hard enough and never compromises his beliefs and integrity, then he is beautiful..."

Recommended! [4- Stars]

Lives intertwine in REDBELT.

Writer/Director David Mamet is used to giving scripts that are complex puzzles of life. What amazes me is this combines Martial arts with Hollywood hype. This film is a master illusion

Chiwetel (Inside Job) Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a karate teacher who gets his school window broken with a car driven by a lawyer (Pink Panther 2 Emily Mortimer). In a bar fight, He defends a Hollywood action star (Tim Allen). Then suddenly his life comes crashing down when everything starts going his way.. His brother in law (Rodrigo Santoro) is a crooked Martial arts promoter who encourage Mike to do his martial arts contest. He believes in honor, he finds out that there are factors behind the scenes that makes his life feel so dishonest and cheap

Mament's regulars David Paymer, Joe (Criminal Minds) Mategna and Ricky Jay all makes small role appearances which pivot this story. Any fan of Mament's works will understand it seems like old home week with these actors in small roles

This film make seem like a martial arts Rocky with a mix of Someone Likes Me Up There. However it is like an enigma puzzle that we piece together with our antihero hero. At the end, the message is clear, our hero wins respect and justice

This is what good filmmaking is all about. This film is not a feel good drama, but you will feel the emotions of great filmmaking at work

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Honor. Respect. Family.

To many, the aforementioned words elicit thoughts of Asian culture or perhaps the military. In the disciplined world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), however, the words stand for a code that is as important as life itself. As an instructor of BJJ, Mike Terry (Cheitel Ejiofor) takes the responsibilities and obligations very seriously.

When Mike begins to face financial and marriage difficulties, and his Jui Jitsu academy faces the possibility of closure, he stands strong by his principles. Even as adversity increases, he remains ever vigilant. Eventually, however, he catches a small break when he helps out a movie star named Chet Frank (Tim Allen) getting beaten up in a bar fight.

Chet soon invites Mike to his opulent home, and at the end of the evening Bob tells the story of his training with handicap regimen. The principle is simple: there are black and white marbles - draw a white one and you get to fight without handicap, draw a black one and you may be without the usage of an appendage for a fight. This idea is pure drama, but a gimmick for a fight promoter friend of Chet's, and it's only a matter of time before the idea is stolen and true animosity is developed. As troubles mount in Mike's world, he decides to sue for copyright infringement, setting the stage for the struggle between ones finances and ones principles. Mike is forced to reluctantly sacrifice his principles, the lessons of self-defense and nobility he holds so dear, in order to save the family, students, and Brazilian Jui Jitsu code by which he shapes his life's philosophy.

Red Belt is true to its goal. Whereas Mike struggled with what was right and what was financially expedient, so too must have the producers of this movie. Principle was not bent or broken, and the creators can truly feel good about the product they have created. There are no ridiculous high-flying maneuvers, no toe-to-toe slugfest; in fact, as an avid fan of Mixed Martial Arts and BJJ, from what I can tell there was a definite technical expertise to the movie. And, despite the fact that a one-arm MMA fighter would stand nearly no chance against another similarly trained fighter who is at full capacity, the rest of the movie is nearly flawless, especially the powerful yet meditative performance from Ejiofor).

Highly recommended for fight fans, and extremely highly rated for MMA fans.

Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) runs a martial-arts studio, always emphasizing the arts' use being rooted in self defense only. He has a reputation as a passivist, but his honor is tested when a series of events back him against a wall. He is played like a fool and has to regain his honor and come up with enough money to pay off his debts.

This was not your typical martial-arts movie -- well, it wasn't really a martial-arts movie at all. Sure Terry is a teacher, and the movie involves a competition, but the movie is more about the web woven by writer and director David Mamet. The plot is mainly about the trouble Terry suddently finds himself in with no feasible way out and the jiu-jitsu is used almost like a prop. I enjoyed how each of the characters became involved, voluntarily or otherwise. Each player was a pawn in the game. I enjoyed this movie only for what it could have been. In execution, it was a weak effort.

And while David Mamet may be known for his obscure plots and confusing endings, this movie left much to be desired by way of substance. It was VERY rushed and moved too quickly. To defend the pace, the ideas were not that complex and required little to set them in motion. But the movie could have easily been given some depth and lengthened. I feel that this story could have been better sold to HBO or someone as a mini-series rather than a stand-alone movie. There were many characters that warranted more attention than they were given, but before you knew it, the movie was over.

Maybe Mamet was trying to capitalize on the popularity surge that mixed martial arts has enjoyed recently. I fall in with the crowd that has made MMA fighting something to watch. I have to admit that I was disappointed in the lack of fight scenes.

I was really surprised on just how great this movie was. I'm a huge mma fan and if you are too you can tell from the previews of movies like never back down etc will just be cheesy etc. but I had read a couple reviews on this movie that it was good so figured I'd give it a rent on regular dvd. After watching it I'll be buying it on blu-ray now it's that good. gut-wrenching at times and really surprised that anyone could make such a good movie in the mma world theme. anyone who doesn't watch this is missing out on a epic movie in the mma world. give it a go.

Dumb Dumb Dumb (like 95% of all Mamet films)-- but a lot more fun. ("Spartan" was fun in the same stupid way). The Pure Being against the world of corruption- with his trademark "hyperreal" dialogue sounding as stilted as the ridiculous plot. Welcome to Mametworld,

You always know a Mamet film-- often unwatchable, they bear practically no resemblance to the world or people as we know it-- that would get in the way of his story "technique"-- and actually requires a little humility and talent for filmmaking. (His plays are another story). But if one goes along with the ridiculous contrivances and psuedo-philosophical macho gobbledygook-- you can still have a good time.

The always excellent Chiwetel Ejiofor, a newcomer to his rep company manages to avoid most of the pitfalls (never underestimate a classically trained British actor- they know how to protect themselves) and gives an enjoyable performance not too constrained by story holes you can drive an Amtrak through and characters you'd like to drive an Amtrak through.

Enjoyed the fight and class sequences - a sense of body on body without excessive technical amplification.

Anytime I can watch a Mamet film without being in pain is a plus.

***1/2

In David Mamet's "Redbelt," Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is the proprietor of a mixed-martial-arts academy, who - ironic for a business-owner - is opposed on principle to entrepreneurship and competition. This drives Sondra (Alice Braja), his wife and business partner, crazy because she is the one forced to deal with the financial consequences of such an attitude. When he comes to the aid of a movie star who's caught up in a bar fight, the actor he rescues makes Terry a co-producer on the film he's shooting. But just as things are looking up for Terry, a complex series of events - involving loan sharks, game-fixing, and conspiracies to defraud - threatens to undermine the married couple's financial security, leaving Terry with only one viable option: to agree to fight in a tournament despite his ethical aversion to competing for money.

Once you get past the credibility-defying notion of comedian Tim Allen as a world-famous action star and the rather murky nature of the storytelling, you'll be treated to a subtle and thoughtful look at just how principled a man can afford to be in a world where unscrupulous, immoral and amoral people hold the reins of power - and where good people are often at their mercy.

Typical of Mamet, the characters speak in roundabout riddles, often talking at cross purposes to one another and frequently leaving questions hanging in the air unanswered. This can make the movie hard to follow at times, but it is also what makes it challenging and interesting to watch in the long run.