Redbelt - quick review

Patrick Sun · 05-10-2008, 09:14 AM

David Mamet writes and directs "Redbelt", a story about Mike Terry, who runs a jiu-jitsu training spot, and happens to save an actor from a bar beatdown, and finds his whole life turned upsidedown in ways he could have never forseen. Chiwetel Ejiofor anchors "Redbelt" with steady grace as Mike, who is honorable in his outlook with martial arts when it comes to prize-fighting (having eschewed it for his entire life), but faces such an predicament as financial times hit him hard.

Give it to Mamet to turn even this sort of story into a film with good solid dialogue and criss-crossing motives from almost everyone in the story, producing twists and turns that confuse Mike and keep the audience guessing as to how it will all unfold. The cast is solid, Mamet fans will enjoy seeing appearances from his stable of actors from Mamet's previous films and TV efforts.

Saw it last night, but after sleeping on it, I give the films 3 stars, or a grade of B.

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Michael Reuben · 05-10-2008, 09:51 AM

This opened a week ago in NYC after playing the Tribeca Film Festival.

Ejiofor has been a compelling supporting presence in a variety of films, from Serenity to Inside Man to Four Brothers. Here, though, he takes on a truly demanding lead, both physically and verbally, and he delivers on all fronts.

Don't make the mistake of going into this film looking for a con. There are crooks all around, but this isn't one of Mamet's films about deception. It's a film about honor, and at a certain point you'll probably see the end coming -- and still enjoy it when it arrives.

Mamet has always had gift for casting against type. He did it with Steve Marin in The Spanish Prisoner, and here he does it with Tim Allen as the sleazy actor that Mike Terry saves in a bar fight. There isn't a hint of comedy in Allen's portrayal. He's scarily convincing as a creep.

The film has a lot of first-timers to the Mamet world, including Emily Mortimer as an attorney with a substance abuse problem and Alice Braga (from I Am Legend) as Terry's wife. Look for Mamet regulars Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay, Vincent Guastaferro and, of course, Rebecca Pidgeon. Fans of the The Unit will immediately spot Max Martini ("Mack") in a major role, and fans of The Shield will spot Cathy Cahlin Ryan (wife of Shield creator and Unit co-creator Shawn) in a small but memorable one.

M.

Brett_M · 05-10-2008, 01:47 PM

I agree with the above to a point. As an MMA fan, I was very disappointed in the actual fighting. For me, the climax lost some steam because of it. But looking past that, the film is pretty good and worth a look if you're a fan Mamet or the actors named above. There are some great scenes in this film and it's well-acted throughout.

DaveF · 05-10-2008, 10:06 PM

I saw Red Belt tonight; my first Mamet experience. The story veers in unexpected directions. Mike Terry is an interesting character and well portrayed throughout.

But the story is made willfully cryptic: complexities are made difficult to understand. And Mike's principled stance grows tedious as it quickly feels both naive and self-destructive -- but that complexity is also part of the films appeal. Perhaps a Mamet thing, but several characters all spoke in identical, artificial machine-gun stocattos that became tiresome, pushing me out of important emotional moments. Finally, I wish the ending had been less vague.

So the movie has weaknesses. But it's interesting, a meandering, surprising story with sorrow, betrayal, and pain. It showed me a bit of competitive fighting, with which I'm wholly unfamiliar. And it illuminates the value and loss from keeping one's principles.

Elizabeth S · 05-14-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

Perhaps a Mamet thing, but several characters all spoke in identical, artificial machine-gun stocattos that became tiresome, pushing me out of important emotional moments.

Definitely a Mamet trademark. As a Mamet fan, this one wasn't one of my favorites -- if it peaked your interest in his work, though, I'd recommend "House of Games" and "The Spanish Prisoner".

Chiwetel Ejiofor is definitely a great actor, though I can't help but flash to his "Kinky Boots" role when I see him.

Michael Reuben · 05-14-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

Perhaps a Mamet thing, but several characters all spoke in identical, artificial machine-gun stocattos that became tiresome, pushing me out of important emotional moments.

As Elisabeth says, that's something of a Mamet trademark, but not as much as people think. He has whole films where no one talks like that (State and Main, for example). But there's a certain disreputable type of character who routinely pops up in Mamet's world, and they always talk that way. I don't find it more (or less) artificial than any other movie dialogue; it's just a different approach.

M.

Diallo B · 05-15-2008, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

I I wish the ending had been less vague.

why do you think the ending was vague?

i really enjoyed this movie. it really held my interest. and as far as i am concerned really didn't focus on the fighting aspect of the movie as much as the betrayals and twists in the movie.

after seeing iron man and speed racer in recent weeks this was a nice diversion before i get into the remainder of the summer ''blockbusters.''

JohnRice · 05-15-2008, 10:38 AM

I may have to wait on this one. I can only take so much Mamet and mistakenly (and unknowingly) watched two of his efforts back to back only about a week ago. First, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which I just forgot was Mamet. Then Edmond, which kept reminding me of Mamet, only to discover he wrote it. That makes for an evening of feel good movie watching.

Brett_M · 05-15-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRice

I may have to wait on this one. I can only take so much Mamet and mistakenly (and unknowingly) watched two of his efforts back to back only about a week ago. First, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which I just forgot was Mamet. Then Edmond, which kept reminding me of Mamet, only to discover he wrote it. That makes for an evening of feel good movie watching.

Mamet had no involvement with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Kelly Masterson).

DaveF · 05-15-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diallo B

why do you think the ending was vague?

Spoiler:

Diallo B · 05-15-2008, 01:29 PM

SPOILERS GALORE!!!

dave:

Spoiler:

Michael Reuben · 05-15-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diallo B

why do you think the ending was vague?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

Because I don't know what happens next.

Dave, your reaction has prompted me to think further about Redbelt, and I've ended up liking it even better. (Warning: Some of what I'm going to say may be deemed spoiler-ish.)

In comic book and fantasy films, characters act on honor and principle all the time, and no one worries too much about the kind of practical questions you've raised. They just cheer. Why should this be any different? I guess because this feels more like real life -- and I think that's exactly what Mamet was going for.

Mike Terry doesn't know what's going to happen next either, but he can't be true to himself by doing any different than what he ultimately does. The film is structured in such a way that it invites you to cheer for what Mike does, but then leaves you wondering about it afterward. Now, Diallo has offered a plausible scenario for what might happen after the final scene, and I could offer another, and no doubt so could many other viewers. But no one really knows. For at least one moment, the guys who like to control the outcome have completely lost control to a random element: Mike Terry's personal sense of honor.

To me, that's the story. The rest is kind of like the wreckage of Gotham City at the end of Batman Begins -- it'll get cleaned up somehow.

M.