REDBELT-2008

Director : David Mamet

Writer : David Mamet

Genre : MMA/Action/Drama

Running time: 99 mins

Cast : Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alice Braga, Tim Allen, Emily MortimerRicky Jay, Rebecca Pigeon

   Redbelt is one of the better MMA films Ive seen yet, it stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Terry, a Jiu-Jitsu instructor who has always stayed clear of the prize fighting circuit, believing that "Competition weakens the fighter". Instead, he runs a self-defence studio with his wife Sondra (Alice Braga) who is a complete hottie, here he teaches his students to control their emotions and encourages them to apply the same skills to their everyday lives. However, an accident involving an off duty cop (Max Martini) and a fear laden lawyer (Emily Mortimer) sparks off a series of events that lands an already financially strapped Terry in a lot of debt. So when he's approached by a movie star (Tim Allen) and a sleazy movie producer (Joe Mantegna) with an offer to fight the circuit, he comes to the overall conclusion that this maybe his  only way out,  is to step into the ring.
  The overall acting and casting  in this film is pretty good for a fight film,  Chiwetel Ejiofor is fast becoming one of Britain's best actors, he gives a brilliant performance here, anchoring the film and keeping a cool head, even when there's chaos all around him. There's also strong support from Braga, Mortimer and the usual cast of Mamet regulars (Mantegna, Rebecca Pidgeon and Ricky Jay as a underhanded fight promoter, while Tim Allen plays it darker than usual as troubled movie star Chet Frank.
   Unfortunately, having set everything in motion for a huge fight  finale, it turns out that Mamet's not actually interested in that element of the story at all. As a result, the climax like the overal  STORY is both confusing and disappointing there's something going on all right, but the script gives you no clue as to what it might be and you're left wondering if it's not just Mamet indulging in Mamets world, something thats found in a lot of his work.  Redbelt is worth seeing for Ejiofor's and some of the other actors performance's, but  Mamet's story fails to engage and the end result is disappointing.

Don't expect a BIG FIGHT at the end of this one.

 5/10 Stars