For a long stretch, “Redbelt” (2008) employs Chiwetel Ejiofor and a stellar cast doing strong work in service to a story that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. But writer-director David Mamet is planting seeds for a stronger back half where most of it comes together in an unusual mix of Mametian con-job plot and martial-arts fight film.
The finished product is still a bizarre blend that makes me question if it’s worth the 1 hour and 40 minutes, but Ejiofor – as big-city jujitsu instructor Mike Terry – ultimately shapes “Redbelt” into a fable about finding a way out of the direst circumstances through sheer training and skill.
Ejiofor is magnetic
While all are in better films, “Redbelt” is a showcase of excellent actors, starting with the magnetic Ejiofor, who – as in “Serenity” three years prior – plays a calm, measured man with an out-of-the-ordinary moral code. Accused by his critics of being “addicted to poverty,” Mike is a rare soul who can’t be bought.
“Redbelt” (2008)
Director: David Mamet
Writer: David Mamet
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Emily Mortimer
But an elaborate con (even by Mamet’s standards) attempts to snare Mike into competing in a big-money MMA bout so everyone who conned him can collect a big payday and Mike himself can get out of the financial hole they’ve thrown him in.
Familiar faces like Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay and David Paymer are part of this complex plot, which also includes Tim Allen as a superstar actor. In Mike’s corner are Randy Couture as his cop friend, the beautiful Alice Braga as his wife whose clothing business supports his jujitsu studio, and Emily Mortimer as a jittery lawyer who was raped and has never psychologically recovered.
On one hand, “Redbelt” bites off more than it can chew with all these characters and arcs. On the other hand, there’s something to chew on in many scenes.
The film paints an appealing picture of a man and a philosophy that claims “There’s always a way out,” and makes a case for having a robust knowledge of self-defense. In an especially illustrative scene, the timid Laura (Mortimer) tries to back out of Mike’s one-on-one instruction while telling him about her rape experience. Mike calmly but firmly takes her through the steps of the assault, showing her what moves to use in order to escape.
A crazy conflict
Here’s the crazy conflict Mamet ultimately sets up: On one side are ingenious con men who would be at home in “House of Games.” On the other side is Mike, who doesn’t understand those inner workings any more than I do, but who has world-class jujitsu skills.
He’s a black belt, meaning he’s qualified to teach. The only higher rank is red belt, and “there’s only one” of those, Mike explains. This seems like a square peg/round hole situation; Mike’s skill set simply can’t get him out of a trap that’s not physical, but rather built on ingenious manipulations of the people in his life and his dire financial straits.
It’s almost like Mamet is challenging himself to write his way out of this conflict just as Mike is seeking a way out. And the solution he comes up with isn’t half bad.
I can’t say I was exactly reeling from “Redbelt’s” genre-switching from martial-arts saga to con job and back again, since it’s a very leisurely paced film. Rare for a Mamet movie, there are some wasted moments, such as time spent lingering on a bar singer’s performance. Some scenes play stiffly, including one where “New Girl’s” Jake Johnson awkwardly takes on Allen’s actor in a bar fight – although in retrospect, maybe that’s part of the con.
“Redbelt” spends too much time in “Where the heck is this going?” mode to rank among Mamet’s elite works. I wouldn’t recommend it to a casual movie viewer or even someone who enjoys fight films, as the fights are technically sound but don’t aim for spectacle. But Mamet fans should find it to be a fascinating curiosity, at least.