Redbelt

"My father made money, my brothers make money, and you are somehow too pure. You're too pure to compete."

****

Film noir meets the world of mixed martial arts in this David Mamet written & directed movie. I love me a good film noir, so this one seemed right up my alley…and it didn’t disappoint at all. I really got into this film. The movie centers on a jujitsu instructor, played by the incredibly talented Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk to Me, Kinky Boots, American Gangster), his failing martial arts studio…and a chain of events that is set off when a troubled woman comes in one night from the rain looking for help. It’s a film about one mans struggle to remain ‘pure’ despite a world around him that seems to turn on an impure axis…and how sometimes one has to step outside of oneself…or, in other words, do what seems like the ‘wrong’ thing at the time…in order to do the right thing in the end.

Great dialogue, interesting three dimensional characters, cool (but so-so) plot and top notch acting from many of the players (not including the real MMA fighters (but they weren't terrible either) or Ricky Jay’s delivered-by-cue-card performance of a shady promoter) make this one a nice little nugget of a movie. And for fans of MMA, I’m a ‘mild’ fan myself, the fight sequences, of which there are about 4 or 5, are all done very well, and add to the ‘edge of your seat’ element that goes hand in hand with film noir. Instead of Bogey beating up some tough in an alley…we’ve got two dudes clutching and grabbing inside an arena…but it works.

It may not be classic film noir…but as a modern hybrid, it was very compelling…and it was nice to watch an entertaining, well written film who’s twists and plot devices reveled themselves naturally, sometimes in the shadows, rather than be presented on a silver platter (complete with sappy soundtrack!) like many films do.

I hesitate to call 'Redbelt' a great film, because its not...but it gets **** because for me, it hit the right buttons and left me with a smile on my face.

Cool flick!