Redbelt (2008)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

9 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

There's always a way out. You just have to find it.

Plot:

A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though he refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition.

Plot Keywords:

Mixed Martial Arts | Soldier | Family Relationships | Martial Arts Coach | Jujitsu

Cast

Max Martini	...	Joe Collins
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Mike Terry
Alice Braga	...	Sondra Terry
Jose Pablo Cantillo	...	Snowflake
Emily Mortimer	...	Laura Black
Cathy Cahlin Ryan	...	Gini Collins
Luciana Souza	...	Singer in Bar
Cyril Takayama	...	The Magician (as Cyril Takata)
Scott Barry	...	Billy the Bartender
Ricky Jay	...	Marty Brown
Randy Couture	...	Dylan Flynn
John Machado	...	Ricardo Silva
Rodrigo Santoro	...	Bruno Silva
Ricardo Wilke	...	Eduardo
Caroline de Souza Correa	...	Monica

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #43844) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Sony Pictures Classics

Trivia:

Ed O'Neill's practice of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu partially inspired Mamet to write the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mike is on Chet's set during the knife demonstration, the knife fighters shirt first appears to be clean. When the camera shot changes it becomes sweaty in the front and back, and when the camera changes again it appears to be clean.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mike Terry: Tie him up.
[to class]
Mike Terry: The hands are not the issue. The fight is the issue. The battle is the issue. Who imposes the terms of the battle will impose the terms of the peace. Think he has a handicap? No. The other guy has a handicap if he cannot control himself. You control yourself, you control him.
[to student]
Mike Terry: Take him to court.

Movie Connections:

References Titanic (1997)

Deceptive David Mamet's Movie

The idealistic instructor of jujitsu Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) refuses to compete in the ring for principle and is training the promising fighter and police officer Joe Collins (Max Martini). When the stressed lawyer Laura Black (Emily Mortimer) stumbles in his academy in a rainy night, she accidentally shots Joe's pistol breaking the front window. Mike and Joe do not report the incident, and Mike's wife Sondra (Alice Braga) tells him that they do not have money to repair the window. Mike seeks Sondra's brother in a bar to raise a loan, but he does not find his brother-in-law; he befriends the actor Chet Frank (Tim Allen) after rescuing him in a fight in the bar. Chet invites Terry and Sondra for a dinner party at his home and gives a golden watch as a gift. Mike gives the watch to Joe for pawning, but the watch is stolen and Joe gets in trouble in the police. Meanwhile Mike's idea of fight with handicap is stolen by a group of gamblers and Sondra raises a debt of US$ 30,000.00 for an unsuccessful business with Chet's wife. Without other option, Mike decides to fight in the ring to raise the necessary money to pay his debts.

"Redbelt" is a deceptive movie of the great writer and director David Mamet. The plot, about corruption in fight and a man with principles that is forced to go to the ring to pay for the debts of his wife is confused and apparently inconsistent. Mike does not fight because he finds it degrading; however, he prepares Joe for the competition. The participation of Chet Frank in the plot is also a complete mess. In the end, I saw a great cast wasted in a terrible screenplay. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Cinturão Vermelho" ("Red Belt")