Redbelt

This kicked a$$!!! Maybe because it's David Mamet, maybe because it's a great cast, but this is the thinking man's martial arts film! Yes, it's an action film, but the layers keep peeling in every scene and has a surprising yet lukewarm ending. I may have to go out and buy this one.

Jacket: "Redbelt is the story of Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Jiu-Jitsu master who has avoided the prize fighting circuit, choosing instead to pursue an honorable life by operating a self-defense studio with a samurai's code.

An accident on a dark, rainy night at Terry's studio between an off-duty office and a distraught lawyer (Emily Mortimer) puts in motion a series of events that will change Terry's life dramatically, introducing him to a world of promoters and movie star Chet Frank. Faced with this, in order to pay off his debts and regain his honor, Terry must step into the ring for the first time in his life."

Wikipedia: "Los Angeles Times film critic Carina Chocano described the film as "tricky and engrossing" and "a contemporary noir with a samurai movie interior." Chocano wrote, "Ejiofor brings a calm magnetism and a beatific serenity to his roles that have the effect of knocking you flat -- there's something about this guy that's messianic." Chocano said Tim Allen's performance was restrained. Chocano wrote "the noir puzzle element is central to the story" and "suffice it to say things get complicated", saying "much of the pleasure is in the surprises."^[18]

In The Weekly Standard, Sonny Bunch wrote that the film's "heart is not in the twists and turns [...] but a careful character study of a man who lives a life based on honor, and the corrupting influence of money." Bunch said it "takes lack of exposition to a new extreme [...] How does Mamet tell us about Terry's character? Very subtly. Throughout the film we get hints about Terry's life [...] Mamet challenges us to figure out for ourselves what's going on in Terry's head."^[20]"