Redbelt

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Emily Mortimer
Directed by: David Mamet
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A martial arts instructor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) befriends an actor (Tim Allen) after saving him during a bar fight. However, the friendship creates a series of problems for him, leaving him no choice but to enter the Mixed Martial Arts ring.

Review:

Tim: This is a movie that I really wanted to like, and I tried very hard. While I didn’t hate this movie, it suffers from a few flaws so fatal that it is hard to have good thoughts about it. I felt a great deal of disappointment, because this movie does so much right, yet all of that is squandered by a silly ending and some poor plot twists. I felt like this movie wasn’t sure exactly what it wanted to be—and as a result, it is a bit confusing.

This film sets us up to be disappointed because parts of it are absolutely great. Chiwetel Ejiofor is amazing in his role. I completely loved his character and his portrayal of that character. It was so interesting to see a man who lived by his own code, and who would sacrifice to uphold that code. His soft-spoken, loyal, honorable man is such a terrific character. I had so much fun watching him, and I was rooting for him 100%. I also loved the casting of Tim Allen. This was a stroke of genius. It was so enjoyable to see him in something other than a silly, forgettable comedy. I thought he did a commendable job. I was also impressed with Emily Mortimer, who is always good, but added a great deal to this movie. I liked the setting of a martial arts academy, and I even bought into the Hollywood scenes of the movie. For the first hour, I was completely engaged and thoroughly entertained.

However, that is when the film takes an unexpected turn from which it will never recover. Now, this plot twist is done fairly well, and although I was confused for a while, I don’t entirely hate it. Suddenly, the film took on a whole new meaning, and I realized I had no idea what kind of movie I was watching. I still bought it, especially in regards to the commentary on the suffering an honorable man will face in a dishonorable world. The movie perfectly sets us up for our hero to engage in a MMA tournament.

This is when the film finally falls apart. I tried to overlook the absurd suicide because of the powerful underlying message. However, the big climactic fight scene we’ve been waiting for never materializes. I can even deal with this, but the final comment about the redbelt is just too much. I have thought long and hard about this, and I completely understand where director David Mamet is coming from and what he’s trying to do. It just doesn’t work anywhere close to how effectively it could have been done. Instead of smacking the ball out of the park, Mamet’s film fizzles out in the end, leaving the audience wondering, “Is that it?” Then, at the end, you see how much of an impact the film’s flaws had on it.

Redbelt is a movie that I actually worked to try to understand and appreciate. While I eventually understood it, I just can’t appreciate the effort for the failure. Mamet tried to give us a great film, but this isn’t even very good. Had the script been written better and the direction a little better, I could have easily loved this movie. However, as is, this is a supremely flawed film whose weaknesses almost eclipse all of its strengths. In the end, I felt silly and foolish for trying to enjoy this movie, and naïve in thinking this could be great.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Inside Man, American Gangster, Four Brothers