I have seen my share of David Mamet movies, and when I say “David Mamet movies” I am primarily referring to those films he has written. Films such as The Untouchables, Glengarry Glen Ross, Ronin, Heist and Edmond. While there are some good things in a couple of those movies, for the most part I don’t get people’s love for David Mamet. They say how great his dialogue is and blah, blah, blah… but I can’t find anything great in films such as Edmond, which was a mess from start to finish. So, when I see a headline telling me that Mamet is readying another movie I really don’t give a shit, but here is the news.
Mamet is ready to direct from his own screenplay the film Redbelt for Sony Pictures Classics.
The film is set in the Jiu-Jitsu fight world of West Los Angeles and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a Jiu-Jitsu master who has eschewed prizefighting to operate a self-defense studio. When he is conned by a cabal of movie stars and fight promoters, he must enter the ring to fightin order to regain his honor.
Of course the casting of Chiwetel is interesting, but it still doesn’t make me interested in the movie. The movie is set to start production in May in L.A. A 2008 release is in the plans.