NOTE: You can also check out our audio review of Redbelt right here.
Everyone loves David Mamet for his ability to write dialogue. That’s what you will hear from just about everyone that praises one of his films. Personally I have never been too fond of anything of Mamet’s. I know people love Glengarry Glen Ross for its dialogue, but not me. Heist was a’ight, but nothing I would ever want to revisit. Perhaps I just haven’t explored enough of his earlier work to have an overall opinion, but I can say if he was good before it has certainly worn off.
Redbelt is Mamet’s first film in four years as a director and his first screenplay in three. While I can say it is definitely better than the screenplay he wrote for 2005’s Edmond as well as better than 2004’s Spartan, it is a film that sets itself up beautifully only to disappoint big in the end.
The continually rising star that is Chiwetel Ejiofor pretty much proves with this outing there isn’t a role he cannot play. Here he plays Mike Terry, a Jiu-Jitsu instructor with his own style of teaching. He respects the art of Jiu-Jitsu and through family relationships and circumstance we find out he believes competition is not what it should be used for. Self-defense is his motto, but as the story plays out in one of the most implausible ways imaginable obviously Mike is going to have to decide whether he sticks to what he believes in or gives in to the Man.
The biggest problem with this film is how quickly things turn around. The film clocks in at about 90 minutes or just a few minutes more and if it had been stretched out to two hours it really could have expanded on why Mike is the way he is and gradually moved into its second and third acts. However, Mike’s transition goes from a dedicated self-defense teacher, to a Hollywood producer to a UFC fighter. I mean, it’s ridiculous plot pacing and then there is a bit at the end that will have you scratching your head wondering, “Where did that come from?”
Truly, this film is a mind-boggler in the sense that you really want to enjoy it because the first half is quite strong with very good performances turned in by Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga and even Tim Allen in a dramatic role. The pieces to a good story are all there, the morals are as well, its just how they are used and put together that turns this film into a mess as opposed to the decent flick it could have been.
