fredroyer Mamet discovers cinema and I looked forward to this! Most of his movies had been like radio plays but not only does the camera move around in this one, there are action scenes!Now, I hate exposition and so does Mamet. What I think he was trying to do here was combine as many genres and traditions as he can in a single film so that the exposition is taken care of.The camera eye is in the middle of all the fights, raging bull style. But scenes where Mike is supposed to be doing transcendental meditiion, the camera is "zen". Then when he has to spring into action, so does the camera.We have a public performance that folds into a sports movie, but the sports is shifted to television medium as part of the noir conspiracy.It doesn't always work and it doesn't tie up all neatly at the end, but it was different and I'd rather see a genius reach for a great idea than the same boring stuff thats always on tee vee.

kslay8713 It's not very often that a film comes along about a martial art that is still relatively unknown and it actually pulls it off quite well. The jiu jitsu in the movie is done pretty well and the plot is really actually quite good. Obviously you wont be sitting there watching a performance as good as De Niro in Cape Fear or anything like that. It was a straight to DVD release because it lacks star power, noteworthy performances, or flashy special effects. Know that, and be a fan of jiu jitsu or even a practitioner, and you should enjoy this movie. It's very nice to see an aspect of MMA that really birthed the sport, and it be done justice.

lewiskendell "There is no situation that you could not escape from. There is no situation that you could not turn to your advantage." is not your typical martial arts movie, though it heavily features mixed martial arts and jujitsu. It's more about the philosophy and ideals behind martial arts, and how far one man will go to honor those ideals. It's also a bit underwhelming. I'm a big fan of Chiwetel Ejiofor, he may be one of my favorite actors. He's perfect for the understated "quiet strength" type of roles, which is definitely the kind he has here. I really like Emily Mortimer, as well. She never fails to impress me, and should have a much higher profile that what she has. The problem isn't with either of them or the other actors, it stems from the fact that the story and the script seem to have needed some more revisions to fully realize the ideas they were aiming for. Ejiofor, Mortimer, and the rest just don't get a lot to work with. Characters seem underdeveloped, and the plot moves in fits and starts. Don't get me wrong, Redbelt isn't a bad film. But there's so much unrealized promise here that it leaves me feeling disappointed in some ways. I want to give Redbelt high marks for its ambitions, but I have to give it an average score for its actual execution. I still recommend it, I just wish I could recommend it much more strongly.

MisterMxyzptlk Ranking in the high portion of his extensive resume, RedBelt is an intriguing look into mixed martial arts world. Of course it wouldn't be a David Mamet film without the grifting and the succulent dialogue. That's not to say there aren't problems. Like most Mamet films the plots are convoluted and sometimes even the characters don't even know what exactly is happening. There are usually so many twists and cons and backstabbing, that eventually we have to ask if even Mamet himself knows whom is chasing whom. But that really is never the point with this guy. It's really about the journey and the ride he takes us on. RedBelt has a wonderful humble performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor and even a perfectly cast Tim Allen as a Hollywood action hero looking to gain some authenticity. The usual suspects in Mamet's personal arsenal are still playing, and when Ricky Jay or Joe Mantenga appear on screen you aren't disappointed with what he gives them to do.A good film worthy of a look.