REDBELT
This is a “crossover” movie, trying to appeal to those who like complicated storylines and those who like to see some bodies flying. Too bad both crowds may be disappointed.
Mike Terry is the name of the main character – played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (you try pronouncing that, but at least you can say he hasn’t given in to Hollywood’s pressure to change it to something simple). Terry teaches mixed martial arts in a rather run down neighborhood. In the first scene, his prize student is a cop, and Terry is trying to teach him a simple principal – which will become the mantra for this movie – “there is always a way out”. The cop is taught that no matter what grip your opponent has on you, you can figure yourself out of it. But it all will mean so much more than that as Mike will soon face some pretty tough real life situations. It’s a low key character, sort of like David Carradine’s old “Kung-Fu” guy from the 70’s. Terry has never fought competitively, and he’s sort of got that “Ghandi groove” to him, preferring the non-violent route first.
That all changes when two events occur – a woman (Emily Mortimer) with some addiction problems accidentally fires the cops gun and shoots out Terry’s business’ window, and, later, when Terry comes to the aid of a movie star involved in a bar brawl.
You may wonder how this makes any sense, but let’s just say it complicates the guy’s life almost beyond belief, and forces him to do things he’d rather not do. Notable here is Tim Allen, yes, the comic Tim Allen, as the movie star. Instead of a joker, Allen, looking bloated and bored,
plays a fading action star, a guy doing movies much like Schwarzenegger used to do, who wanders into a club, has too much to drink, and proceeds to get his face busted up until Terry joins in to save him.Sometimes you are better off not getting involved, as this brings the seedy world of Hollywood into Terry’s life, and for a guy who actually performed two Good Samaritan deeds, he soon finds himself in a world of grief.
If you like movies with a number of different characters following parallel plot lines, and then eventually most of them are tied together, this one has something going for it for a while. I am one of those guys – you start off saying “what the hell has this to do with anything?”, but then enjoy guessing and following along as people and their actions, and the consequences of their actions all come together.
Particularly interesting for me was watching naïve Terry and his wife get caught up in the Hollywood buzz saw of back stabbers, idea stealers and hangers on. After he “saves” the movie star, Terry is invited inside their world, and they soon find a way to use his knowledge of mixed martial arts to their own benefit. This was probably the best part of the movie, along with watching the developing relationship between Terry and the woman that shot out the window of his teaching studio. This is a man with a committed sense of duty and honor, and he will be sorely tested. She represents his one true fan, and takes us along for the ride as he sorts his way through this, trying to find that way out.
However, “Redbelt” stumbles in the end, falling off into some bizarro “Rocky” type atmosphere, when Terry has to confront all that has gone wrong with his life, and in the “mixed martial arts” fighting world he had once respected. It all seemed a bit over the top, but maybe even for a talented writer like David Mamet, there wasn’t another “way out”. It’s also an obvious bone he throws to true fight fans, waiting most of the film for some real action. By the way, you’ve heard of “black belts” and “white belts” and “yellow belts” in the martial arts world, but there is only one “red belt” – you’ll have to see the movie for more on that. Too bad the film wasn’t as “one of a kind” – I give it a “6.0” on the scale.
