Redbelt

David Mamet’s newest feature Redbelt is a real dud and a bore. It is sad to watch a once top-notch playwright, screenwriter and director all dried up in creativity and simply repeat all his old tricks with farfetched scenarios.

In Redbelt, Mike Terry (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a mixed martial arts instructor. His martial arts center is in financial trouble, but he refuses to participate in prize bouts to make easy money. As in many other Mamet movies, unexpected events (or are they?) leads the protagonist into some kind of moral dilemma.

Starting with The Spanish Prisoner, Mamet seems to be on a downward slide. He tries to make taut, twisty, modern film noir-ish thriller, but the plot always stretches the believability. With Redbelt, it reaches to the level of absurd. There are many little things going on at the first 20 minutes of the movie. Knowing that Mamet likes to set us up early for later twists, I paid attention, maybe too much attention, to all the little details. Nothing I noticed played out in the end. It led me to question why Mamet did close-up shots of so much inconsequential stuff.

Mamet has always been known for his sharp dialogue and fascination with masculinity. In Redbelt, Mike Terry has such impeccable moral standard that he may as well be living on a different planet. I doubt any audience can connect with this character. Chiwetel Ejiofor, in my opinion, is the perfect heir to Denzel Washington if people know how to pronounce his name. (It should be pronounced as Chew-tell Edge-four.) However, even with his prodigious talent, he cannot save this mess of script.

Redbelt does not deserve any belt at all.