David Mamet wrote and directed this quirky marital arts film. I’ve been a huge fan of Mamet’s work for decades so it’s hard for me to say this film sucks. Mamet is a tricky writer (check out the convoluted plot of The Spanish Prisoner) and there are plenty of twists and turns in Redbelt but the end result is a dud. Marital artist Mike Terry, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, ends up in murky conspiracies with just about every character in this film. Mamet’s plot held my interest, but I kept feeling like things were spinning out of control. Just when I thought Mamet would resolve all the mysteries, he ends the film with a perplexing and corny flourish. Emily Mortimer plays a twitchy lawyer to perfection. Tim Allen, Joe Montegna, Ricky Jay, and the rest of the cast are excellent. But the final product is much less than all the high quality parts. GRADE: C
Sorry to hear it’s not quite up to his usual standards but I will probably sit through Redbelt at some point. House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, and Heist are three of my favorite films of the past twenty years or so.
Being such a big fan of Mamet’s work, it pained me to give REDBELT a low grade. There’s plenty of interesting buildup with all the characters committing suspicious and duplicitous actions, but it all amounts to nothing and the ending is completely lame.