Writer-director David Mamet examines the world of mixed martial arts in the dramatic thriller REDBELT. Chitel Ejiofor is Mike Terry, the central character of REDBELT, a highly skilled instructor of Jiu-jitsu, a rare form of mixed martial arts. Mike has held to the belief that martial arts are a wonderful means of self defense, patience and use of mind over matter. Following some bizarre circumstances one evening at Mike’s self defense studio and at a local bar, the Jiu-jitsu teacher may be forced to step into a mixed martial arts competition in order to recover from a few financial losses. 
As with most Mamet films, not everything is as it appears. REDBELT features a wide array of strong character actors who serve as proverbial chameleons. These actors’ characters in REDBELT are constantly sliding up and down a slippery moral slope involving success, desire and most of all, money. Ejiofor’s Mike tries to avoid these sticky situations by adhering to a strict moral code, but despite his best efforts, Mike is drawn into difficult circumstances. Although operating effectively as a thriller thanks to Mamet’s often elaborate screenplay, REDBELT makes for a compelling character study of Mike, a man trying to operate on a samurai’s system in a fractured, violent and ruthless world. Ejiofor’s focused, patient and restrained performance makes REDBELT as good as it is. With his world slowly crumbling down around him, Mike remains true to himself and his belief that there isn’t any situation too great to overcome. Through Ejiofor’s internally intense, but determined portrayal, REDBELT is lifted from an engaging thriller to a thrilling critique on our current culture.
Grade: B+
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