I've never rented a DVD that I had to take several attempts to see before. This hero's struggle was so painful to me personally that I had to take several runs at it. I'm a little surprised I made it through. Chiwetel Ejiofor as the main character, Mike Terry, is so perfect for the role it begs the question, Was this guy really just acting? The whole point of this movie, an homage to the purity of a certain sort of warrior spirit, is so unexpectedly plausible that I was taken aback. I thought David Mamet who had been involved in "Spartan", "Heist", "Ronin", and "Wag the Dog" to name a few other movies, was more predictably conventional and commercial.

This movie probably won't make a lot of money but it's a truly beautiful exploration of the potential for nobility in modern life. I kinda doubt whether they plan a sequel as the point has been made and it would take a truly extraordinary script to follow this little tour de force, but if there is one, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) teaches jujitsu in L.A. His wife Sondra (Alice Braga) struggles to pay the bills with her fashion company. Lawyer Laura Black (Emily Mortimer) hits his car and comes into his studio to report it. Police officer Joe Collins touches her from behind and she grabs his gun firing it through the front window. They agree to forget the incident. Mike tries to get a loan from Sondra's brother Ricardo (John Machado) but he only offers him a fight in the undercard. Action star Chet Frank (Tim Allen) gets into a bar fight and Mike saves him. Chet and his wife Zena (Rebecca Pidgeon) befriend Mike and Sondra.

Chiwetel Ejiofor's zen-like quality anchors this movie. I like him and Emily Mortimer. However the movie is overstuffed with too many characters and too much plot. It gets too convoluted. I wish Mamet could simplify the story to concentrate on fewer characters. It's still worthwhile but it could be much better.

The idealistic instructor of jujitsu Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) refuses to compete in the ring for principle and is training the promising fighter and police officer Joe Collins (Max Martini). When the stressed lawyer Laura Black (Emily Mortimer) stumbles in his academy in a rainy night, she accidentally shots Joe's pistol breaking the front window. Mike and Joe do not report the incident, and Mike's wife Sondra (Alice Braga) tells him that they do not have money to repair the window. Mike seeks Sondra's brother in a bar to raise a loan, but he does not find his brother-in-law; he befriends the actor Chet Frank (Tim Allen) after rescuing him in a fight in the bar. Chet invites Terry and Sondra for a dinner party at his home and gives a golden watch as a gift. Mike gives the watch to Joe for pawning, but the watch is stolen and Joe gets in trouble in the police. Meanwhile Mike's idea of fight with handicap is stolen by a group of gamblers and Sondra raises a debt of US$ 30,000.00 for an unsuccessful business with Chet's wife. Without other option, Mike decides to fight in the ring to raise the necessary money to pay his debts.

"Redbelt" is a deceptive movie of the great writer and director David Mamet. The plot, about corruption in fight and a man with principles that is forced to go to the ring to pay for the debts of his wife is confused and apparently inconsistent. Mike does not fight because he finds it degrading; however, he prepares Joe for the competition. The participation of Chet Frank in the plot is also a complete mess. In the end, I saw a great cast wasted in a terrible screenplay. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Cinturão Vermelho" ("Red Belt")