Redbelt Audiences likely to tapout of Mamet's MMA movie

Distributor Sony Classics Cast Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga, Tim Allen, Rodrigo Santoro, Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna, Rebecca Pidgeon, David Paymer and Max Martini Director/Screenwriter David Mamet Producer Chrisann Verges Genre Drama Rating R for strong language Running time 95 min. Release date May 2 ltd. David Mamet is certainly not at the top of his game during the latter half of Redbelt, a drama intersecting the up-and-coming sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) with the Hollywood film- making milieu to depict an honorable individual battling a corrupt system. The movie starts out in muscular, typically Mametian fashion but can't sustain that punch due to his less-than-firm handling of the storyline. As it gets softer, it will for instance, April realizes—in the midst Director/Screenwriter/Producer Claude Lelouch lose disciples of MMA and Mamet, plus of an uncomfortable conversation with Genre Thriller; French-language, subtitled filmgoers drawn by a talented cast led by Bernice—that she is pregnant with Ben's Rating R for brief language and sexual references Chiwetel Ejiofor. baby. The subsequent scene in the office Running time 105 min. Even if you didn't know he trained for of a bemused obstetrician played—in an Release date April 25 five years with a jiu-jitsu master and impeccable comic cameo—by author gained respect for what, according to Salman Rushdie, is imbued with an awk- Claude Lelouch, who won the Palme his director's statement, he sees as its wardness that is equal parts humorous d'Or in 1966 for his innovative classic Un "vision of the possibility of correct, moral and mortifying by the attendance of both homme et unefemme, wrote and directed behavior in all circumstances... a modern Ben and Frank. his new film in secret, giving the credit stoicism," it's no surprise Mamet is at- Even the one-liners in Then She Found to Herve Picard (actually the name of a tracted to this violent and increasingly Me are distilled from the pain interper- friend) to disguise his own role. Lelouch, popular sport. Mamet taking another sonal relationships can create. Take, for with his 4rst film in a career that has shot at piercing Hollywood phoniness instance, this exchange between April spanned 50 years, says he did this to and mendacity is no shocker, either. and Frank during their first date: avoid media distractions. "I wanted to do The premise also allows him to contrast "Your wife was seeing someone else?" another film that amused me, essentially, crooked figures—the gamblers and shady April asks. without being subjected to the pressures promoters linked to MMA and, at least in "Pretty much everyone else," Frank of the market," he says. his mind, the entertainment business— cracks. Crossed Tracks centers on Judith with a protagonist whose excess integrity Clearly committed to the material, Hunt Ralitzer (Fanny Ardant), a femme fatale and strength give him a superhuman aura extracts exquisitely subtle performances and author who is seeking characters but, naturally, also put him at a disad- from her accomplished cast—especially for her next bestseller. As it happens, a vantage. Ultimately, Mamet's scenario is Firth and Midler—in this self-assured serial killer (Dominique Pinon) has just hobbled by boxing- and sports-movie con- directorial debut. With Then She Found Me, escaped from a high-security prison. ventions and his take feels more ordinary the "-winning" actress has Found a. second Meanwhile, Huguette (Audrey Dana), an than compellingly idiosyncratic. career as a multihyphenate. —Chad airhead hairdresser in a top Paris salon, In the opening scene, Mike Terry (Ejio- Greene is going to change their destinies. With for) is teaching an advanced self-defense elements of road movie, thriller and class at his bare bones Los Angeles studio, comedy as well as other genres, Tracks Southside Jiu-jitsu Academy. We hear him Crossed Tracks possesses a freewheeling appeal. Lelouch before we see him, bellowing commands clearly enjoyed the freedom of making and encouragement as two students spar. Roman de gare the film with his own money, and the "Improve the position!" "Insist on the Lelouch re-energizes himself with this exercise may well have re-energized him move!" "Breathe." "There's always an es- after the debacle of his previous outing cape." "Insist. Insist." "Control your emo- shot-in-secret production with Les Parisiens, supposedly part of a tions." Though brief, it's riveting stuff. Distributor Samuel Goldwyn trilogy that flopped and was curtailed Former Special Forces, Mike is an expert Cast Dominique Pinon, Fanny Ardant, Audrey Dana, Zinedine Squalem, Michele Bernier and Myriam Boyer with considerable losses. —Richard at close combat who has never fought for Mowe money and avoids competition. "Compe- tition weakens the fighter" is one of his mantras. He has a soft spot for cops and is devoted to making average folk feel safe in their respective lines of duty. "I teach people to prevail," he declares. Of course, we'll learn whether he can prevail against adversity. His Brazilian wife Sondra (Alice Braga) complains that he has no mind for business, no killer instinct when it comes to his own economic survival. He's cash- strapped and already owes a loan shark (David Paymer). When strung-out attorney Laura (Emily Mortimer) stumbles into his studio and accidentally discharges the weapon of a police officer who is one of his favorite students, Mike's problems multiply. Later, at a nightclub owned by Sondra's brother, he intervenes in a scuffle and rescues a slumming movie star, Chet (Tim Allen). Grateful, Chet invites Mike and Sondra over to his house and asks Mike to consult on a script; his wife (Rebecca Pidgeon) offers to help Sondra with her textile import and design business. Abruptly, though, these budding friend- regulars Ricky |ay and foe Mantegna). It's whopper of a story. With careful handling ships and opportunities fall through. In as though he pulled back and chose to stay by distributor Magnolia Pictures, this film order to pay back his debts and extricate above, or once-removed from, the fray— could draw strong word-of-mouth for a himself from related quandaries, Mike pure the way his hero strives to be. Mamet worthy specialty item that represents an is compelled to participate in a televised tries to have it both ways. Reluctant to eclectic cross of Exodus, The Endless Sum- MMA event with, unbeknownst to him, enter the sullied ring, to fight under mer and Parenthood. fixed matches. Will he take a dive or, as the lights and for the wrong reasons, he Filmmaker Doug Pray carefully unfolds one vintage Mamet line goes, "Let the ends up there anyway. Like Mike, he's an his unique tale. Paskowitz, a highly success- wheel come around?" The movie builds outsider who only wants to compete on ful doctor and Stanford grad, lived the good to a showdown with his other brother-in- his own terms. Fair enough. In Redbelt, life in Hawaii, was admired by colleagues law, a heavyweight in the MMA world, however, those terms prove to be unexcep- and even urged at one point to run for with all the major characters present, tional. —John P. McCarthy governor. Two failed marriages, no interest including Mike's esteemed mentor from in money or social status and a love of the Brazil and his new lawyer and potential ocean all converged to convince him to love interest, Laura. Surf wise "drop out" and go to Israel for a year, where Redbelfs strangely rushed and com- he communed with the Bedouins, became Assessing the cost of childhoods pletely predictable third act is either obsessed with a healthy diet and brought a attributable to Mamet having lost focus lived—literally—on the coast savvy Hawaiian style of surfing to Tel Aviv when writing the screenplay or to second Distributor Magnolia for the first time. thoughts whilst in production about Director/Screenwriter Doug Pray Upon his return to America, he met his making a genre film. Mike is a fascinat- Producers Tommy Means, Matthew Weaver, Jonathan third wife Juliette, who was the first wom- Paskowitz and Graydpn Carter ing character, but we need to know more. Genre Documentary an to understand his unique needs—which Mamet runs out of things for him to say Rating R for language and some sexual material included an almost addictive desire for or do. Ejiofor is forced to put on a vacant, Running time 93 min. constant sex. Their bedroom activities led shell-shocked expression to communicate Release date May 9 to a succession of seven sons, then a daugh- Mike's reaction to his misfortunes. When ter and, finally, one last boy who all lived he decides he must fight, it's unclear This fascinating documentary of and slept "like puppies" in a 24-foot camper exactly what he's fighting for, other than a self-obsessed 85-year-old legendary usually parked on a beach somewhere. the unspecified redemption that every surfer, Dr. Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, who The sexcapades didn't stop with the births. movie pugilist seeks and that the formula turned his life around after introduc- One of the film's most amusing sequences insists upon. More of Mike's backstory ing the sport to Israel, isn't really about has the younger Paskowitzes recalling the might help, and a crucial chunk is miss- riding the waves as much as a primer on loud nightly lovemaking of their oblivious ing regarding his marriage to Sondra. alternative parenting. Combining lots of parents in the cramped trailer. Except during the first scene, Mamet vintage footage, photos and home movies Eschewing formal education for his doesn't delve into the philosophy or interspersed with newly shot interviews, kids, the elder Paskowitz packed them mechanics of fighting. Nor does he seem this remarkable docu portrait of a most up and hit the road, usually letting the to relish presenting Mike's antagonists unusual man (to say the least) and his promise of gnarly waves dictate their des- (especially the shifty types portrayed by large family resonates strongly and tells a tination. With no formal school for the