Combining the perfect mixture of humanity, drama and deception, Redbelt comes across as a realistic yet devastating story. And though the climatic ending is as powerful as it is fitting, the final scenes fail to answer so many questions that the film's story works to bring up.
After saving a famous action star from a brutal beating in a bar fight, Mike Terry discovers both a friend and a business opportunity. But things on the surface aren't always as they truly are. Over his head in corruption and wanting to prove his personal morels and integrity, Mike Terry goes against his strict rule of no competitions and participates in a prize fight that will hopefully return his life to how it used to be.
As the film opened I found myself somewhat confused as to why certain things were being shown and not merely mentioned. From the awful encounter at the martial art school to the constant conversations about money, I was convinced that each action would later work itself out. And even though I was right, and each small action proved to be essential in the big scheme of things, I was still shocked at how fluid and consistent the film truly was.
Trapped within the confines of his martial arts business, Mike Terry (played brilliantly by Chiwetel Ejiofor) has trouble seeing beyond the outer layer of others. Instead, Terry trusts everyone, believing that each will stick to their word and their promises. But when the shield is finally lifted on his social innocence, Terry grows-up quickly as he attempts to right all that he has done wrong.
Sound boring "“ believe me, I would agree. However, the way that Chiwetel Ejiofor approaches his character is truly mesmerizing, so much so that you have a hard believing that such a horrible thing could happen to such a good person.
Alongside Terry is lawyer Laura Black, played by indie-favorite Emily Mortimer. Playing a pivotal part in Terry's mature revelation, Black is a rare but important force within the film. Luckily for fans, Mortimer plays her just as she should - soft, hesitant and always secondary. But when her time comes to shine and bring her character to life, Mortimer does it perfectly, using emotion, dramatics and confidence to win over the audience and show a true transformation in her character.
While the film does render much of its focus on the maturing and exploring of its characters, what I was most impressed with how well the martial arts was integrated into the story. In the beginning I felt that the martial arts aspect of the film was simply a back story, one that helped to fill time and dialogue during the otherwise dry moments. I was completely wrong. Instead, the martial arts was a key 'character' in the overall aspect of the film, brining everything together and truly giving the story the final punch it needed.
But with all the good that the film possessed I still have to harp on one major flaw "“ the ending.
Though the final twenty minutes were filled with non-stop action sequences that tested the characters development and intuition, I was extremely disappointed with the way the story ended. So many questions were left open and will unfortunately never reveal themselves, causing audience members to sit back and wonder just how the story actually ends. What happened to the character? And most importantly, how did the revolutionary final fight affects all those involved?
It is a shame. While the first hour and fifteen minutes of the film were both intense and extremely well done, the ending really left my wondering as I tried to piece together the clues that would answer the films unneeded yet daunting questions "“ I have still had no luck.
