First Trailer for David Mamet's 'Redbelt'
You know, if this movie had been made by anybody else but David Mamet then I would have fully expected to catch this flick late at night on the USA network and for it to star Michael Dudikoff. One look at the trailer above, though, and you know you are not dealing with the usual action cheese.
Redbelt stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as master of Ju-Jitsu who has dropped out of the unscrupulous world of professional fighting. After he helps out a mouthy movie star in a bar one night (as played by Tim Allen) he is eventually forced back into the ring of UFC fighting to defend his honor. There is also a hint of a freaky fighter selection process involving marbles and tying your hands behind your back, but that explanation is best left to the trailer.
Appearing alongside Ejiofor are Emily Mortimer (aka, the woman with 'Avian Bone Syndrome' on TV's 30 Rock), Alice Braga (I am Legend), Ricky Jay (who you might recognize as the cameraman from Boogie Nights and a few million other films), and Joe Mantegna. Mamet, who is a big fan of Ju-Jitsu and UFC fighting, wrote the script himself, and besides a few photo releases this trailer is our first chance to see what the film is actually about. Like many, I was having a hard time reconciling a master like Mamet with this kind of subject matter, but luckily it looks like it is all going to turn out for the best. Redbelt will hit theaters in a limited release on April 25th of this year.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-14-2008 @ 7:26PM
Sean said...
I hate to be "that pedantic ass-wad commenter" guy, but there is no such thing as "UFC fighting." The sport is Mixed Martial Arts or MMA. The (most famous) league is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC. Saying someone does UFC fighting is like saying that the kids in the park are playing NBA instead of basketball.
But I love Mamet and this move looks awesome.
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2-14-2008 @ 11:55PM
Chris said...
i was on the fence after hearing about this, but the trailer got me over. I want to see this. Chiwetel Ejiofor is so good, even in a trailer, that he makes the whole thing just feel more respectable than the elevator pitch would have implied.
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2-15-2008 @ 7:38AM
John R said...
This looks serious. 2008 is shaping up to be a pretty good year for action.
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2-17-2008 @ 12:47AM
whoiscraig said...
If Chewy is down then count me in as well. Mamet is great but the premise is still a bit silly. I love the casting of Tim Allen, though. Mamet has always done some pretty amazing stuff with his sometimes baffling casting choices.
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