When he is creating a story for his movies the director David Mamet always seems to have a way of getting to the core of his characters personality, to really show the viewer what makes them who they are - and the movie Redbelt is a great example of this, and of how people deal with adversity and challenges to their beliefs and ideals. It is really great to see this done for an action film as characterization is often the weak point of many martial arts movies, and of action films in general.

The main character Mike Terry, played well by Chiwetel Ejiofor, is a jiu jitsu master and the owner of a dojo, who is only just managing to keep th business afloat and to stay ahead of the creditors and all of the mounting bills. Staying true to his principles Mike prefers to keep the arts he teaches pure and true to their ideals, rather than sell out to a diluted, commercialized version, thus tainting the arts. Thankfully, his wife Sondra, played by Alice Bragais, is able to keep the dojo going with the money from her own seamstress business, but the strain it causes them is obvious.

A chain of events which almost seems like fate is deliberatley testing Mike's courage in his convictions, pushes him closer and closer to the very thing which he has been trying to avoid. When a woman who has become lost wanders into his dojo an unfortunate event ensues (don't want to give away too much!), which costs the dojo money which it can ill afford to lose. A subsequent visit to a nightclub to meet with his brother-in-law and ask for a loan brings Mike into contact with a man called Chet Frank, an actor who has a chip on his shoulder. Another unfortunate incident which causes more trouble and puts more pressure on Mike to sell out.

An invitation to dinner and the gift of a gold watch from Chet Frank sounds on the face of it as if it's a generous ‘thank you’, but he soon find that it comes with strings attached. When a business partnership deal for Sondra doesn’t happen as expected the couple are put in dire financial trouble. The heavy guilt of everything that has happened and the situation they are in is weighing heavily on Mike’s shoulders at this point. And running alongside this there is the temptation of a mixed martial arts tournament with a huge cash prize that would go a very long way to helping MIke out of his problems, but which would compromise his ideals.

You might say that at some point in our lives we all have to swallow our pride, and sacrifice our idealism to get on in life. Mike Terry does as many of us feel we are are forced to do, and enters the MMA tournament to go for the cash prize.

While warming up for his fight Mike finds out things aren’t as they seem, and he regains his dignity and his personal code of honor by not selling out to the organizers of the tournament. His awakening to the corrupt truth around him and the showdown which results from it (which is definitely worth watching more than once) against his brother-in-law and the system brings closure to what it means to deserve the prized red belt.

Anyone familiar with the movies David Mamet makes will know that there are usually more than one layer to the story. Was it destiny that led Mike to the tournament? Or was it more to do with other people guiding and controling him from behind the scenes? The end of the movie draws in various strands and brings them all together.

If you watch this you should look out for popular MMA stars Randy Couture and Enson Inuoe who both make brief cameo appearances.

The actual martial arts fighting sequences in Redbelt are solid and realistic. There are no artificial sweeteners, wires or speial effects to be found here. If you are a martial artist yourself, then what you see here could be studied and added to your own personal arsenal of techniques.

As any true practitioner of traditional martial arts like jiu jitsu will tell you, martial arts are not always about the actual fighting, and neither is the movie Redbelt - and that's what makes it a great movie. It’s about knowing when not to fight, and when to stand up for your honor. Even the choice of the title has a deeper meaning. You never find out until the very end of the movie the significance of the red belt, which makes it all come together.

This is a very enjoyable movie, Redbelt is definitely worth watching.