Redbelt

Redbelt is a 2008 American martial arts film written and directed by David Mamet and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Randy Couture, Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna, Emily Mortimer, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Rodrigo Santoro. The film also features a number of martial arts professionals. It opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on May 9, 2008. The film centers on a martial arts master who struggles to achieve financial stability without compromising on his strict set of morals, and must determine if the latest opportunities in his career are too good to be true. Plot One evening, at his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu studio, martial arts teacher Mike Terry is approached by attorney Laura Black, who accidentally sideswiped his car. Policeman Joe Collins, one of Mike's students, sees that Laura is distressed and tries to take her coat. Startled, she grabs Joe's gun and it goes off, shattering the studio's front window. To avoid having Laura charged with attempted murder, Mike and Joe agree to conceal the event. Mike's insurance company do not cover "acts of god" and so refuses to pay for the windows repair. Mike's wife Sondra, who works in fashion and resents having to keep the struggling studio afloat, demands he ask for a loan from her brother Ricardo, a mixed martial arts champion. At Ricardo's nightclub, Sondra's other brother, Bruno, says Mike should fight on the undercard of an upcoming match between Ricardo and Japanese legend Morisaki, which could potentially pay out $50,000. Mike refuses, as he believes competitions are not honorable and weaken the fighter. Meanwhile, aging Hollywood action star Chet Frank enters the nightclub without security and drunkenly starts a fight with another patron. Mike saves Chet with his impressive fighting abilities. The following day, Mike receives an expensive watch from Chet. Mike gives the watch to Joe, knowing he has financial issues. At a dinner party, Chet's wife Zena arranges an informal business deal to buy a large number of dresses from Sondra's company. Meanwhile, Mike explains his unique training method to Chet's business associate Jerry Weiss. Before a sparring match, each fighter must draw one of three marbles, two white and one black; whoever draws a black marble has to fight with a handicap.