The Movie:

Redbelt, a little seen gem from earlier in the year, has arrived on DVD and BluRay.  While it is not a David Mamet classic, it offers plenty for fans of his films.  The characters are appealing, especially the main protagonist, Mike.  Mike is a Ju-Jitsu instructor who fights for what he believes in.  His journey in Redbelt is a winning one.  However, the third act almost spoils the impressive first two acts as Mamet goes for an abrupt and rather implausible ending.  Regardless, Mike is a character who is easy to root for. 

Mamet has done a fine job with his directing this time out; putting together a fairly complex plot and bringing together the best cast and crew for the job.  Robert Elswit was a terrific choice as Director of Photography.  Coming off of his Academy Award from There Will Be Blood, Elswit employs a creative style, in particular, with the fight scenes.  While some audience members will never get much out of Mamet’s unique dialogue, the story is a fascinating struggle in ethics that will appeal to just about anyone.

Special Features:

For a single disc DVD, Redbelt has a surprising amount of features.  First in the ring is the Commentary with David Mamet and Randy Couture.  In the commentary, Mamet discusses the inspiration of the title sequence for the film, and Couture discusses his fascination with films and how he got involved with Redbelt.  They also discuss the film in depth as well as Mixed Martial Arts and the realism that is used throughout the movie. 

Behind the Scenes of Redbelt is an engrossing featurette that goes through Mamet’s mind as he discusses how and why he went about creating this particular story.  The principle cast is also interviewed and they talk about what it was like working on the film. 

Inside Mixed Martial Arts is a featurette that explores both Mixed Martial Arts as a sport and Mamet’s experience with the MMA, which inspired the story for Redbelt.  The Q & A with David Mamet is a fine segment where Mamet answers various questions about the film and his views on the film industry. 

An Interview with Dana White is a featurette on the current owner of the UFC.  This will interest those who are regular viewers of the UFC.  Fighter Profiles is a featurette that displays the facts behind all real MMA fighters in the film.  The Magic of Cyril Takayama is a short segment on the Japanese magician who had a role in the film.  He shows the trick that made David Mamet pick him.  There are also Previews for Baghead, The Wackness and Married Life.

BluRay Exclusive:

Sadly Mamet’s solid MMA flick doesn’t receive any additional special features for its High Definition counterpart. However the film certainly dazzles visually in 1080p, thanks to Robert Elswit’s outstanding cinematography and a production design that paints the image of a far bigger film then its budget allows. The rhythmic score also sounds flawless thanks to the BluRay disc’s TrueHD audio.

Overall:

Redbelt is worth at least a rental for fans of Mamet and audience members interested in a smart character study that puts brains ahead of brawn.  Mamet certainly delivers the fights but only when absolutely necessary.  The DVD has a nice transfer and the special features are decent for a single disc set.

-G. Brandon Hill