(2008) At the Southside Jiu-Jitsu Academy, at the conclusion of police officer Joe Collins's (Max Martini) training session, under instructions toward a black belt from Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Laura Black (Emily Mortimer), an attorney, enters, having accidentally sideswiped Mike's vehicle, and inadvertently (when Joe from behind attempts to remove her soaked coat) picks up his revolver, lying where he left it within reach, discharging it, shattering a window. The incident if reported could cost Laura her career and time in jail as well as causing the academy some trouble, so Joe tells Mike to say something blew in from outside, breaking the glass.

An intricate plot develops from this incident in writer/director David Mamet's drama of a man of pure principle in the martial arts induced into prize fighting. "There's always an escape," Mike repeatedly reminds his students.

Upset with him for not having enough money to pay for the broken window (insurance won't cover an act of God) and the rent, Mike's wife Sondra (Alice Braga) tells him to go see her Brazilian brothers, Ricardo and Bruno Silva, at their bar for a loan. While there he breaks up a fight involving Chet Frank (Tim Allen), a famous movie actor without his usual protection, but doesn't ask for the money.

Laura makes reparations to show her appreciation, returning later for lessons (confessing to having been raped at knife point). Mike explains the meanings of the different colors of belts, from white (someone walking in from the street) to black; as for the red, he says, there's only one. "Conquer your fear and you'll conquer your opponent," Mike teaches her.

Meanwhile, Chet invites Mike and Sondra over for an evening in the famous movie star's home, the acquaintanceship leading to his offering Mike co-producer status, using Mike's techniques for realistic hand-to-hand combat, on his new film about Desert Storm, while Sondra, a fashion designer, receives a commission for $30,000 of fabric from Chet's wife.

One thing follows another - a gift turns out to be hot merchandise, a two-week loan Sondra takes out from a loan shark can't be repaid in time, a suicide lies heavily on Mike's conscience - as Mike gradually gets sucked into an arrangement in which he needs money ("What do you got that's worth money?") while the IFA promoters, stealing the gimmick of Mike's training tactic - having fighters pick from three marbles (two white, one black - the latter signifying a handicap such as one or both arms bound) - want his participation to draw an audience for the redbelt competition.

When Laura comes to his defense as his attorney, she gets implicated in the earlier mishap with the gun. Who provided the evidence? Other than Mike, Joe, and Laura at the time of the gunshot, only loyal Snowflake and Sondra were in the building. Mike announces: "I'm ending this charade."

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Copyright © 2009 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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