What happens when your belief system clashes with life and everything you hold dear? When a turn of events, spirals down to the even darker side of hell, leaving you in a position to take a stand on the wrong side or die? That’s what confronts Chiwetel Ejiofor (“American Gangster,” “Talk to Me”) in the unpredictable, hard-hitting, ultimate fight film “Redbelt.”
For Mike Terry (Ejiofor), the owner of a Jujitsu academy life is directed by a code of honor steeped in the ancient beliefs of martial arts. A purest to the bone, he is not about competition, but concerned more with the spiritual effects of the art and how one can prevail over any circumstance. For a man of such high principals, life isn’t necessarily easy, but it is certainly on the right track.
His wife Sondra played by Alice Braca (I Am Legend), owner of a up and coming fashion business helps keep the academy afloat, but because of her background, she truly believes money can solve just about all your ills.
One fateful night a distraught woman walks in from out of the rain intending to report an accident only to cause a mishap that takes an innocent situation into a totally different direction. If that’s not enough, Terry comes to the aid of a movie star (Tim Allen) in a bar brawl and another twist is added to his fateful journey which includes experiencing the privileged life of a movie mogul.
This movie will keep you on your toes, ready to digest what will happen next. As the plot thickens a variety of characters enter Mike Terry’s life, and most of them are liars and cheats. The deeper he gets into the world of corruption the more his convictions are put to the test.
With pressure and danger building from all sides Terry has to believe in his code; ‘there’s always an escape,’ or ‘money talks and…’well, you know the rest.
“Redbelt” is a true action lover’s film. And it’s even made sweeter by the outstanding cast. Director David Mamet’s (Executive Producer CBS’s “The Unit”) undeniable style will send you on a roller coaster ride of morals versus economics.
Thirty-three year old Chiwetel Ejiofor pronounced “chew-it-tell edge-oh-for” is British, of Nigerian parentage. He first made a name for himself on the British stage and American audiences got their first glimpse of him in the 1996 TV film “Deadly Voyage” where he starred as one of the ill-fated stowaways on a Russian ship. Rather than be fined for harboring stowaways, the crew decides to dispose of the unwanted passengers at sea.
In 1997 he landed a role in the film “Amistad” as Ens. Covey. He told reporters, “I remember getting cast in Amistad and getting this very strong feeling that I had overshot myself. It made me realize that this is not a profession you can predict; that you can have all these ambitions and expectations and that they can be thrown to the wind. What was peculiar about that situation was that my aspirations were so far below what actually happened.”
His face is becoming more and more familiar with American audiences because of films like, “Four Brothers,” and the two aforementioned films. His starring role in the outlandish British film, “Kinky Boots” which is based on a true story, attests to his versatility as an actor. Ejiofor plays a drag queen determined to help a down and out shoe manufacturer gain his former glory in the shoe business by designing women’s shoes for men.
In “Redbelt” the film going audience gets to see yet another side of this talented actor. His quiet confidence and commanding film presence makes the film even more powerful and enjoyable. “Redbelt” begins nationwide May 9.
– Gail Choice can be reach by e-mail at gcprods@aol.com.
