The Operative Goes Hand-to-Hand - Cast&Crew

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August 16 2008

The Operative Goes Hand-to-Hand. Martial arts film Redbelt from our favorite Operative releases on DVD Tuesday, 26 Aug.

Metacritic gives it 69 out of 100, which merits a "Green" on their stoplight rating chart.

[ edited by Volo on 2008-08-16 02:28 ]

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2008-08-16 05:15 ]

Volo | Cast&Crew | 01:19 CET | 5 comments total | tags: chiwetel ejiofor, chiwetel, ejiofor, redbelt, operative

I meant to see this in theatres, but it was playing at maybe two in the area. Downtown. Wasn't worth the trip. Plus no one but me wanted to go.

Only Mamet film I've seen is State and Main. I remember liking it, but it was a while ago. Oh wait, Spartan too. Val Kilmer flick. Spartan was awesome. There was that brief period there, like three years in a row at the start of this decade, where Val Kilmer had a string of great movies (The Salton Sea, Spartan, and Wonderland).

Kris | August 16, 05:06 CET

Great film. Mamet-prose is awesome.

And Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is one of the most underrated films this decade. But then Kilmer goes ahead and plays the new Kit. Oye.

pollaxt | August 16, 06:51 CET

I really liked Red Belt. I thought Chiwetel Ejiofor was fantastic in it. Plus, a chubby Tim Allen. ;)

NYPinTA | August 16, 20:17 CET

An okay flick, but far from Mamet's best films as a writer-director ("House of Games," "Homicide," even the underrated "State and Main" and "Things Change" and "The Winslow Boy"). I suspect that, underneath it all, it's really just his homage to Clifford Odets's "Golden Boy", minus the politics. (Mamet has recently come out as a conservative.) It's basically a decent entry in the sturdy subgenre of anti-boxing boxing pictures.

Also, it's supposed to take place in L.A. -- and feels absolutely nothing like it. So much so that for the first half I assumed it was set in Chicago, like most of Mamet's other works.

bobster | August 16, 21:49 CET

I really enjoyed the movie. It's going on my DVD wishlist.

thatweirdgirl | August 17, 00:20 CET

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