Fighting to Pay the Bills in 'Redbelt'

Fresh Air | By David Edelstein

Published May 9, 2008 at 10:36 AM EDT

Fresh Air film critic David Edelstein reviews Redbelt, the new martial-arts film written and directed by David Mamet.

The film tells the story of Mike Terry (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a principled martial-arts instructor who forbids his students to fight for personal gain. But when the bills pile up, it's Mike who steps into the professional fighting ring in order to save his business.

Ejiofor is known for his work as a stage actor, as well as his roles in the films Children of Men and American Gangster.

David Edelstein

David Edelstein is a film critic for New York magazine and for NPR's Fresh Air, and an occasional commentator on film for CBS Sunday Morning. He has also written film criticism for the Village Voice, The New York Post, and Rolling Stone, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times' Arts & Leisure section.

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