Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
Saw it recently in a limited release. It was cool to finally see BJJ in a film, but the acting, story, and character development left something to be desired. Particularly considering it's meant to be a character study, near as I can tell.
Some non-sequiter stuff at the end. No idea why either the Japanese guy OR the actor who was supposed to represent an Helio/Carlos archetype would give the hero their belts. Well, shoot dude, maybe. GM, no. Flimsily, but not really.
Characters were pretty one dimensional, making it hard to relate to their actions. Even when we're supposed to feel the weight of a widows loss, all we see is some nasty woman being unpleasant; ill temper, but not loss. Not even a normal human reaction to the gore in the other room. Nor do we ever get to connect with why one guy feels so strongly about his connection to the honor of a 3rd entity, that he's willing to check out for it. But lacks enough commitment to honor to stick around and find another life track that allows him to support his wife, or stick up for the due process and truth about which he feels so strongly, he would die for it. It would have been more real if they all just went to the feds and testified, while calling press conferences with their local congressmen. THEN had some climactic jujittie brawl.
And we are never given a sense as to the history between the lead character and his final fight at the end (which necessarily had a lot of stand up...BJJ battles can be underwhelming to watch, as guys at that level -- without timers on them -- can spend just as much energy squirming and counter-squirming as brawling...lots of bitterness aimed his way, no reasons given why. I felt Mamet painted Brazilians and their clan loyalties as petty, shallow, small, and always up for sale...mercenary loyalties, prone to sell out. Having known a few, even when they feud, family is still king. Even extended family (in laws). So...lotsa stuff I just didn't get. Unconnected and outta place. Seemed like a random string of flat affect events that happens without connection, until the credits roll.
Stupid stuff in some places. Knife instructor for stunt crew asks, "you haven't told him what you did?" (reference to apparent prior service in military). "No." And they never tell us either. We just get to see that he knows what some of the action-movie script service jargon is. Too many unassociated non-sequiters, even for Mamet.
Glad I saw it for the "BJJ on the Big Screen" thing, but I should've waited for it to come out on DVD; pretty much free on my Blockbuster account. This is the first time I have not liked a Mamet film.
Regards,
Dave
PS -- when he's in the underground garage talking to a woman standing out there smoking who slaps him, who was that supposed to be?
Some non-sequiter stuff at the end. No idea why either the Japanese guy OR the actor who was supposed to represent an Helio/Carlos archetype would give the hero their belts. Well, shoot dude, maybe. GM, no. Flimsily, but not really.
Characters were pretty one dimensional, making it hard to relate to their actions. Even when we're supposed to feel the weight of a widows loss, all we see is some nasty woman being unpleasant; ill temper, but not loss. Not even a normal human reaction to the gore in the other room. Nor do we ever get to connect with why one guy feels so strongly about his connection to the honor of a 3rd entity, that he's willing to check out for it. But lacks enough commitment to honor to stick around and find another life track that allows him to support his wife, or stick up for the due process and truth about which he feels so strongly, he would die for it. It would have been more real if they all just went to the feds and testified, while calling press conferences with their local congressmen. THEN had some climactic jujittie brawl.
And we are never given a sense as to the history between the lead character and his final fight at the end (which necessarily had a lot of stand up...BJJ battles can be underwhelming to watch, as guys at that level -- without timers on them -- can spend just as much energy squirming and counter-squirming as brawling...lots of bitterness aimed his way, no reasons given why. I felt Mamet painted Brazilians and their clan loyalties as petty, shallow, small, and always up for sale...mercenary loyalties, prone to sell out. Having known a few, even when they feud, family is still king. Even extended family (in laws). So...lotsa stuff I just didn't get. Unconnected and outta place. Seemed like a random string of flat affect events that happens without connection, until the credits roll.
Stupid stuff in some places. Knife instructor for stunt crew asks, "you haven't told him what you did?" (reference to apparent prior service in military). "No." And they never tell us either. We just get to see that he knows what some of the action-movie script service jargon is. Too many unassociated non-sequiters, even for Mamet.
Glad I saw it for the "BJJ on the Big Screen" thing, but I should've waited for it to come out on DVD; pretty much free on my Blockbuster account. This is the first time I have not liked a Mamet film.
Regards,
Dave
PS -- when he's in the underground garage talking to a woman standing out there smoking who slaps him, who was that supposed to be?
