written and directed by David Mamet
USA; 2008
David Mamet wrote that the only questions a film audience should be asking themselves are Who wants what from whom?, What happens when they don't get it?, and Why now? Why now? I know the answer, particularly because Mamet telegraphs it in the final scene, as if we needed a justification (and we do) for why we we've been watching a story about Mixed Martial Arts. Did you say "mixed martial arts"? Yes, I did. The sport has been around for years in Brazil and Japan, but has only become popular in the United States in the last few years. I know this because that's a line from the film. So there, I know why it's about mixed martial arts. Does anyone else laugh when they hear that term? And why Chiwetel Ejiofor? Isn't he that romantic comedy guy? Yes, but apparently he can fight, and apparently he's pretty awesome at it. Then explain Tim Allen, you say. Seriously, he plays himself and he's pretty awesome at that, too. And Joe Mantegna is in it.
The story begins innocently enough. Mamet follows all the rules: we see the gun, (spoiler alert!) the gun is fired. That tenet will come back to bite main character Mike Terry in the ass, by the way. We see the sleight of hand, we see the videotape, we see the setup. It all comes back, but not before this film really starts cooking with a cool double cross, totally blindside, "there's always an escape," etc. Not this time, Mike. Who wants what from whom? It's exciting trying to figure this stuff out. I was on board for the setup, and I was really on Mike's side with the ethos stuff. I was even starting to see a Hollywood sell-out parallel. All honor when it comes to banal competition, but starstruck and all over the fax machine when Hollywood comes calling. I bought the suicide thing. Loved Mantegna (How could one not?). I wasn't jiving on the weird quiet training sequences with the female lawyer, though. What was she, a love interest? Why was her approval so important in the end? And why does she care whether he fights or not? Improve your position, Mamet. What happens when they don't get it? Interesting. In this case the bad guys get everything they wanted, until...
The final scene. Oh, the final scene. What a piece of garbage. Honestly, the theater broke into a peal of laughter when the Japanese fighter handed him the belt. That's what happens, I'm going to ruin it for you, by the way. Mike fights his way through the crowd at the end, making his way to the title fighter, fights him for some reason (the guy had nothing to do with anything), and then the Japanese fighter hands him the championship belt. That's it, that's the end. Oh wait, then the ref hands him the symbolic red belt. That's what happens.
