Ray Mancini Movies
Tim Allen and Chiwetel Ejiofor co-star in writer/director David Mamet's martial arts drama Redbelt. Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a jujitsu master who co-runs a very modest martial arts studio in Los Angeles with his bossy wife, Sondra (Alice Braga). Mike demonstrates an unwavering commitment to his craft and draws a cadre of defiantly loyal pupils including Joe (Max Martini), an LAPD cop. All told, it appears that he has chosen a peaceful and conflict-free path in life. The dedicated martial artist's fate takes an unanticipated turn, however, one evening when a young woman named Laura (Emily Mortimer) bursts into the academy in a state of near hysteria, and reaches for a policeman's gun when he tries to restrain her. One thing leads to another, and before long, Laura is regularly receiving martial arts lessons from Mike. As master begins to teach pupil and his martial arts philosophies emerge, his path also crisscrosses with that of a Hollywood movie star, Chet Frank (Tim Allen), when he saves the fellow from a beating at a local club and gets invited (along with Sondra) to Chet's house for dinner. Chet extends gestures of friendship, and Mike's guard breaks down; he speaks openly and candidly of a special martial arts method he employs that requires one of the participants to "assume a handicap." In time, the association with Chet leads to involvement in the motion-picture industry, and relations with a bevy of characters who aren't exactly what they seem -- including a pay-per-view fight mogul (Ricky Jay) and Chet's slimy and manipulative manager (Joe Mantegna). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, (more)
A guy eager to leave some bad luck behind unexpectedly walks into a series of disasters in this comedy. Dino Condito (Carmine Famiglietti) has been persona non grata in his neighborhood in Queens ever since he flubbed a crucial play that cost his softball team the league championship against Hoboken. Months later, Dino is still the butt of jokes and he's losing all confidence in himself, so his cousin, Jubilene (Joseph Summa), decides to help him out. Cashing in his savings, Jubilene surprises Dino with a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, that he's convinced will lift his spirits. Unfortunately, a luggage mix-up at an airport in Mexico makes Dino and Jubilene the target of a handful of local gangsters and corrupt soldiers. Soon, the guys are being chased from one end of the country to the other and end up in all kinds of trouble before word gets back to their "crew" in Queens that their buddies need to be rescued. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paola Walker, Carmine Famiglietti, (more)
