Holy wow I forgot how good this movie is. Chiwetel Ejiofor was in tip top acting shape here. David Mamet knocked it out of the park here in this very low scale focused film about a man who teaches survival through the medium of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He wants to maintain honor and integrity but the world is at odds with him. He doesn't see the struggle but the struggle finds him anyway. A conspiracy targets him until he's forced, for survival, to fight for competition.
This isn't an action heavy fighting film like Never Back Down instead this is a well written drama. There are jaded promoters who don't care who they screw over for a buck and there are loyal members of Mike's little family of martial arts who have deeper motivations that you might expect in a movie about a fighter. It all boils over to an emotionally effecting ending that had me at the edge of my seat metaphorically.. again.
Shout by BronsonBlockedParent2022-02-27T21:08:28Z— updated 2022-05-25T03:35:07Z
The only movie about jiu jitsu - that I am aware of - and it is very much a drama, similar to Rocky, not an action movie. A great watch regardless of if you practice martial arts or not.