Mamet then goes one step further, and brings a favorite theme of his into the film. Having explored the subject of con games with much more scrutiny in previous films, like House of Games (1987) and The Spanish Prisoner (1998), Mamet again introduces cinematic sleight-of-hand into the proceedings. Introducing an element of mystery to the game, in the form of three colored marbles that the competitors must choose from before the fight, the fight promoters assure themselves of a promotional gimmick that will not only raise box-office tallies, but give them more control of the outcome of each fight. Keep your eyes on the marbles, and see if you can figure out the con they use to guarantee who wins.
Sony does its usual wonderful job with the DVD. I reviewed the movie on standard DVD, and the visuals are crisp and clean. This is a major achievement considering that Academy Award-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) generously uses red, a color that traditionally bleeds on home pictures. As for extra features, Redbelt is loaded with them. There is an interesting and conversational audio commentary with Mamet and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) five-time title-holder Randy Couture (who also appears in the film). Some of the other features include a behind-the-scenes featurette; a short on mixed martial arts; an interview with Dana White, president of the UFC; and profiles of some of the fighters appearing in the film.
Redbelt is a smart thriller that should attract fans of mixed martial arts and lovers of quality films.
Redbelt will be released on August 26th on both standard DVD and Blu-ray.
Still provided courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
![Redbelt (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51phqK0%2BKqL._SL120_.jpg)
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