Gulf War veteran Mike (Chiwetel Ejiofor) runs a Jiu-Jitsu studio, but refuses to participate in competitions — which he believes compromise the martial art's principles. When his marriage, his students, and his livelihood are endangered, however, he discovers the difference between morals and ethics. David Mamet's classic rat-a-tat-tat dialogue may be in place here, as are the con games and stock players (most notably Joe Mantegna), but Redbelt nonetheless marks a departure from the writer/director's standard efforts. The taut cinematography of Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) plays a role, but the real distinction lies in Mamet's new acknowledgment that flesh-and-blood stakes take precedent over the gambles he usually favors.