Redbelt

Mike Terry (Ejiofor), a Gulf war vet turned small-time jujitsu instructor, lives in modern-day Los Angeles with a strict code of honor of an ancient samurai. Money causes constant ethical dilemmas as both Mike's wife (Braga) and a shady promoter (Jay) urge him to drop his pride and get out of debt. Later, a Hollywood action star (Allen, in a surprisingly venomous role) and his producer (Mantegna) offer to pay Mike for ideas they plan on stealing. Terrific performances all around, especially from Ejiofor. Writer and director David Mamet wisely takes a philosophical approach, rather than making a formulaic fight flick, and shelves his usual twists and trickery for a story that's human and honest. (Still, the fight scenes are pretty cool.)