You wouldn't suspect writer-director David Mamet of wanting to make a film about martial arts.

But if he did, you'd bet your bottom dollar that it wouldn't be anything Bruce Lee might savour.

Redbelt stars British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike, a Gulf War veteran and jujitsu expert who now runs a martial arts studio according to strict samurai codes in LA.

Understanding will defeat strength, he keeps telling his students, among other well-worn oriental tropes. Soon he'll have to prove it.

First his wife (Alice Braga) tells him they are deep in debt. then a crooked fight promoter (ricky Jay) and a lawyer (emily Mortimer) persuade him to go in for the kind of competition on the martial arts circuit that he despises.

Finally, discovering the whole thing is fixed, he has to find his way back to honour by fighting a Brazilian strongman outside the ring. the film is well shot by robert elswit, who won an oscar for his work on there Will Be Blood. it has a strong, almost noble performance from ejiofor that proves him to be an actor with few limits.

The sum of these parts isn't half as good as House of Games (1987), the brilliant thriller that showed Mamet to be a director of note as well as a celebrated playwright.

However, it is considerably better than some of his later cinematic efforts. And in ejiofor it has an actor whom Hollywood will soon recognise as a star if it doesn't already.