THE ART OF SELF DEFENSE (2019)

 

Written & Directed By: Riley Stearns

Cinematography: Michael Ragen

Editor: Sarah Beth Shapiro

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Steve Terada, David Zellner, Philip Andre Botello, Jason Burkey, Mike Brooks, CJ Rush

One night, Casey, a scrawny, bookish accountant, is beaten up for no apparent reason by a motorcycle gang. Traumatized, he sets out to ensure this doesn't happen again. Then he stumbles across a karate school. He joins but progress is slow. Then the teacher starts to force him to be more aggressive.

This Seems more like an existential comedy of various tones that stay at a certain level no matter the emotion. 

How someone can get lost in a leader, hobby, or subculture that accepts you or makes you feel confident. How martial arts can have that hold on you and what happens if you take it too seriously and corn under the influence of a charismatic leader.

The film at times is homoerotic and misogynistic. As we watch an alpha must defeat before can move forward. The film keeps changing at first inspirational leader become a kind of enemy. Who by the end epitomizes the main character's fear.

The characters all seem to some degree lost and lonely. Where it seems martial arts gives them not only purpose but a place to belong. Not To mention a discipline to follow that they lack. 

The film is an absurdist comedy that starts off in a recognizable reality but gets looser and crazier the longer it goes along.

The power of influence and what some people will do to stay in power to have that strength and feeling. As they might fail in other places. So that this is all they may have. 

Not to mention what it means to be an alpha in a society that seems to want most to be beta’s through that lust and desire to be the leader and it seems to control your own destiny. 

This is also a bone-dry comedy that gets outlandish but you follow it especially. As it always keeps its Composure and stays within its tone.

A very dry film that feels more like a cult novel than a natural film. As it all Comes together at first feels so distant and you want to know more about the characters. 

Grade: B-