The Art of Self Defense Review
R: Violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language
Bleecker Street
1 Hr and 44 Minutes
Writer/Dir: Riley Stearns
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots
Release Date: July 12th 2019
After he's attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself. Under the watchful eye of a charismatic instructor, Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), and hardcore brown belt Anna (Imogen Poots), Casey gains a newfound sense of confidence for the first time in his life. But when he attends Sensei's mysterious night classes, he discovers a sinister world of fraternity, brutality and hyper-masculinity, presenting a journey that places him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor.
Actor Jesse Eisenberg usually portrays the awkward and timid neurotic person who can come across as egotistical. In The Art of Self Defense, he plays yet another neurotically awkward character named Casey, but this is a character he’s never done before. It may sound redundant, but what makes Casey a distinct character is his personality and the world he’s in. This role is not just significantly different, but one of the best on his resume. Though he is neurotic, he isn’t cynical nor does he have much of an ego. He is honest, speaks what’s on his mind, and has a bit of optimism. Because of the dog-eat-dog world established around him and how he doesn’t fit in anywhere, you’re immediately invested in him. The film starts with Casey’s mundane life and his inability to fit in with his mannish coworkers. After buying food for his dog, HE GETS JUMPED BY A MOTORCYCLE GANG! Immediately an accurate representation of Darwinism at its finest, you resonate and sympathize with him because you just want the poor dude to survive. So, when he finds refuge in this karate club, you identify more with Casey in this very crazy world director Riley Stearns expertly created.
One of the aspects that I downright love about The Art of Self Defense is its sense of humor. Deadpan comedy can either soar or fall completely flat when not executed correctly. Because of his direction, his snappy dialogue full of witty dialogue, and his incredible ensemble, Riley Stearns manages to establish his own world with this set of characters who each have a distinct personality. At first they might seem as neurotic as Casey, for they take awkward pauses during dialogue exchanges, but as the film progresses, you see these karate students show their true nature. And when shit hits the fan...
The film is egregiously hilarious in every front, from both the dialogue and the visual gags throughout. Stearns smartly satirizes the societal values of toxic masculinity that men glorify, even down to the most intricate details in its visual gags that are funny. For example, a magazine that Casey’s coworkers read is just called “Male,” and it's not even the name, it’s the gender symbol.
To see Casey get out of his comfort zone with his actions while maintaining his neurotic dialect is the true root of the comedy, especially since he’s in the hands of a masculine Sensei who drives him down a path of righteousness of what it means to be a man.
Alessandro Nivola is hilaaaaaaaaarious. The best way to describe him is as the Brad Pitt to Eisenberg's Ed Norton, for he’s full of persuasive charisma and attitude that matches his masculine values. The scenes he shares with Eisenberg are some of the major (pun intended) manhandlers that keep the film paced decently. They have a dynamic that is irresistible and the more you get to know about the Sensei, the more you fear him and Nivola channels that intimidation mixed with charisma so well.
The theme, centered on toxic masculinity, is subtle and serves as one of the humerus backbones of the film while also being the central theme of the story. While doing so, Stearns incorporates a smart examination of gender relations and that comes through with Anna (Imogen Poots), a short-fused and quietly aggressive woman who Casey befriends as he slowly sees the horrors of this class.
The first half is well-developed as it has a light, deadpan tone. Yet, at a certain point it feels like some of the steam runs out, for every character kind of feels the same aside from Anna and Sensei. But once the film delves into the night class and the movie takes a shocking left turn that’s darker, violent, and contextually fucked up, you will have a fucking blast.
The Art of Self Defense is one of those hilarious narratives that is so full of surprising twists and turns that if I describe it a bit more, I might spoil something. Just go see it yourself. It was my second favorite movie that I saw at SXSW, right after Booksmart which is very high on my “best of” lists.
Full of thought-provoking themes on masculinity and gender relations set in its own twisted and deadpan world, The Art of Self-Defense is a hilarious dark comedy with enough wit and brain to leave a long-lasting punch.
Rating: 4/5 | 89%
