For many kids, when you reach a certain age and you begin to understand just how badass martial arts are, you immediately sign up for karate. Why? Well, the short answer is you want to be a ninja. The long answer is that your parents want you to do something that gets you out of the house and might get your heart beating a bit faster than when you sit alone and play video games. Oh, maybe that was just me? But in “The Art of Self-Defense,” we find out what would drive an adult man to learn the ancient art.
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As seen in the new teaser for the film, which debuts at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, it’s obvious that Mr. Casey Davies is a timid fellow. He’s admittedly afraid of just about everything, including the dark and pretty much every other person on the planet. What’s a man to do when he wants to become more self-sufficient and confident? Well, naturally begin taking a karate class.
“The Art of Self-Defense” looks like an intense, but comedic, film that shows the awkwardness and a bit of the ridiculousness that taking a karate class brings.“The Art of Self-Defense” is written and directed by Riley Stearns, who is probably best known for the 2014 film “Faults.” The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, and Imogen Poots.
“The Art of Self-Defense” debuts at this year’s SXSW on March 10.
Here’s the synopsis:
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. Audacious and offbeat, The Art of Self-Defense is an original dark comedy that takes toxic masculinity to absurd extremes.