Movie Cosmos - The Art of Self-Defense

Description:

Casey is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei in an effort to learn how to defend himself. What he uncovers is a sinister world of fraternity, violence and hypermasculinity and a woman fighting for her place in it.

Top Cast >

Jesse Eisenberg

As Casey

Alessandro Nivola

As Sensei

Imogen Poots

As Anna

Steve Terada

As Thomas

David Zellner

As Henry

Phillip Andre Botello

As Kennith

Jason Burkey

As Alex

Mike Brooks

As Steve

C.J. Rush

As Other Steve

Davey Johnson

As Gun Store Owner

Hauke Bahr

As Grant

Katherine Martin

As Bakery Woman

Cameron Murphy

As New White Belt

Nicholas Hulstine

As Pickup Truck Driver

Lena Friedrich

As French Girl

Louis Robert Thompson

As Veterinarian

Dallas Edwards

As Manuel

Katherine Smith-Rodden

As Store Cashier

Frederic Spitz

As French Guy

Alex Haydon

As Man Wearing Pants

Mark Sawyer-Dailey

As Man Reading Newspaper

Leland Orser

As Detective McCallister

Josh Fadem

As Serial Killer

Scott Goodman

As Drunk Man

Justin Eaton

As Lone Man

Caroline Amiguet

As French Audio Instructor (voice) (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Riley Stearns

Director, Screenplay

Zack Goldsborough

Sound Recordist

Raymond Park

Sound Effects Editor

Becca Brooks Morrin

Set Dresser

Demetri Evdoxiadis

Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Amy L. Forsythe

Makeup Department Head

Sarah Beth Shapiro

Editor

Walter Kortschak

Producer

Stephanie Whonsetler

Producer

Andrew Kortschak

Producer

David Zellner

Executive Producer

Nathan Zellner

Executive Producer

Heather McIntosh

Original Music Composer

Michael Ragen

Director of Photography

Charlotte Royer

Production Design

May Satsuki Asai

Visual Effects

Elissa Ruminer

Key Makeup Artist, Hair Department Head

Wayne Beauchamp

Special Effects Coordinator

Toby Sells

Prosthetic Designer

Aaron Worman

Special Effects Makeup Artist

T. Ryan Mooney

Stunt Double

Ross Kohnstam

Stunts

Stephanie Adams

Second Assistant Director

Emily Blevins

Set Decoration

Jami Villers

Costume Design

Casey Curtiss

Digital Compositor

Diletta Di Nicolantonio

Assistant Director

Mindy Kelly

Stunt Coordinator, Fight Choreographer

Nikki Stanley

Stunt Double

Siena Brown

First Assistant Director

Chad Blevins

Art Direction

Josh Fried

Stunt Double

Cody Ryder

Producer

Andrew Karpen

Executive Producer

Lisa Ciuffetti

Co-Producer

Camille Bertrand

Co-Producer

Munika Lay

Executive Producer

Kent Sanderson

Executive Producer

Dan Mast

Stunt Driver

Heather Bonomo

Stunt Driver

Steve Terada

Stunt Driver

Nick DeKay

Stunt Driver

John Ross

Utility Stunts

Geoffrey Storts

First Assistant Camera

Josh Boyd

Second Assistant Camera

Dave Ogle

Steadicam Operator

Jared Hardy

Digital Imaging Technician

Isaac Harrison

Still Photographer

Chris Polczinski

Production Sound Mixer

Tasha Ann Ladwig

Boom Operator

Gregory Sheppard

Graphic Designer

Eli Kleinsmith

Property Master

J. Ryan McCleney

Set Designer

Brett Durbin

Script Supervisor

Matt Ware

Chief Lighting Technician, Gaffer

Eliot Brown

Best Boy Electric

Scott Phelps

Additional Gaffer

Hunter Zieske

Electrician

Zach Erwin

Electrician

Tyler Buchholz

Key Grip

Daniel Williamson

Best Boy Grip

Seth Ware

Grip

David Lowe

Dolly Grip

Tora Eff

Assistant Costume Designer

Erick Lagunes

Second Second Assistant Director

Reviews:

SWITCH. (8/10)

‘The Art of Self-Defense’ is a truly funny, dark experience that will polarise audiences, hopefully leaving most of them satisfied. Just try not to think about it too much.

Ashley Teresa

Read Ashley's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-art-of-self-defense-a-satire-as-pitch-black-as-a-karate-belt

2019-09-08

Gimly (5/10)

I went in expecting mumblecore, but got more of a Wes Anderson (which, to be fair, a primary influence of mumblecore). Wes Anderson almost always has violence in his movies, but probably nothing so brutal as The Art of Self-Defense. I thought that the whole movie would essentially be setting up Eisenberg as an awkward, meek nerd, who at the very end would go uber-violent, and the joke that they bothered to make a movie for would essentially be "You didn't think this guy would punch very good but then he does". Happy to say, I was wrong. Not only does Eisenberg punch pretty good on actually more than one occasion, there's also a story in The Art of Self-Defense as well, which I was not expecting. Now I still didn't think it was very good, and I definitely didn't think it was very funny, but my very low expectations were exceeded, so in the end I'm actually moderately happy with this one.

Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole.

2020-01-17