Love David Mamet. Love him. The repertory company – Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay, David Paymer. The flinty characters living by their “code.” The tricky plotting. The punchy, profane prose that makes him stand out.

“Insist on the move. Insist on it!”

The repetition.

“Gimme some velocity. Some velocity.”

But darned if the most distinct, most quotable screenwriter-director in the movies doesn’t dance the dance right up to the edge of self-parody in “Redbelt.” The master of heist (“Heist”), military (“Spartan”) and con (“House of Games”) genre pictures has taken his shot at “the fight game” and only managed a draw.

“Redbelt” is a mixed-martial arts drama about the corrupting power of Hollywood, a film about a teacher more concerned with honor than survival, a teacher repeatedly tripped up when others don’t follow his samurai ethos. It’s also a movie whose plot leaks can only be reduced from a flood to a trickle if you absolutely and totally pop your mind into Mamet mode and stay in sync with his code.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Inside Man”) is Mike Terry, an ex-military martial-arts instructor who runs his Los Angeles jujitsu academy according to that samurai code. His wife (Alice Braga) understands. She’s Brazilian, and in Brazil this stuff is taken almost as seriously as in Japan.

But honorable Mike is in over his head the moment he is lured into the orbit of Hollywood. He rescues Chet Frank, an action star (Tim Allen, oddly cast), from a bar fight. He accepts the guy’s gratitude. His wife does, too. And next thing you know, Mike is about to become a Hollywood roller. Or will Hollywood roll over him?

Joe Mantegna is the producer of Chet Frank’s new Iraq war epic (shot in L.A.), a man whose motives you question the instant you see his insta-tan.

But Mike isn’t questioning that way. He has money troubles. But maybe, just maybe, there’s a way out. Maybe.

“It’s easy. It’s easy.” So coos one oily fight promoter (Mamet mainstay Ricky Jay). And if you’re following along, you’ll pick it up, right? Right? Because if you miss it the first time somebody’ll repeat it. Repeat it.

Except that it isn’t as easy to track as Mamet’s usual labyrinths. Somewhere, there’s a longer cut of this that will actually allow the dots to connect.

Ejiofor, a marvelously focused actor whose range and intensity are given a faintly inscrutable edge here, holds the center of the screen.

* * *

Redbelt

Director: David Mamet

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Emily Mortimer, David Paymer, Alice Braga

Running Time: 1:37

Rating: R; language

Where: In wide release; showtimes, Pages 23-24