I think this movie is the definition of an oddball comedy. I was never quite sure where I was with this movie with every passing scene, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it. From it's dry, unapologetic humour, to it's somewhat dark resolution; it's juvenile presentation yet deep metaphors/messaging, along with it's surprisingly detailed cinematography (especially usage of colour and grading), TAOSD is stylistically diverse almost to excess, but still manages to somehow work dispite it's scatterbrain delivery.

--- Things I enjoyed but will probably be spoilers below this point ---

[spoiler] I really enjoyed the use of colour in this movie. Casey's entire front room was yellow, directly playing into his main character trope of being a coward. When on the night attack with Sensei, Sensei is lit with red from the bars light, but Casey is still cast in yellow light as he airs his discomfort with the situation. I think I'm going to watch this movie again just to appreciate the detail in the staging and overall use of light/colour, I'm sure there are other examples that I missed on my first go round. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] The movie approached very tough topics such as gun ownership, misogyny and acceptance of ones true self, but never felt overly heavy handed with it's delivery. The off-hand remarks about gun statistics, Anna's attempt to operate as a woman in a heavily masculine environment and Casey's acceptance of who he really is while trying to better himself were all handled very well within the confines of the movies plot. [/spoiler]

_"Not only does it represent my black belt in karate, but it also helps keep my pants up."_

I had, more or less, no idea what to expect going into this film. Not only that, I was going to watch _Do Revenge_, but when faced with the nearly 2-hour-long runtime, I racked my brain for another film to watch, one that's shorter, as I was already a bit past my usual time I begin watching something. That's when this film came to mind.

I was pretty sure I'd seen the trailer before, maybe not that long ago; it could've been by watching someone's reaction to it. Only I started (remembering) thinking that (the most) after the film was over. If I remember correctly, it presented the film more humorously; now, having watched it, a more humorous undertone would've been nice. So to watch it and be given the complete picture, not a specifically-structured-for-a-trailer picture, realizing that it's somewhat mellow and straightforward was interesting. And I shamefully admit that I didn't realize the twist until it was close to revealing; I think I knew it subconsciously, but it faded quickly. In hindsight, it's obvious.

Of course, the film took a turn. One that bumped my rating for it up one; it became oddly tense and somewhat dark. I was already content with what the film seemed like it would be for its entirety, especially the atmospheric tone well-crafted by Riley Stearns through elements like the craftsmanship of the dialogue, the editing by Sarah Beth Shapiro, and the pacing. The score by Heather McIntosh also played a part. But even more so, the cinematography by Michael Ragen: camera work, the way everything looks, and particular shots. The end credits song ('Can You Hear Me Now?' by Donald McMichael) was good, too.

All of these contributed to the impression of indie films, which have an appreciable feel, like _The Guest_. That seems to be missing from many on the opposite end. Maybe it has to do with a palpable sense of effort behind it, as they're indie films. And I liked that a lot. It's different, especially from what you'd consume most of the time, and it should be more prominent. But it'll be fine for only indie films to possess that trait, just as long as it's present somewhere, especially for people who'd appreciate a break from the norm.

The performances by everyone were good; no one was bad. Everyone was on the same wavelength to the point where no one went beyond, you know? As much as I want to sing Jesse Eisenberg's praises, his performance was the usual, but that doesn't make it not good. Despite being his same-old, he delivered good acting. Imogen Poots was, without a doubt, the best performer, and Alessandro Nivola was right behind; both of them were the highlights. I also want to mention Phillip Andre Botello, whose performance/line delivery was good. No one stood out in either a good or bad way despite Imogen having come across as delivering the best performance.

The fight choreography was surprisingly good, as well. That sort of thing was on the down-low for most of the film until the arm incident, which was a massive shift in tone; the fight sequence after that was well-choreographed and surprisingly violent, going hand in hand with the tonal shift set in motion right before it. But, in a different vein, regarding unarmed combat to the death, the art of self-defense is the loser because there never were any rules.

Also, this karate dojo and its students would decimate Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate, no question, and I haven't watched the show yet. Anna solos Sam and Tory. Sensei/Leslie solos Johnny, Daniel, Kreese, and Silver. Thomas and Kennith solo everyone else.

Overall, this was a great watch. This film is severely underrated, but I suppose I can understand if most people wouldn't like it that much. I'm glad it came to mind; who knows how much time would've passed if that weren't the case.

‘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

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._