The Art of Self-Defense | SXSW 2019 Film Review

Jesse Eisenberg has established quite the career of portraying chatterbox miscreants, intelligent men of questionable morality who benefit in their stations of life from their innate ability to talk anyone into anything. Love him or hate him, this brand of anti-hero is his alone to carry. And in his latest film, The Art of Self-Defense, his weapons of words are essentially rendered moot.

Casey (Eisenberg) is a meek and quiet fellow, wandering through life in a daze of complacency. His co-workers are barely aware of his existence, and his only friend appears to be his adorable pet dachshund. One late night, Casey is mugged on his way home from a quick stop for dog food. Left seemingly for dead, Casey finds himself consumed with terror at even the mere thought of venturing out in the dark. And then, something miraculous happens: Casey stumbles into a karate dojo and finds that he can conquer these fears with a bit of hardcore martial arts training.

As Casey embarks on this karate journey, he comes to admire and even emulate his Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). Quickly ascending the ranks of his classmates, Casey gains confidence and bravado, which lead him to astonishing life choices: learning German over French, enforcing tough love for his tiny pet, and even refuting his boss’s well-intended sympathies. As he grows closer to Sensei while attending the highly secretive night classes, Casey finds himself on a crash course with self-destruction.

The Art of Self-Defense isn’t the first time that machismo is seen as the misbegotten solution to cowardice, nor will it be the last. What writer and director Riley Stearns (Faults) deftly brings to this scenario, is a noticeable blend of bleak comedy topped with a crippling commentary on society’s desperate need to dominate. For all of our righteous indignation on bullying, there is still a portion of the human spirit which thrives once we are in control of a given situation. What a victim does when they are suddenly given insurmountable power to tower over others is at the core of what defines an individual’s character, and Casey’s is being tested.

Casey is our hero, yet for a large majority of the film, he is far from heroic. Eisenberg firmly restrains his trademark tics to present a character who claws at every conceivable scenario in order to never again play the victim, until the final act when Casey uncovers his inner strength, and the Eisenberg we know and love emerges with him. Jesse Eisenberg has not embodied as well-rounded a character as this since The Social Network, and after several recent career missteps, Casey is a glorious return to form for the actor.

Alessandro Nivola’s Sensei is – while at times thunderously moronic – mostly a man’s man, a warrior living in an age of hipster douchebags. He is The Karate Kid’s John Kreese taken to an 11, with an intriguing agenda to spare, and everything Casey aspires to be. Nivola delivers each line in an almost monochromatic manner, rarely altering the tone of his voice even in extreme circumstances. It’s an intriguing way to approach such a pivotal character, yet one that truly works within Stearns’ framework. Despite Sensei’s misogynistic treatment of Casey’s fellow student, Anna (Imogen Poots), and frequently horrific training methods, Nivola’s portrayal is relentlessly fascinating to watch. At times, even endearing.

I cannot reiterate enough how polarizing the subject matter here is. Veering between uproariously comical and hypnotically unnerving, The Art of Self-Defense is a hilarious middle finger to toxic masculinity, and not a film that will register with every viewer; the humor is simply too dire for mainstream audiences. But if you are open to the concept of skewering red-blooded American male machismo for laughs, Riley Stearns has just the dojo for you.