The Brave One

So what would it take to turn a happy 30-something New Yorker, in love with her city and her fiancée, into a cold blooded murderer? How about being attacked and brutally beaten in Central Park by a gang of thugs, then waking up in hospital only to find out that the love of your life has been buried while you were in a three week long coma. The Brave One takes you on a journey of what it means to loose everything, to become a shadow of yourself, propelled by a very strong performance by Jodi Foster as Erica Bain. We watch as she finds herself crippled by fear, unable to step over the threshold between her home and the city she once felt safe in, now turned against her. When she does find the strength to leave, she's caught up in a convenience store shooting and surprises herself by killing the attacker. And so begins her mission to take the law into her own hands, killing those who abuse, taunt and betray, yet always remaining the victim of violence On the way, she catches the attention of NYPD Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), the lead investigator in what becomes known as the "vigilante killings". They form a close bond, though the basis of it is not always clear. It's a pity that so much of the film's focus is on the murders, preventing the audience from exploring Erica's character deeper. You wonder why she has no friends and what her logic is for not seeking help when she is clearly loosing her mind. However, what the narrative may lack depth and dimension is balanced out by the cinematography, most notably the artful juxtaposition of tender love making and gory violence to signify her pain. And while the ending may feel like somewhat of an anti-climax after spending the past two hours jumping out of your seat, it never the less brings the journey satisfyingly full-circle. The Fan Carpet - www.thefancarpet.com

Jodie Foster's rehash of the 1966 classic and box office sensation DEATH WISH limps into a lackluster 1st place with a lame $13.5 million in its opening week -- most likely stone-cold dead by next month. DEATH WISH was perhaps the most articulate anti-liberal movie ever made, telling how liberalism had reduced New York City to a state of crime-soaked chaos to the point that even the precious Upper East Side was a jungle. During that era, NYC lost 20% of its population, mostly the middle class, went bankrupt and was bailed out by Uncle Sam, and with every turn the bleeding hearts were shedding crocodile tears for their beloved street-thugs while not caring a fig for law abiding victims of crime. Criminal actions were "society's fault" you must understand! Anyway, "Death Wish" smashed box office records at Loew's Astor Plaza when it opened with a small newspaper ad that resonated throughout crime-filled NYC: "Vigilante city style. Judge, jury and executioner!" Young people in NYC today have no idea the cess-pool their city was during that era. Now comes the Liberal re-hash. First we have Jodie Foster going on TV and trashing the work of her betters -- putting down Charles Bronson and Death Wish. Second, we have the street criminals as White Guys. Third, we have Jodie involved in an inter-race romance which will later be used to explain "the audience wasn't ready for that" when the film concludes its strike-out. Finally, the real trouble is that NYC was cleaned-up by Rudy Guiliani who reduced crime by 75%; thereby today's NYC audience might accept a vigilante film set in the Old West perhaps easier than in NYC. Take any subway in NYC in 2007 and you will not see the face of fear on 99% of the passengers. Jodie, sit down and shut up.

Police detective in New York City is befriended by a female talk-radio hostess who makes acerbic/introspective comments on daily life in the Big Apple; her past as the near-fatal victim of murderous street thugs connects in his mind with the current rash of celebrated vigilante killings...but if his hunch is right, will he be able to arrest someone he has come to admire? Despite a dreamy, somewhat disconnected narrative which gives the proceedings almost a surreal feeling, this violent urban thriller is absorbing and intriguing, if familiar. Jodie Foster is very capable in the role of this intense, mourning and benumbed woman who isn't quite sure what her feelings are regarding the low-life she kills, yet the character as conceived is tough for us to reach. Speaking in a low monotone (and grieving for her slain boyfriend in much the same way), Foster doesn't shake the audience up--and she doesn't propel the film forward. She is highly sympathetic and human, yet she seems to drift through this hellish jungle with a halo and a gun. Director Neil Jordan certainly stacks the deck against her, which should be enough to get viewers rooting for this modern-day "Ms. 45", however the picture remains aloof, detached. As the detective, Terrence Howard does well with an old-hat role, and the actors playing the punks are all quite convincing. There's a plot thread involving an i-phone recording of the beating Foster and her fiancée suffer which doesn't come off (it seems dropped in), and another scene with Foster saving a young woman from a pimp that feels sketchy. Still, the movie looks classy, has skillful editing and a satisfying wrap-up, and makes fine usage of Sarah McLachlan's song "Answer". **1/2 from ****

The Brave One seems to indicate that the main character, of course, is brave. I'd disagree. The more brave thing to do in a situation like the one that happens to her- getting brutally beaten along with her fiancée who doesn't live another day from it- is to go after the criminals without resorting to a total distorted view of society. Jodie Foster's character, Erica, is a radio personality who's niche is walking the streets and recording what goes on. We're given no real depth aside from 'she had someone she loved, he died, the police don't pursue it, she gets a gun, yada-yada-yada, she gets somewhat but not really involved with the lead detective' into the character, and so were left with something leftover from past movies: the vigilante code of justice, where taking the power in one's own hands is all there is. But we're never too sure if Erica is sane or not, if the filmmakers take a position one way or another (that is until the end, which is such a stupid message to take anyway, dog included as overbearing metaphor), while making the New York City of today, which has become significantly safer than, say, twenty years ago, look like you'll get knifed or beaten if you go down just the right alley or just sit alone on a subway car. There could even be a somewhat better movie in the midst of all of this- perhaps just in the undercooked subplot with Terence Howard's detective, who is involved in some custody battle of a child that isn't his and a woman who he's not linked to and a step-father who, I don't know what aside from owning parking lots and being a bad dude- but we're left to a script that's both ham-fisted and disjointed with logic. It becomes laughable, for example, to see that at first the logical side- of Erica unable to really shoot properly, as seen in her first shooting in a convenience store at the convenient moment of a robbery of a wife by the husband- and then giving way to the illogical of her crack-shot at shooting at a pimp driving a car head on at her and killing him and ducking just in time to not get run over. It doesn't help that Jordon's style with the camera becomes a little more than insufferable: it's called a stedi-cam for a *reason*, not because it can weave in and out. Ironically, the script and direction become very good, or rather work the best they can under the desired circumstances: when looking at the actual beating scene under the bridge, caught between a video-taped point of view by one of the criminals by the regular film cam in a pace that is perfectly disorienting. And when Erica first comes back on the air to her radio show, and she freezes up trying to do her old shtick, and speaks out a 'from-the-heart' about how afraid she is- this scene, from Foster's performance, to the clear direction and script, is the best scene in the film. But aside from that, there's just a lot of posturing into a psychology that's flimsy: is she a De Niro in Taxi Driver or a Bronson in Death Wish? We have her narration over scenes, some of it doesn't have to do at all with her radio show, observing how disgusted she is with walking around at night, nothing to do but her self-imposed task of cleaning up the streets. But unlike Death Wish, a movie that held more ambiguity and never held an answer at the end in a revenge scenario, the path of endless violence just heeds to a message, one that won't be news to anyone who's seen a second of Lifetime movie-of-the-week melodrama. The actors make do with what's given, and in the end it becomes much more frustrating trying to stay with the anticipated, the hackneyed plot turns, and the plain old inexplicable (plus the unintentionally hilarious, like a few expletives shouted by Howard after getting shot in one scene), and the temptation to walk out grows stronger and stronger. It's a very problematic picture, with only a few moments of genuine interest and clear-headed convention-bending.

I'm just responding to the previous review. Since when is a film about a female vigilante bog "standard?" In the last twenty years, I can name maybe two - and I'm not digging through all that substandard, titillating 80s "chick with a gun" garbage. I'm talking about a real film, destined for the cinemas, that deals with real issues and has a female lead? "Thelma and Louise" - and it's not really a vigilante film - and maybe "Kill Bill," which is a revenge film not a vigilante film, either. That's it, folks. "The Brave One" is a fantastic film that blurs the line between good and evil. It's superbly acted by Jodie Foster, a real rarity in Hollywood as she's never sold herself out as the male lead's "sweetheart," and marvelously directed by Neil Jordan; a man who courts controversy. This film challenges a lot of stereotypes, and presents you with a lot of questions. I would certainly add it to my Top 10 list for 2007. (So far, it joins "300," "Zodiac," "The Lookout," "Rescue Dawn," and "Sunshine."

It's been said a dozen times already, but The Brave One is basically Death Wish all over again with just hint of Taxi Driver. It is also incredibly boring with lifeless characters and some horribly misjudged moments. Erica Bane (Jodie Foster) is a radio host who is mugged in Central Park (in a totally unshocking scene). Her boyfriend is killed and she is badly beaten. The police don't care about her case and she figures that the only way to feel safe on the streets again is to buy a gun, just in case. What a happy coincidence then that Erica meets plenty of baddies after purchasing her new weapon. It gives her the opportunity to have some fun killing people and gives the movie and excuse to exist. It might have been involving had I not felt so utterly detached from the character. Neil Jordan does something wrong, I'm not sure what it is, but he seems to keep us at a distance from Erica Bane from the very beginning. She just doesn't seem like a real, believable person and his handling of her important, emotional scenes come across as flat and cursory. It also doesn't help that the plot is most convoluted and contrived nonense with far, far too many coincidences. How dumb do they think we are, exactly? It also disturbingly portrays most ethnic minorities as being a threat. If the baddies aren't black or Latino then they are sleazy middle-aged men. Either way, they are male and you be ashamed to be one since Jodie Foster, in her producer capacity, seems to think that we are all potential rapists. Why she felt like she needed to make this statement I don't know. And besides, why should a woman have to go through such an ordeal before she realises that she can be tough? Why can't she just be tough in the first place? I think that Jodie Foster, blinded by her feminist arrogance, forgot to consider that THIS might be interpreted as sexist. The main reason for The Brave One (terrible title) failing is that Neil Jordan never gets a single camera angle right. At no point in the film do we really feel like we're in Erica's man-hating shoes. His photography and color-schemes are bland and muted instead of being naturalised and realistic, which would have been much more involving. And NYC has been seriously cleaned up since the mid-90s, the film even makes a point of mentioning this. So why then go on to show that it is still crawling with vermin? Is it or isn't it 'The Safest Big City in the World'? I don't think that there is any logic to this at all. Basically, it's a TV movie masquerading as a film that belongs on the big screen. If you find TV movies boring then, chances are, you'll find this unbearable.

(My Synopsis) Radio host Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is working and living a wonderful life in New York City without a care in the world. One night she and her fiancé, David (Naveen Andrews), are brutally attacked by three thugs in the park. David is killed and Erica is beaten within an inch of her life. Erica is traumatized to a point where she can not sleep and will not leave her apartment. To cope and work past this tragic event, Erica becomes someone else. She buys a gun and begins to roam the streets at night looking to take her revenge on the men who were responsible for killing her one true love. One late night, Erica is in the back of a convenience store about to purchase a soft drink when a man comes in and kills the woman clerk. She is a witness, and he comes after her. Erica protects herself and finds that it is very easy to shoot a gun. Days later, Erica is on the subway when she is about to be raped by two men, and again she protects herself. The City of New York is fascinated with the exploits of this vigilante killer, and NYPD Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) is trying to catch this person, before he kills again. Erica gets a lead of where she can find the three men in the park, so they will be next. (My Comment) Jodie Foster is brilliant playing the part of a victim when she is hit by a random act of violence. We get to experience the whole tragedy through the eyes of Erica. Her first thoughts were she was lucky to be alive, then she wants justice, and if she can't get justice, she wants revenge. Erica is a calm radio show host who starts out as an ordinary woman who becomes a victim and finds the courage to fight back by turning into a Charles Bronson (Death Wish) character. Erica decides to walk the streets of New York shooting anyone who does her wrong. Jodie is excellent in transitioning from good to evil and in the process still wanting justice. (Warner Bros. Pictures, Run time 1:59, Rated R)(8/10)

Interesting take with a woman radio personality seeking revenge for the deep emotional wound and slowly becoming a serial killer of "bad people.' Usually, women kill husbands, lovers, children. What makes her cross the line? The moral questions. The moral dilemma lays between darkness and light and the characters have to cross boundaries. There is also the relationship between Jodie Foster and Det. Mercer. They are complete opposites. But once they are in the gray area does human nature take over? It's a compelling movie because of the many questions asked. The cinematography, the voice overs and music are also wonderful.

This was entertaining. Sure, one can't help but draw comparisons and think back to the most famous vigilante film of all time: "Death Wish," but this film stands on its own story. No, it's not "Death Wish," but it ain't far from it, storywise. It's different enough to keep us guessing what "Erica" will do next so, in that regard, it's good value for your entertainment dollar, particularly if you enjoy film noirs. This would be labeled a "neo noir" today. I was a little skeptical about Jodie Foster playing a Charles Bronson-type shooter, but she pulled it off convincingly. The difference in "Erica Bain" and Bronson's "Paul Kersey" was minimal except she seemed to be more depressed over who she had become, once she started killing. Foster, by the way, shows no signs of slowing down as an actress and this was a juicy role for her. But don't be misled by this film's screenplay or by Hollywood standards of morality, as they have very little. The fact is, as shown in this film, this woman quickly turns into a killer, a murderer, if even if it was scumbags she was killing, it doesn't justify her actions and, deep inside, she knew it. (It sure is satisfying, though, in a real base sense!) The ending a little UNsatisfying to a number of reviewers, both here and in national publications. That's all I will say on that, as I don't want to spoil anything for readers who haven't seen the movie. You make up your own mind what you think of it, and the message it conveys. Suffice to say, if you're looking for an entertaining neo noir, one that serves up your thirst for vengeance a la "Death Wish," this is one to check out at your local rental store.

Jodie Foster delivers an Oscar worthy performance in this astoundingly fresh/novel treatment of what, to some, may seem like old themes. "The Brave One" is a far cry from the hackneyed "revenge fantasy" flicks that Charles Bronson made (in)famous. On the surface, some of the elements are similar; but once we get past the surface (which Ms Foster and an excellent supporting cast make easy for the viewer) we are transported into the mind, body and soul of Foster's character to a depth that none of the old "Death Wish" movies ever aspired to, let alone achieved. Yes, powerful emotions are evoked and complex, often contradictory thoughts/ideas are provoked; yet somehow, it is all done with a minimum of coarse manipulation. (If there had been none at all I would have rated this a ten). "The Brave One" manages to pull off that most rare of cinematic achievements/challenges; it works as high art, profound social/political/psychological/ethical commentary AND delivers an exciting/riveting "can't take your eyes off the screen" theater/drama that elevates the experience of "entertainment" to a level far beyond mere diversion. As someone who is anti death penalty and pro gun control I was surprised, and even uncomfortable, finding myself (along with others) applauding at the end of this marvelous movie. Part of me is tempted to write a long commentary discussing the movie in depth; but that would spoil it for anyone who hasn't already seen it. So, at the risk of sounding like a pitchman, I leave you with...... Don't take my word for it, go see this transcendent masterpiece for yourself.