I would agree with those who say that Jodi Foster is the redeeming factor in this film. I remember how much fun it was to pull for Charles Bronson in those Death Wish things (the early one's; not the silly sequels). How can one not empathize with her character. The thing is that it's easy for Hollywood to appeal to our baser instincts. This does and it wouldn't sustain long term interest if it was just anyone portraying the central figure. Of course, there are factors to face, like "if you set foot on the street, is there routinely someone out there that is just waiting for you"? But the cheap thrills are more than compensated for by Foster's masterful acting style and her incredible demeanor. While it stretches the bounds of credibility, once I set that aside, I was able to enjoy the ride. It's certainly cathartic if nothing else.
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Hitchcoc22 May 2012
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don_agu29 September 2007A genre movie directed by an artist, Neil Jordan in this particular case. That is a formula that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. This time does, big time and I suspect it has to do with the artist behind the camera leaving the artist in front of the camera to her own devices and we all know that Jodie Foster's devices can be miraculous sometimes. The anguishing feel of solitude permeates Jodie's performance that's why I imagine Neil Jordan leaving her alone. Her decisions, I mean the character's and the actress's, seem to have been taken without consulting anyone. They are as pure as they are insane. I predict Miss Foster will be up for her third Oscar unless a miracle happens in the next three months. Well done!
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The Brave One is a standard film of the genre we have seen many times before,like Death Wish,etc,but it still managed to thrill me,and to me that's all that's important. The film's main strength comes from Jodie Foster. We can see she's not the killing type,with each kill she becomes increasingly more paranoid,it's just eating her up inside each time she does it. It was different with Charles Bronson because he basically just went on a spree after awhile with no emotion. With Jodie it was personal,it was heartfelt and it's clear she does not enjoy what she is doing. Basically for a Revenge film to be effective,the revenge has to be worthwhile for the viewer,luckily The Brave One provides that in a big way. With each kill we feel delight,but also pain because of Jodie,we go through every emotion she does,and I give big time credit to Roderick and Bruce Taylor,for making an excellent screen play. We all like a good revenge story,it thrills the viewer while giving them satisfaction and taking out there frustrations. The Brave One isn't original by any means,but it's definitely one of the better revenge films to come out as of late,I really liked it.
Performances. Jodie Foster is a revelation as the lead. Her tortured yet sympathetic performance is the highlight of this movie. We follow her every move,from the time her fiancé is killed,to her traumatizing,we go through it all. I give big credit to Jodie Foster for pulling it off,she proved why she's one of Hollywood's most durable actresses. Terrence Howard is pretty good as the detective. He's caring and charismatic,I enjoyed his scenes with Foster. Nicky Katt did pretty well,I enjoyed his show. Rest of the cast do fine.
Bottom Line. The Brave One is an unoriginal yet great revenge tale,that will really get your heart pumping. Recommended
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Benedict_Cumberbatch12 February 2008"I think someone should just take this city and just... just flush it down the f***in' toilet", says Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), in "Taxi Driver". He wants to protect the young prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) from some pigs, and give her a better future. 31 years later, Iris is a popular radio host whose fiancé (Naveen Andrews) is killed in a random attack. She decides to avenge him, and other helpless people, with her own hands.
If not for Jodie Foster's presence, I probably wouldn't bother watching "The Brave One" (even though I admire most of Neil Jordan's films). It's easy to call this a morally sick movie, because that's what is... but it's not sicker than any other bloody action thriller out there. Watching a "fragile" woman like Foster becoming Charles Bronson in skirts is both entertaining and (questionably) gratifying. Who's never fantasized: what if I could just kill all the scum around me? Like "Falling Down" and so many other flicks, "The Brave One" appeals to our lower instincts, and - mildly - makes us imagine what would we do in Jodie's shoes, and how "simple and satisfying" it'd be just to kill them all. That'd be the easiest, quickest 'solution' to our nightmares, and on a second look, that's not as sick as we'd think... just desperate and cathartic.
Far from being a great movie or intellectually instigating as, say, "Dogville", "The Brave One" is worth seeing for Jodie's performance and for its unapologetic badassery in times of false, excessive morality. 6.5/10. -
tukan-126 August 2007I saw this film in a preview. It was the final production though. Jodie Foster is a great actress, I would give her 10 of 10 without hesitation. The story is a standard revenge-movie. But with Jodies amazing acting and a good director the standard story becomes interesting. It's like experience the whole thing through Jodies character. The bad guys gets a little bit stereotyped and shows almost no personalty other than violent temper. Well, it's easier to kill them then, I guess. The sens-moral of the film is "kill the bad guys". Yes, feels good on the white screen, but it would be the end of society if everybody did like these characters did. Jodie gets 10 and the story 5, so average is 7 which is my vote. Definitely worth watching.
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moonspinner5526 September 2008Police 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 ****
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jess-15412 February 2008So 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.
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ma-cortes20 February 2009This film produced by Joel Silver tells about Erica(Jodie Foster) a successful radio host along with her boyfriend(Naveen Andrews) are walking with their dog at Central Park when are attacked by a gang of hoodlums. Her sweetheart dies, turning mild-mannered liberal Erica into a vigilante.Whe she leaves the hospital buys an illegal gun and seeks revenge stalking the streets of N. Y. C. She takes the law on his own hands, taking on a thief who is robbing a store, a corrupt mobster and two youths terrorizing subway passengers, among them. Meanwhile she befriends a detective(Terrence Howard) who's investigating a series murders. Later is summoned by the Police to identify the muggers.
A variable and certainly exciting screenplay is heftily completed by skillful developing, some nice action scenes and explicit violence. The public were clearly on the Erica's side despite the morality may be questionable but the vengeance can be deemed excessive. Strong performance by a traumatized Jodie Foster driven violence after his fiancé is killed and she's viciously attacked by degenerate punks.The film bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Death Wish¨ series with Paul Kersey-Charles Bronson, of course the acting by Jodie Foster is much better and the story is more intelligent and thoughtful.Atmospheric musical score by Dario Marinelli and good night-time photography on city streets by Philippe Rousselot. The flick is well directed by Neal Jordan, expert of film-making clever dramas (Michale Collins, Crying game, Mona Lisa). Rating : Better than average, well worth seeing. -
this movie was much better than i had hoped or expected it to be.it basically turns the vigilante genre on its head,and has a female character as the vigilante.like any vigilante movie,it certainly poses tough questions.it contains some terrific performances in it's two lead characters,Jodi Foster as the vigilante,and Terrance Howard as the cop on her trail.both are outstanding and very credible in their respective roles.Foster really makes you sympathetic to her character and rooting for her,even though you probably shouldn't.Howard's character is also sympathetic,because he has mixed feelings,but has to follow the law.he comes off very convincingly as someone who is conflicted.the movie is well paced and appropriately dark.even before the end of the movie,i thought it was well done,but the ending caught me totally off guard.it elevated the movie a notch.for me,The Brave One is a 9/10
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nobbytatoes16 October 2007The Vigilante is a strange and intriguing person. One person’s act of retribution, or act for the greater good can stir so much emotions. Not just in the single man or woman, but the greater community; with polarising effects. The Brave One takes a side step of the vigilante parable. Erica Bain is not out there to clean the streets, The Brave One studies more on the emotional aftermath of a woman’s turmoil, resulting in her beaten close to death and fiancé David murdered. Director Neil Jordan handles proceedings well, while screenwriters Cynthia Mort, Bruce A. Taylor and Roderick Taylor inject intelligence into this story of a woman rebuilding her life. Well not rebuilding, changing into someone she doesn’t recognise; this stranger. For the most part, The Brave One walks a solid line, as Erica grips with her lose and the first few murders, until revenge and the vigilante acts enter the picture. Side stepping into that vigilante territory and the final act of revenge drag everything into a standard form. All the insight and turmoil to Erica is muted when this becomes another vigilante film. When the exploration of society’s reaction to these crimes is about to head into thought provoking areas and the ramifications of these acts, are all dropped for acts of revenge. The final act is what unfolds what was so tightly constructed beforehand. The tuff and hard hitting ending Jordan was heading for never eventuates, for an ending more cheap and selling out the audience. Jodie Foster gives and powerhouse performance, over shadowing the rest of the cast, and is the strongest element of The Brave One. Terrence Howard is solid, without being very memorable. The Brave One has an intriguing premise, true this isn't Deathwish or Taxi Driver again, it’s a disappointment it could have risen above what it actually finished as.
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undercutter64028 May 2008This movie just seemed really forced. Forced plot devices, forced dialogue, it just did not seem natural at all. Everybody talks like they are 'in' on the script. Jodie Foster does an excellent job, as always, but there is just too much self-conscious narrative to save this.
Furthermore I really don't understand why the protagonist was labeled as a vigilante. She was nothing of a kind. Everything she did was in pure self defence. First she kills a guy who is hunting her down with a gun in a grocery store, then she kills 2 guys in the subway who put a gun and a knife to her throat and try to rape her, and so on. What's vigilante about that? The only thing she did wrong was to get an unlicensed weapon, other than that she was completely justified in doing all the killings - if somebody points a gun in your direction with an intent to kill, you have to protect yourself. Even in New York.
May be the movie would be better if it had a better social commentary on how women are in constant danger of violence in our society, regular and sexual, and how they are criminalized if they try to use force to protect themselves, but the movie never got that deep -
"The Brave One," is a revenge film that is different then most revenge films. What director Neil Jordan does to separate this film from others is that he immerses the audience through the psychology and consequences when one decides to take the law into their own hands, rather then focusing on the killing spree and violence of other similar pictures.
In "The Brave One," Foster plays a radio talk show host, Erica in New York City and is caught up in the illusion of a safe, happy life. She's engaged to a handsome doctor, and carries a distinguished radio show, but all this crumbles into pieces after a fateful run in with punks in a park assault Erica and her fiancée, leaving Foster battered and bloody and her fiancée dead.
After Erica is in a coma for three weeks, the scars from the experience paralyze her emotions. Foster's raw emotion comes through in her acting with great strength, as we see this tidal wave of tragedy ruin her entire life. The city that she once loved now is seen as a dark, hostile, soulless environment as she sees the repressive pry on the weak and the law seems powerless to stop it. After failing at reaching detectives to help find her husbands killer, and her own fear for her safety, she decides to pick up a gun to protect herself.
Erica's own morality is changed forever, after she witnesses a man gunning down his wife at a connivance store. She begins to wallow and cry in fear, but her pain of her past causes her to act in anger as she guns the man down. The experience causes Erica to feel dignified and unafraid. She does not want to be an innocent, vulnerable bystander to the repressive anymore, and does not want to shy away from the repressive when they come across her.
The process of her road down to becoming an avenging angel is a slow digression, and witnessing her developing resistance towards injustice is very moving to watch. Most thrillers such as this one have plots that seem strained, but "The Brave One's" storyline gives much time for the viewer to understand Erica's emotions and the motives she chooses to signify them.
When Erica meets the detective investigating her case, she becomes fascinated with him, as she realizes that he is trying to put away a ruthless criminal who has escaped the law. To cover for her crimes, she displays interest in him through her work as a DJ and interviews the detective, played by Terrance Howard. This makes for another interesting storyline in the film. She asks him, "is there anything you can do to bring this man to justice?" His reply is, "yes, but it wouldn't be legal," Erica now decides to take the stance as a vigilante, as she decides to bring this ruthless criminal to justice herself.
Erica now becomes ensnared in the endless battle between law and justice through trying to realize where they actually diverge. Foster carries vulnerability in the film but also strength and diligence. Emotional resonance from characters that are real and relatable are hardly seen in film, giving most films a dry and unauthentic look. But Foster engrosses us in Erica's soul. Few actresses can pull off a role like Erica in film today, but Foster stands alone as one of the best character actors's working today.
The film poses controversial questions to the soul rightness of conducting vengeance on those who impart their control and power on others. How can justice prevail when the good do nothing? This question, as well as many more, is raised and the audience is left to discover their own answers on morality. -
Quinoa198423 September 2007The 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. -
While watching The Brave One, you can tell the folks who made this movie were very pleased with themselves. They were thrilled with their own cleverness in making an urban vigilante film with a woman as their vengeance-seeking hero. They clearly thought they were striking some sort of feminist blow against The Patriarchy by doing so. Apparently they missed out on the whole Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Xena the Warrior Princess thing on TV that made women kicking ass rather cliché. Their self-satisfaction blinded them to the fact that their whole idea ends up being only half a movie.
Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is a public radio monologist. She records the sounds of New York City and then weaves stories around that audio for her listeners. She's in love with a man named David (Naveen Andrews) and they seem made for each other, right up until they are both brutally attacked in a city park. David is killed and Erica is put into a coma. When she revives, Erica is consumed by fear and buys a gun to protect herself. It's unclear if anything else would have happened if Erica had been left alone in her pain and sorrow, but she gets caught in the middle of a convenience store robbery and shoots the robber dead. Then she shoots a couple of thugs on the subway, saves a whore from her violent trick, beats a criminal mastermind to death with a tire iron before eventually tracking down the men responsible for the attack on her and David. As Erica is doing a rather halting Charles Bronson impersonation, Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard) is trying to track down New York's newest vigilante gunman. If you can believe it, the *ding* of a closing elevator door puts him on Erica's trail. Mercer engages in one of the most lackadaisical investigations in the history of crime cinema before finally rushing in, but whether it's to stop Erica or help her isn't quite clear.
Let me get a couple of things out of the way. First, Erica has one of those "Magic Negro" friends who dispenses world weary wisdom and guidance. I appreciate that in the limited time available in a film, it can be very hard to avoid using these types of characters. It allows you to make the points you want to make very quickly and clearly. But if you've got to use such a character, stop making them black people! Make them French or Chinese or Hasidic Jews or anything else, but the whole "black person opens the white hero's eyes to the essential truth they're missing" is not only played out, it's almost become a form of racial profiling. Stop it.
The scene I mentioned where Erica beats a vicious criminal to death with a tire iron is also beyond ridiculous. Jodie Foster is not a big girl and in the scene, one of Erica's arms is severely injured. Small, slim women with only one good arm cannot beat fully grown men to death, especially if those men are violent killers themselves. I mean, if you want to be taken seriously as a drama, you can't let overly melodramatic stuff like that ruin the tone of the film.
Putting those two glaring flaws to the side, The Brave One only tells half a story. It's all about Erica being so conflicted and angsty about killing the bad guys. It never bothers with the social and ethical questions raised by the vigilante. The story also never bothers to focus on Eric's transformation into a vigilante. The first time she shoots a bad guy it's self-defense in a random situation. The second time is just as random, but it's not really self-defense and Erica has obviously become a much more proficient killer. But we're never shown or even told about Erica practicing her marksmanship or training her body and mind for deadly situations. The movie dwells too much on Erica's anguish over what she's doing without balancing the scales by showing us the emotions driving her and the extreme effort she has to make to do it. Without that balance, you're left to wonder "Well, if it bothers you that much Erica, why don't you just stop?"
The Brave One also has an ending that could have come straight out of a Lethal Weapon sequel, but with Foster and Howard instead of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. It doesn't sync up at all with the tone and style of the rest of the movie, and I'd bet it was somebody's idea of a happy ending that got snuck in during the rewrite process.
Jodie Foster also gets briefly naked in this film, another example of Producer Self-Nudity. Be warned, however, her nakedness is thoroughly desexualized by mixing memories of Erica having sex with David with memories of the brutal attack on them. If you get aroused by nudity in that context, you should probably seek out a mental health expert.
The Brave One isn't all bad, though. Foster and Howard both do fine jobs and when they're on screen together, they're very entertaining. But unless watching two great actors give merely good performance is all you want or need out of a film, you'd probably be better off renting one of the Death Wish movie instead of this one. Even one of those hugely sucky later Death Wish films where it looks like Bronson needs a walker more than a gun. -
bob the moo9 November 2008Erica Bain is a talk-radio host in New York, specialising in spots that are close to poetry on various subjects. She has everything going for her in her career and also in her personal life as she prepares for her marriage to Dr David Kirmani. They are walking their dog in the park as they often do when their dog goes missing. They find it shortly after but a group of young men have found it already. They demand money for the dog back but it doesn't end there as they get more violent and begin beating the couple while another of the group films it. It is some time before Erica comes to in hospital badly beaten and reeling from the news of David's death. Scared of the places she once loved, Erica gets an unregistered gun for protection but soon finds herself in situations where others would seek to hurt her. She reacts with the gun, killing three criminals in two incidents. While shocked by her behaviour, she is also remarkably calm.
The Brave One was a "big" film in regards posters and cinema coverage in the UK but yet none of the marketing really told me much about it and seemed to concentrate on the big names involved rather than content. I'm sure there were trailers that did it well that I didn't see but to me the impression was of a film that didn't seem sure how to sell itself to the audience. It LOOKED liked it was just a modern version of Death Wish but the presence of Foster made me hope that it would be more not to mention the polished looks, big budget and Hollywood-feel. The film doesn't start in a way that would suggest that though as we are introduced to the "perfect" man in Foster's life, knowing that his sole function in the film is that he will die which he does at the hands of "Bad Men". After this we do get some tentative steps as Bain struggles with her fear and anger but, once she has her outlet the film doesn't look back.
The plot is straightforward all the way. The delivery suggests that it wants to come over as complex and deep but it is never anything of the sort and instead it is a surprisingly simplistic affair that is no better than Winner's original film. The motives of the characters are drawn in big blocks with no detail or finesse and, as a result, I was left uninterested and unconvinced by the characters never really believing them. It plods along with its black/white politics to a conclusion that is a morally-murky cop-out that was only memorable for how "have my cake and eat it" it all was. I shouldn't have been that surprised though as this was in keeping with the whole film.
Foster tries her best but there is nothing for her to work with of interest and the material doesn't offer her complexity to explore or development to exploit. Instead she focuses on "looking intense" most of the time, perhaps hoping that in itself this will suffice (it doesn't). Conversely Howard just does this weird "softly complex" thing that brings just as much depth (or as little rather) to his character as Foster does to hers. The support cast all do as required nobody stood out for reasons of performance but rather for their fame in other things (Lost's Andrews) or family (Lenny Kravitz's daughter Zoë).
The Brave One is all dressed up in its fancy clothes to look like a modern, thoughtful take on Death Wish. It even has big, award-winning stars at its helm to show that it is anything but sordid or simplistic. Problem is nobody passed this message to the writers and the material is as morally dubious as it is basic. Money has clearly been spent and the film LOOKS good but ultimately it goes nowhere, offers little and has morals that are hard to take and don't even trying to argue that it is a grey area of complexity, instead making it all black and white. Professional enough to fool some into thinking it is better than it is, but ultimately this is a basic and dodgy thriller that doesn't engage or thrill. -
Jay_Exiomo12 September 2007First she was trying to save her and her daughter's lives from a group of criminals in "Panic Room". Then she goes on a frantic search thousands of miles up in the air for her daughter who may or may not exist in "Flight Plan". Whether it's an intentional career move, there's no denying that Jodie Foster has been gradually transforming herself into a female action star whose characters always start as ordinary women falling victim and then finding their courage to ultimately give the perpetrators their comeuppance.
It's the case here, as Foster plays Erica Bain, the host of a weekend radio show who miraculously survives after being beaten to death by some thugs late one night. Unfortunately, her fiancé (Naveen Andrews) didn't. Traumatized by the incident, it takes time before Erica learns to step outside of her apartment again.
Once she does, the fear has become irrevocable and the constant dread has led her to an illegal gun dealer, from whom she buys a gun to alleviate the trauma. Sooner she finds herself walking the streets of New York at night gunning down people who dare wrong her. At the same time, she befriends Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), the one in charge of investigating the case of the vigilante prowling the city.
At first glance, it's "Death Wish" with a female lead. But director Neil Jordan ("The End of the Affair", "Interview with the Vampire") has crafted a revenge flick that is effectively motivated by emotion and character. The screenplay by Roderick Taylor, Bruce A. Taylor and Cynthia Mort has a fairly standard construction and a story that isn't exactly of a revolutionary status, but Jordan's film isn't all about it. If anything, it's an attempt to have an impartial perspective into a character's psyche who faces the moral perplexity of revenge and vigilantism; a person who has become detached from justice and habituated to murder.
"The Brave One" tackles the theme with grit, and at the same time with elegance. For instance, as Erica says at some point, she's not the same person anymore. She's one who has been badly beaten that her identity lost its stability. In one scene, Jordan employs canted angles to perhaps emphasize this, followed by an environment shot with a diffused glow to illustrate the paranoia that runs through the lead character's mind.
Of course, it helps a lot that Foster lends great credibility to her character. She expertly portrays the dichotomy of her character who treads a thin line that divides right from wrong, and insanity from sanity. Here, Foster is Erica and it's not hard to care for her character as she struggles to vindicate her acts.
The final act leaves a lot to be desired though. The way it was handled may be a way to make way to a new level emotionally speaking, but it offers little implication to the characters and doesn't give the story a sincere profoundness. Not to mention it undermines the initial effort to provide an objective look into the issue.
"The Brave One" comes as a flawed product from a certain perspective. But strong acting and genuine motivations make this film more compelling and more intelligent than the standard thriller. -
"The Brave One" stars veteran actress Jodie Foster as Erica Bain a New York City woman who works as a radio talk show host, and she seems to be happy and have all comfort in her life including a loving relationship with an emergency room doctor. Then one night when she along with her lover take a stroll in Central Park the unthinkable happens a brutal attack on both which leaves her hurt both mentally and physically, after Erica awakens she finds the news is bad her boyfriend has died. This film then takes on a fear factor mind set from then on something that many victims rights groups can relate to with the goals and struggles to overcome the constant fear. Also the film is transformed into a revenge story as Erica becomes a gun loving lady that she carries all the time to protect herself, even though good investigative work is provided from Detective Mercer(Terrence Howard). The message this film points to is a justice of vigilante style a kind that is a crowd pleaser, yet it's not to common in the real world because the justice system brings to many consequences and still wrongs to many victims. Good film that can be enjoyed by victims rights groups and mainly vigilante groups who can only hope for change in the justice for victims while the realism of the world's justice is often not standard being very scattered and bleak.
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antoniotierno2 October 2007It's a pity this film has such a stupid finale since it wasn't bad at all; it belongs to the "revenge thriller" genre but develops also a strong personal drama. Leading actors parts are really well rounded, Terence Howard is really suitable for his role and Jodie Foster is not a surprise anymore. The movie tells a story of a woman struggling to recover (physically and psychologically) from a brutal attack and finding a reason to live in the revenge; as said, this vigilante drama turns ludicrous for the implausible and unbelievable ending but, aside from that, the story makes sense overall. It's quite easy for the viewer to identify himself with the victim, also when she becomes a ruthless killer. To sum up, both the main characters show pathos and their chemistry works, so would say it's a an enthralling story.
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barrys8223 October 2007It was a good decent movie, it has some good action, adventure and suspense. A very interesting and shocking story about a woman named Erica Bain, a radio host who's life was good until she and her fiancé get mugged and brutally beaten, he dies and she is left badly wounded, as a result of this, she began to seek justice by her own hand. The plot is convincing although it has some flaws in i, I think the characters weren't fully developed. The cast was very good, Jodie Foster in a role with a lot of mood swings, delivers a powerful performance , maybe not the best of her career but a very convincing one. Terrence Dashon Howard also has a very good acting as the police detective in charge of investigating who is the vigilante behind the murders, Naveen Andrews although his performance was short, it was sufficiently good.
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ccthemovieman-112 February 2008This 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. -
Ever since I watched this movie I've had mixed feelings about it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something felt wrong. I knew it was a good movie with - as usual - a great Jodie Foster in the lead role, but why was I somewhat disappointed? Then it suddenly hit me! This movie contains a story that has been told so many times before. "Death wish", "Taxi driver", "Batman", "Robocop" and even the video game "Max Payne" all tell similar tales of how a rogue vigilante randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark in their cities.
Thus the biggest flaw of "The brave one" is the story's serious lack of originality. Luckily: the rest is quite good. You care about most of the characters and virtually all acting is really nice; especially Jodie Foster as the frustrated anti-hero and Terrence Howard as the detective who is assigned to crack the case.
The sinister atmosphere that this movie generates is exactly the same as in the 1976 classic "Taxi driver" but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Such a distressing mood gives the impression of being back in the jungle where survival of the fittest is the number one rule. The first crime depicted in this bleak movie is a good example of such a situation. The brutal scene where Jodie Foster and her husband are roughed up by a couple of street punks late at night is truly heartbreaking stuff.
In short: Forget about the fact that this movie tells a worn-out story and you'll enjoy it all the more. -
brefane24 January 2011Cringe worthy film on a provocative theme is poorly directed and acted, and fails to garner sympathy for the lead character. The photography is distracting and doesn't set the right mood, and the preposterous ending with Terrence Howard begging Foster to shoot him would be laughable except that it follows 2 hours of pointlessness melodrama with artistic pretensions. Despite the names involved there is no more artistry here than in Death Wish(74)which at least provided cheap B-movie thrills without the self importance. Like William Freidkin's Cruising, The Brave One confuses the issues, and ultimately fails to involve the audience. The film's song played at the end is, like the film, unendurable. Watch Ms.45 instead.
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tvfilmfl12 September 2007OK, probably on first glance everyone will see the similarity with previous (male dominated) vigilante films. But that's a quick, superficial response. I have to say that everyone at the preview here in Miami on 9/10/07 was knocked out by what this film truly does. It takes us on an uncharted ride through the eyes of an intelligent NY woman who's pretty much got her life by the tail. She's got good work, a fiancé with whom she is in love, friends who are supportive and a future that seems bright. Her life works, maybe even constitutes a "charmed" life. Then life in the "safest big city in the world" grinds her up like just so much meat going through a Cuisinart on high. A senseless attack in Central Park and her life, her love and even her dog are gone... in a matter of seconds. She can never go back to who she was, but the world she lives in post-attack, seems to have no room for her as she is. It is after this "prologue" that the essential story really begins. This is a film about the way violence strips you of your identity and changes you irrevocably. It explores in detail how you can become someone even you can't recognize in the bathroom mirror when loss, grief, anxiety, terror and depression take over. And what makes this interesting & screen-worthy, is the journey the character takes is very different from that of others before her in this genre. First, because it is experienced totally through her eyes, ears and sensibilities. Second, because for the first time I can recall, after a lifetime of sitting in the dark and watching films, the character I gladly identify with is a woman. Yes, it appears Ms. Foster has made some definite changes in her selection of material - she's gone from victim to vigilante over the course of a couple of decades. I admit that I have enjoyed all of her work, but if she doesn't get an Oscar nomination for her work in this film, everyone in Hollywood needs to be institutionalized. She carries the film, is on screen for 97% of the time, has changed her look and style to become a believable New Yorker... the no-nonsense hair, clothes and stride of a woman who earns her living via the sounds and rhythms of Manhattan. She shows a wide range in this part... at once sarcastic, then nurturing, smoky-voice seductive, yet warm & vulnerable and finally, a shell-shocked survivor who appears cold-blooded, but is really suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome of the highest order. She does not strike one false note. Her supporting cast is strong and the relationship that evolves between her character and the Detective is edgy and in the end, fulfilling. I hope that the audiences see what I & the rest of the preview audience saw in this film... a character study that's "dead on" in its dramatic arc. From what I understand, Ms. Foster often takes on roles that were originally written for men. She will only entertain work that offers dimensionality. Therefore, this may have been the logical conclusion of that cycle. As a final note... it's about time the studios realized that women can have a dark side, too. (The police comments in the film regarding the nature of women who kill are very interesting & provocative.)I am looking forward to the DVD release and its "extras." I am hoping she will be an active voice on the commentary. I would love to know what she created as her character's back story and future story. Beyond her talent as an actor, her authenticity as an artist, and her outstanding mind... she has a charisma that underscores all of her work.This one's a film that will effect you not only during its screen time, but afterward during the postmortem you & your friends will most surely have. Don't miss this film!
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groetz15 September 2007We saw this movie last night and thought it could have been better. The action scenes were fine, but the story line was a little too predictable. We both agree that Jodi Foster looked too old to be engaged to her on screen fiancé. I'm just saying they could have made her look younger to make it more believable that she was engaged to a man that appeared to be much younger than her. Also, she appeared to be a little more "manly" or tomboyish in this film in the way she walked and carried herself. This was not my favorite Jodi Foster movie, but I did enjoy myself. In both Flight Plan and Panic Room she played good "feminine" roles as mothers, but I just did not get that same vibe from her character in this movie.
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victoryblade17 September 2007Are we serious??? I mean wow ... just, wow. I think I saw this flick in an old issue of War Journal. This is pathetic, originality is completely dead, instead of trying to formulate a new idea what we receive is a bland re-do of an old plot line and to "switch it up" we just change the gender or race of the original character it's moronic and everyone should be sick and tired of seeing it ... but I guess this is just a rant and will most likely fall on deaf ears to engrossed with the sound of another turd hitting the toilet water like the best western since 3:10 to Yuma ... (wait for it)... 3:10 to Yuma! Thank You Hollywood for killing film as an art form and turning it into a commercial barrage of neo-pop junk and blatant retardation ... wonderful!!!