Director Neil Jordan guides Jodie Foster through a film about vigilante justice. The Brave One has a better pedigree than the recent vigilante thriller Death Sentence, but it still feels a bit contrived in the final act.
Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is a radio talk show host. She is engaged to David (Naveen Andrews), a handsome doctor, and the two are discussing their wedding plans as they take their dog though a walk through Central Park.
The dog gets loose and runs down a dark tunnel. As they get to the other side of the tunnel they’re confronted by a trio of thugs and are robbed and beaten without mercy.
David dies of his injuries and once Erica is out of her coma she finds that she doesn’t want to leave her apartment for fear of getting attacked again. To cope with her fear she buys a gun.
One night she’s getting a soda at the local corner store when an irate ex-husband rushes in and kills his ex-wife who’s working behind the counter. He realizes that someone is in the store and stalks Erica but she turns the tables on him and guns him down.
Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) is called in to investigate the corner store homicide. Erica continues to use her gun as she walks around the city at night and finds herself in some bad situations.
Detective Mercer also investigates these over murders, but the city is hypnotized by the stories of the vigilante killer – with everyone coming down on one side or the other in their opinion of the killer.
Death Sentence was a film that covered similar ground that the Brave One handles. Death Sentence was from one of the makers of the Saw trilogy and was based on the book by Death Wish scribe Brian Garfield (although the results appear to have little resemblance to that book).
From the sound of things screenwriters of the Brave One started as a redo of female revenge flicks (like Ms. 45) but got a bit more class when director Neil Jordan and star Jodie Foster climbed aboard. The Brave One does certainly seem to boast a higher talent level than the other film but it still feels a bit tame when compared to flicks that preceded it in the revenge genre.
I can’t imagine Clint Eastwood having the moments of self-doubt that Foster is prone to (although her blank, tight-lipped expression in some scenes put me in mind of Clint). I suppose that we all would want to avenge ourselves against the trio of punk bastards if they destroyed our lives as they do to Erica.
The performances are stellar with both Foster and Terrence Howard earning high marks. What might be a detriment to the film is that it seems a bit long at two hours and the shoot-em-up finale seems a bit over the top.
However, I do have to give it the better marks when compared to Death Sentence since it seems to handle the same ground with a bit more flare.
The Brave One is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include the 21 minute “I Walk the City” making of documentary and 6 minutes of deleted scenes. Sadly, no commentary from director Jordan that would’ve been most welcome.
The Brave One seems to send mixed signals since Foster is brave for coming to terms with her destroyed life and living than taking up a firearm. However, the film is handled with expertise by director Neil Jordan and features some fine performances by Foster and Howard.
The Brave One is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Feb. 11th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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