First 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.
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.