OK, 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!
Review of The Brave One
