The Brave One [DVD] [2007]

This film seemed to slide in and out of the cinema before I had a chance to see it. I'm a fan of Foster's earlier work, but I didn't know what to expect from this film especially after reading the comments made by movie execs that they wanted to stop making films with female leads. I guess it's simple economics to them, but it seemed kind of harsh to me.

This isn't a movie for everyone. It's pretty bleak and contrived in places, but all of the performances are strong and the cinematography and direction are amazing. This isn't the new New York we see in this film, the safest big city in the world. Instead it reveals the ghost of New York, where senseless violence and cruelty dominates. Foster's character is a woman on a mission, and she manages to touch a lot of people along the way. A lesser actress wouldn't have been able to pull this role off, but Foster does it with style and grace.

This film is bracing and thoughtful. If you're in the mood for something different but still Hollywood, the Brave One is a good choice.

I think that for revenge movies it is between this feature and the actions of "the bride" in Kill Bill for the number one slot, although while Kill Bill is an out and out fantasy adventure this film is full of menace, realism and grit.

The story follows the journey of a radio hosts journey back to life following a mercilessly violent confrontation with a group of thugs who turn her, her dog and lover into prey when they stray into their path beneath a bridge in a darkened, isolated spot in a public park. The gang have been drinking and their emergence from the shadows is instantly menacing and effecting, the confrontation itself and its rapid and inescapable escalation to extreme murderous violence is THE best and most realistic portrayal I have ever seen in film. The scene has been set perfectly, the inability of the victimised couple to retreat was well thought out and the characterisation of the criminals themselves as playing some sort of sadistic game with those at their mercy, right down to and including the recording of the episode on a mobile phone was just exacting.

From this point on with admission and discharge from hospital the film becomes a little more complex, there are fans and critics who have suggested that the rest of the film in its entirity is a dream sequence enacted in the traumatised, possibly dying, mind of the principle character but I dont believe so. The film has been contrasted and compared with The Complete Death Wish Collection (Death Wish 1, Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3, Death Wish 4 and Death Wish 5) Full and Uncut Import. I'm unsure about this too the films are very different.

The Brave One is a good depiction of how a single incident transforms the principle character in a number of ways, there is a great portrayal of very gradual recovery from trauma but the incident has also challenged the very world view of the survivor, formerly liberal and up beat she become more hard hearted and hard headed, challenging the listeners to her radio show when they condemn vigilantism (which she infact is responsible for). Each of the confrontations which result in summary justice are interesting, as they generally (with one or two notable exceptions) portray menacing behaviour which may or may not escalate. Similarly the dynamic which grows up between the police officer investigating the vigilante and the radio hostess, with a seeming game of cat and mouse as each sizes the other up and speculates about their sympathy with vigilante justice, is very well portrayed.

Just shortly before the conclusion of the film I was a little dubious as to the direction it took, not only was I unsure that the gritty realism of the earlier segment really lent itself to the principle character being pretty much dispatched on a mission to dispense summary justice but I felt the ultimate conclusion was a little "happily ever after". That said I really liked it, would not have wanted it to end any other way and movies arent just about being a mirror of the real world but also about entertainment, with the good guys prevailing against the odds.

Jodie Foster was the perfect casting choice for Erica Bain. The film is also littered with quotable quotes and memorable moments, such as the scenes where Bain is admitted to the emergency room in a coma and the medics checking her for spinal injuries and cutting away her clothes and it is cut with intimate scenes between her and her partner or when someone speaks to Bain saying "There's plenty of ways to die, you have to find a way to live". Some of the gritty realism is supplied by too real moments, such as Bains first contact with the police at the station enquiring about the status of her case, there's a lot of law but not much justice or satisfaction.

'The Brave One' stars Jodie Foster as radio DJ Erica Bain, who when one night is walking her dog in the park with her fiancé, is attacked and brutally beaten, leaving her unconscious and her fiancé dead. The police don't seem interested in the case and screaming for revenge, Erica buys a gun and takes the law into her own hands, becoming New York's mysterious Vigilante, getting rid of muggers and murders from the streets before finding her fiancé's killers for the ultimate revenge.

I didn't expect much from this as I hadn't really heard a great deal about it and the reviews have all been fairly average but I was pleasantly surprised to see this was an emotional, exciting and extremely tense thriller that had me sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails in suspense for the whole 2 hours. The direction was really interesting as they focussed more on the bad points of New York, from the small shop robberys to the subway muggings, keeping to the back street locations rather than glamourising it with the big city hot spots.

The story was very clever and didn't drag at all or become too ridiculous. There's a couple of predictable bits but there's also enough twists to keep you watching to see what happens next. Foster's character came off as arrogant and unlikeable to begin with but really had me rooting for her as the film went on.

Overall this is a hugely enjoyable movie that may be a bit too violent and shocking for some, but is a good emotional revenge thriller that is also one of Foster's best performances I've seen her in since films like Silence of the Lambs, Flightplan and Panic Room. Highly recommended.