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The
Brave One
(2007)
 
Can a revenge fantasy with Jodie Foster as a gun-wielding urban
vigilante instead of Charles Bronson really work? The answer is yes, and The Brave One gives all the evidence one needs to prove it.
Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) and her fiancé David (Naveen Andrews) are
viciously attacked by thugs while walking through Central Park late at
night. Erica survives, but David is killed. When Erica is released
from the hospital, she illegally purchases a firearm for protection.
After she witnesses a man murder his wife, she's forced to kill him in
self-defense. Feeling strangely empowered by this act, she embarks on
a career as a vigilante while also developing a friendship with
Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), who begins to suspect that she's
responsible for the shooting deaths of several criminals.
Director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the
Vampire) has certainly made more meaningful films, but his career has
always veered between personal films and more commercial Hollywood
productions. In this case, Jordan seems unsure of whether he's making
a film that explores the destructive nature of revenge or a film that
revels in it, but it's as much a struggle between trying to be
thoughtful about the subject matter and the film's commercial
aspirations.
One thing can be said with certainty: Jordan successfully takes us
into Erica's world and allows us to see through her eyes. When Erica
finally leaves her apartment for the first time after returning from
the hospital, she's consumed by anxiety and paranoia, and Jordan
effectively induces a collective case of PTSD in the audience as well.
While the violence isn't as gruesome as in other recent films, it's
still sudden and lurid.
The screenplay by Roderick Taylor (American Outlaws), Bruce A.
Taylor (Instant Karma), and Cynthia Mort (whose previous credits
include writing episodes of television sitcoms Roseanne and Will &
Grace) is essentially a distaff version of Death Wish, but it also
has a level of characterization usually lacking in the genre. It
vividly depicts how each act of violence committed by Erica slowly
eats away at her. She's as permanently scarred by them as she is by
the violence committed against her and her fiancé. Revenge is a nasty
business and the film doesn't shy away from this. Sometimes, though,
it wants us to cheer her on as she exorcises her personal demons with
a gun. It's both a cautionary tale and an exploitation film.
Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (Interview with the Vampire,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) uses expressive lighting and a
prowling camera to create a sense of paranoia that mirrors the main
character's psychological state. The score by Dario Marianelli (The
Brothers Grimm, V for Vendetta) adds to the dramatic tension.
Foster delivers an intense performance that transcends the
exploitative aspects of the story. While she seems to only take on
'women in distress' roles at this point in her career, this film
reminds you that she's a fine actress who can bring gravity and depth
to her characters. Howard is compelling as a lonely but driven police
detective who wants to believe that he'll always follow the law, but
his friendship with a woman he has growing suspicions of begins to
challenge that. Foster and Howard have good chemistry and it's
refreshing to see a film where the opposite sex leads aren't required
to be romantically linked.
Andrews takes time away from his role on television's Lost to play
Erica's ill-fated fiancé, and he makes the most of his limited screen
time. The rest of the cast is also solid, including Nicky Katt as
Mercer's sarcastic partner, Mary Steenburgen as Erica's boss, Dana
Eskelson as a police sketch artist, and John Magaro as a stoner who
witnesses the precursor to one of Erica's attacks.
With the release of Death Sentence a few weeks ago, the revenge
fantasy genre seems to be making a comeback. Both films have strong
lead performances and are inclined to show the consequences of their
protagonist's actions. The Brave One could have been better had it
tried to be a serious drama or a revenge fantasy instead of both, but
it's certainly satisfying enough on both levels.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
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All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
Neil
Jordan
Writer: Roderick
Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor, Cynthia Mort
Starring: Jodie
Foster, Terrance Howard, Naveen Andrews, Mary Steenburgen, Nicky
Katt
Distributor: Warner
Brothers Pictures
Runtime: 119
min
Rating: R
Release Date: September
14, 2007
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