Review of The Brave One (2007) by Rev.rikard — 20 Sep 2007

Jodie Foster, as Erica Bain, allows us to feel fear, rage, and grief until the moral line marking the sanctity of life and one's right to justice is blurred. Terrence Howard's character exposes us to a journey that can take one from feeling "for the victim" to feeling "with" them.

Thus, that moral line for this straight-up cop becomes more porous as he travels, toting Erica Bain's baggage. These characters are engaging and interesting, for a while. However, the journey for Foster's character ends much sooner than the role.

Thus, we are left walking the NY streets with her between acts of violence, and these walks are often much too long. Rather than the line remaining porous for Howard's detective, it dissolves at the end leaving a gaping hole as he charges through.

Having him straddle the moral fence while challenging and embracing Erica Bain would have led us out of the theater in the same ethical posture, with very serious questions about objective and subjective understandings of justice.

Instead the knight in shining armor ending is so contrived it leaves us with the irritating question, "Why did Neil Jordon go for the disneyesque ending?" This movie had two A list actors, a potentially great story with the power to kick our minds into gear as we contemplated just how much control do we really have over the vulnerable victim residing in us all and the accompanying rage.

However, the film becomes plodding, the characters stagnant, and the mind is lulled to sleep.