Review of The Brave One (2007) by Arne F — 02 Aug 2010

A character study of how tragic events can reshape ones personality, [i]The Brave On[/i]e follows a woman who suffers a gruesome street beating that leaves her hospitalized for weeks and her fiance dead. Once a semi-naive whimsical minded radio host who seemed to find beauty in everything about her city, finds herself permanently scarred and traumatized from her ordeal.

The interesting thing that [i]The Brave One [/i]does is instead of having her cower away from life and live within the shadow of fear, the script rather has her strike back against the cruel and evil minded criminals of society. Usually this roll is reserved strictly for a man, and watching Jodie Foster portray how a female would respond in those situations is uniquely intriguing. Her balance of delicate nymph like physical features and an assertive strong-willed personality made her the ideal candidate for such a roll. Watching her slowly morph from scene to scene into the alter ego persona she ultimately becomes is progressively more and more enjoyable because of the patience and care in which Jodie takes in building her character.

The transformation that Erica (Foster) goes through is dark enough to be entertaining and messy enough to remain realistic. She is no super hero, and doesn't make huge strides such as starting a rigorous and cliche workout routine to prepare for her encounters, let alone put on a mask and cape. She rather becomes cold and detached from her merciful emotions when faced with situations and people that would do harm to others for joy or selfish means. Each time Erica fights back to those she would before run from, she falls deeper and deeper down the path of revenge for what she has suffered and what she has lost.

That right there would be the main and obvious flaw of the film. The chances of being a victim to a mugging, robbery, or any assault crime once are large enough to make her initial encounter believable, especially in the dangerous streets of New York city at night. But to have as many of those circumstances happen to one person again and again becomes a stretch and is hard for the audience to accept. However, the movie does leave itself an out. It can easily be argued that she is actually looking to be put in these situations to test her resolve and get another chance to retaliate against an agitator. And also, the neighbor hoods that she visits are crime ridden enough to possibly make the viewer believe "Hey, maybe it could happen".

There is a second character to the movie that becomes an intricate part of her metamorphosis that also deserves mentioning and brief analysis. A big hearted police detective named Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard) intent on walking the line of the law crosses her path a few times briefly before the two ultimately form a true but complicated friendship. He is sent out to investigate a string of murders that have been committed, while Erica is covering them as well on her talk radio show. As he becomes increasingly aware that she is in fact the guilty one he has been seeking, the detective is torn between his duty and his new found friendship with her.

The chemistry between Howard and Foster is amazing. They are such conversly skilled actors and at first glance would seem as they would clash more than mesh well together. But as the story progresses, they form an interesting and heartfelt bond with one another that is a pleasure to watch. The run time chosen for the movie is just long enough to have things play out between them in a pace that never seems rushed, and short enough so that it doesn't become a drag.

Overall I really liked the movie. The two main performances are excellently crafted and their moral struggles and imperfectings allow the audience to relate to their situation even if they've never experienced them for themselves. Its ending is a little extreme and so are some of the previous scenes, however I think most would admit that without them the film would lose its excitement and thrilling appeal. I was surprised to see the low marks most critics gave it, but can understand their reasoning and desire for a stronger, more realistic film. For me personally, I take the movie for what it is and excuse most of its weaknesses on account that its strengths and general message were constantly engaging and creatively executed.

Or maybe I just have a soft spot for Jodie Foster.

Rating: 7 out of 10.