Review of The Brave One (2007) by Vic R — 02 Jan 2010

Partially redeemed by yet another forceful performance by Jodie Foster, Neil Jordan's film is still a major disappointment and a total mess. Foster plays a talk show host, who is attacked, early in the film, and eventually needs to arm herself so she can feel safe enough to walk outside.

Preposterously, once she buys her illegal hand gun she suddenly cannot walk 2 blocks without encountering a gun wielding psychopath or someone threatening to rape her with a knife. Despite the fact that her talk show entails her walking the streets of the city, exploring its lesser known corners, she had avoided confrontation her whole life and now can?t avoid, it at any cost.

There is a place in contemporary cinema for a true reactionary film, along the lines of Death Wish. New York's Time Square has gone from cesspool to Disney theme park in the past decades and a film in which the affluent take arms against the poor in this most divided of cities could have been controversial, at least, or could have spoken to true cultural divide of the city, at best.

Instead, the film takes every possible position on the topic of vigilantism and seems apologetic whenever it veers anywhere near a controversial position. Intriguingly, after one of the shootings, Foster?s character applies lipstick.

For a moment, I hoped that the film might toy with the idea that she has gotten some sexual of emotional gratification from the shooting. But this, like so many other ideas, is dropped as soon as it is raised.

This is a film that can?t decide whether it wants to be a provocation, exploitation, vigilante fantasy, female empowerment fantasy, character study or political allegory. Instead, it is a little bit of everything and, therefore, nothing at all.

The one good thing that we do get is Foster. Looking more tomboyish than ever, Foster is striking in her appearance and convincing in her feral performance. This is recommended only for Foster fans. Otherwise, stick to Taxi Driver instead or even Ms.

45.