Review of The Brave One (2007) by Justin M — 03 Feb 2009

Solid little revenge flick, as Jodie Foster comes full circle from Taxi Driver. The script is the typical revenge thing, boosted by some nice moments of gender-reversal. The movie doesn't put a twist on old conventions so much as play them from the other side, but watching Terrence Howard's man-cop, hot on the trail of our female vigilante heroine, start to fall for her romantically against his better judgement... Well, it brought a smile to my face.

Something is just a bit off about the film, however -- it didn't hold my attention the way I hoped it would. The violence is intensely brutal, and when the movie needs her to, Foster delivers some outstanding acting. The ending is a bit of a cop-out, but Jordan has a slick directorial style and the movie is ultimately worth the watch.