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The latest in a long line of thrillers with a vigilante theme, The Brave One doesn't break any new ground but it's solidly made and generally well acted, with a reliably intense lead performance from Jodie Foster. Foster plays Erica Bain, a New York radio show host who, at the start of the film, is in a very happy relationship with Naveen Andrews' David Kirmani, and both are eager to get married. Naturally, everything does not run smoothly, and one night while walking their dog in Central Park they are attacked by a group of thugs, leaving David dead and Erica in a three-week coma. When she wakes up, still not in the best physical and mental health, she slowly has to readjust to life in a city that now seems frightening and alien to her. She (illegally) buys a gun to aid her own peace of mind, and then embarks on an initially unplanned vigilante streak. Eventually this culminates in her attempt to track down the perpetrators of the horrific attack against her.
As a revenge story, The Brave One is certainly not alone, with the sub-genre ranging from the five Death Wishes to Kill Bill to Gladiator and any number of others. The pinnacle of cinematic vigilatism is surely Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, with which The Brave One has Jodie Foster and a Big Apple setting in common. Foster, in an unflattering and unfeminine role, proves why she is perhaps the only currently working actress who can headline a non-comedic film by herself with a haunted and complex portrayal of a mourning woman understandably on the edge. While arguably heavy-handed in its message, The Brave One is quite thought-provoking regarding the issue of whether vigilantism is ever justifiable; most audience members will likely find themselves siding with Erica. The New York locations, which avoid the usual tourist sites, add a pleasing sense of authenticity to proceedings and contribute to the film's gritty yet stylish aesthetic.
Terrence Howard's Detective Mercer, who investigates this mysterious streak of killings around the city, at times veers towards unrealistic saintliness but the likeable Howard's ambiguous demeanour and an inevitably divisive conclusion give the character a greater degree of depth. Indeed, most of the characters avoid stereotypical good and bad categories, which makes Andrews' too-perfect-to-be-believable boyfriend and the sickly sweet opening of the film somewhat at odds with the shades of grey found elsewhere. A greater flaw is the film's ponderous pacing, particularly in the early section before Erica embarks upon her revenge mission, which makes the two-hour running time feel slightly longer than that. Director Neil Jordan obviously had high aspirations for the film, but some moments of improbability (including that ending, which does nevertheless manage to satisfy) undermine the film's serious intentions. Taken as no more than an occasionally schlocky dramatic thriller, though, The Brave One is a good one.
The summary
Powered by Jodie Foster's engrossing performance, The Brave One's generic title is not its only flaw. Fortunately, as its realism lessens, its grip tightens.
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