Foster and Howard Rise Above Ideologically-Flawed Script in The Brave One

In The Brave One Jodie Foster portrays New York City radio personality Erica Bain, who walks the streets of the city carrying a microphone and a recorder while commenting on the sights and sounds of what she refers to "as one of the safest big cities of America." One night she and her fiancee' are brutally attacked by a gang of thugs in a dark tunnel in one of the Big Apple's major parks. He fiancee' dies from the attack and she very nearly does.

The traumatic event changes her life forever and sets her on a course of vengeance. Mourning the loss of her fiancee,' Erica struggles to obtain the courage to leave her apartment and go out into the streets of New York. The film captures her apprehension effectively through some imaginative camera work and yet another compelling performance by Jodie Foster.

Upon her return to the streets she purchases a gun from a man in what is tantamount to a black market transaction, after she learns it will take her almost thirty days to legally register to own a gun. She then uses the gun to rid the streets of New York from the reckless criminals who are making her beloved city a distant memory for her and other innocent residents. On one of Erica's first nights returning to the streets, she witnesses a man shooting and killing his wife in a liquor store and then she is forced to kill the man in self-defense after he discovers she's there. From then on Erica walks the streets and sees other victims being terrorized and abused by thugs of all sorts and decides to "take matters into her own hands."

At the scene of one of her crimes Erica meets and befriends Detective Mercer, nicely played by Terrance Howard (Crash, Hustle and Flow). Mercer and his partner are hot on her trail, and Erica and Mercer become drawn to another. They are two lonely and wounded souls--her from the traumatic death of her fiancee' and he from a divorce from an attorney.

Eventually Bain returns to her radio show a changed woman. In one of the film's more memorable scenes she pauses for several minutes before commenting on how she thinks the city has changed. Tempted by the possibility of higher ratings, her producer allows viewers to begin calling in their opinions about the vigilante killings, which sends Bain into an emotional tailspin. These moments in the film reflect the often-times absurd reactions from listeners of talk radio, a questionable forum for addressing the underlying causes of any major societal problem, much less inner-city crime.

Foster, a two-time Oscar winner and Howard, an Oscar nominee, rise above the script by the father and son writing team of Roderick and Bruce Taylor and Cynthia Mort, the great scribe now doing terrific work on HBO's impressive drama, Tell Me You Love Me. There is legitimate chemistry between these two engaging stars, but the script lacks the dramatic punch that the stars deserve, and the pacing of the film's action is not quite as brisk as it should be. The film asks whether or not Erica, in her acts of vigilante justice, is becoming what she wants to destroy with each person she kills. Although she is distraught after several of the killings, the filmmakers can't seem to decide if they want to condemn Erica for her actions or those who ultimately compel her to do what she does.

The Brave One was directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire, and The End of the Affair), who has always managed to create the appropriate look to match the somber and solemn tone to his films, and his work here is no exception. Legendary cinematographer Philippe Rousselot's aerial shots of the dark, narrow and wide alleys of New York City remind us of the dangers that might exist. And the film makes great use of recording artist Sarah McLachlan's Answer during one of Erica's darkest moments.

The Brave One is competently produced, acted, and directed, but it as a whole and in particular its final scenes, presents vigilante justice as a solution to ease Erica's pain rather than a punishable crime. The filmmakers have titled the film, The Brave One. I only wish they would have been brave enough to challenge the prevailing ideological view and the winds of conservatism that are likely to hoist vigilante justice as a symbol of valor and courage.

Grade: B-

Rated R for intense violence, profanity, some sexuality