The Brave One

This movie is somewhat entertaining, and both Foster and Howard give good performances. But the message is horrible and far worse, has nothing to do with bravery. It is about a woman who survives a vicious attack, which apparently leads her down a very dark path, awakening a side of her that even she did not know existed. Her transformation is too fast & furious and had it been handled (read: written, directed, edited) in a better way, may have added more character depth, making this a more satisfying movie. I wasn't at all sure why she purchased the gun...I think it was fear, but it was never fully explained. Was she frustrated with how the police were handling her case? Again...not covered as it should have been. Interesting and unrealistic that she wasn't aware of the gun permit law, as she assumed she could buy a gun without a waiting period. Then, within moments of leaving the gun shop, she's approached by a man who offers to sell her an illegal gun for $1,000. Miraculously, she just happens to have had that amount of cash in her pocket, because the deal was completed in that one scene. If anyone was BRAVE in this movie, it was this guy. He gave her the world's shortest gun handling lesson and when he handed it over to her, she kept pointing it at him as she practiced with the safety and loading procedures. YIKES! So, instead of bravery, as the title implies, this movie is everything to do with taking the law into your own hands. But the viewer never really knows why Foster's character goes down this road. It almost seems by accident. As a matter of fact, the movie implies that this type of violence lives in everyone and, given the right circumstances, we all would kill. If you would like to see a movie that depicts this subject matter more thoroughly, I recommend EYE FOR AN EYE, with Sally Fields, Ed Harris and a wonderful performance by Keifer Sutherland (you'll love hating him!) This movie supplied my older teenage son and I with many good discussion starters, but overall I would not recommend it for the younger crowd or for anyone that is offended by violent and shallow movies. There must be better roles out there for Ms. Foster...she is one of our more brilliant actors!

There's not much good about this film. From poor acting to pulpy plot to extreme graphic violence to dangerous messages, there just isn't a lot to enjoy. While I agree that this one isn't for kids (it isn't for ANYONE, quite frankly) parents who do choose to share it should be prepared to talk about how Erica could have displayed REAL bravery -vigilantism is not the correct answer.

it was a GREAT movie there was a few scenes they may scare children there is also some scenes that parents may not approve of

Best film of the year. Best Actress. I entered the theater fearful that Foster would continue her recent trend toward becoming the female counterpart of Bruce Willis… Female Die Hard --Yet Again. I enjoyed both Flightplan and Panic Room, and as a female action hero she does a wonderful job -- svelte, mixing physicality and intellect. (Yes , yes, those films were more psychological thrillers than action films, but SHE seemed like an evolved action hero in them.) So, I feared the new ‘vigilante’ movie would be a good move, but more of the same. GREAT films need more, and this one delivered. The acting, writing, the direction, the editing… it was all fabulous. Foster is far more than an action hero here; she is at the top of her game. “Erica Bain” is the most complicated and complete character Foster has played in years, hauntingly real and tragically altered. It's great to see Foster using multiple layers. The sensual scenes; the laughter and delight and tenderness; the pain; the fear; the struggle to be reborn; the willingness to give up her life to find it; the ability to be noble, susceptible and good in the midst of violence, confusion and rage…Foster does it all and she does it all so very, very well. She owns this role. Terrance Howard ably and convincingly supports her as Mercer, the lead investigator who is drawn to her personally, and the subtle humor written for his sidekick cop partner is just right, genuine and sprinkled through the film to perfection. Erica's doctor fiancé, David (Naveen Andrews) brings the same mixture of gentle spirit and deep sensuality that we saw in the English Patient, and it worked well here to set the stage for the contrast that would follow. Great films need sub-themes, symbolism, something that provokes us to think. This one does not disappoint. The script and direction take great care not to become mired in the action line, which would have left this as just another good psychological thriller. We find the depth of Erica’s character and her fear and her process. As an example, after recovering, the first time she moves to exit her apartment through its long, dark hallway, we recall the tunnel in which she and David were brutalized and we understand the fear that holds her indoors. And when she does finally pass through that corridor, back out to face the world, we understand the concept of her rebirth into another person. In the closing scene she crosses through the tunnel itself again, and even as she tells us that she can never go back to the person she first was, we are hopeful that she can, or that she can pass through this canal yet again, leaving behind the tortured soul who morphed from fear to determination to hunter, to reclaim a life that has room for comfort and new love. The homage to Taxi Driver is done quite well, but there is far more to the subtext of this film. It dares us to measure the thin lines separating law and justice, good and evil, right and wrong, intellect and irrationality, passion and brutality, fragility and strength, bravery and fear. Life IS ambiguous. Morality is not black and white. Judgment is not always appropriate. The film does not take a side on these issues. Both Erica and Mercer struggle with the interior debate. The nominal role of the good neighbor woman is the vehicle for expressing the ultimate theme of this film… within each of us every potential lies dormant, yet just under the surface. All that is good, and all that is evil, may be found within each of us. How then, shall we choose to live?