The Brave One

Review by Clint Morris

Jodie Foster’s a big fan of the internet. It’s unmistakably obvious. Where else would she have got wind of the fact that the producers of Rambo IV were originally considering adding a Mrs John J to proceedings, and were out to find the right actress?

Alas, it seems Foster’s net service has been down for a few months, and she hasn’t read the update : the one that state’s that the script for the film has been re-written, and as a consequence, the wife character is now just a damsel-in-distress buddy of the bandana-wearing grunter.

Thankfully, she didn’t shoot her show reel for nothing.

Jodie Foster’s known to kick ass in movies but in The Brave One – her stretch of the acting muscle – she literally, kicks ass!

It’s a radically different role for Foster (who, lets be honest, isn’t afraid to do different things) with both her character and the film itself border lining more on the Saturday afternoon popcorn variety than we’re used to seeing her donate flesh to. Little Man Tate this ain’t.

Brave is what happens when a fine filmmaker like Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, The End of the Affair) meets a trashy action producer like Joel Silver. Silver obviously won a lot of the boardroom arguments, because the film definitely weighs in on the popcorn matinee side-of-things for the most part, but Jordan’s distinct deep-rooted character drama still bubbles underneath. It’s an intriguing blend to say the least.

Death Wish for damsels, the film focuses on a radio personality (Foster) whose fiancée (Naveen Andrews of Lost) is brutally killed by some street punks. With the cops knee deep in other cases, and hers brushed aside weeks ago, Erika decides to take matters in her own hands. With her new weapon, Erika sort-of becomes the ‘Batman’ to cop Terrence Howard’s ‘Commissioner Gordon’, with the law being temporarily transferred to a vigilante that’s doing the task the cops wish they could do.

It mightn’t have much of a message (killing is OK, as long as those you’re taking out are bad, M’Kay?) and its definitely riduclous at times (only takes Erika about two minutes to learn how to fire a gun like she’s straight out of Kuwait – hence the Rambo comparisons) but in terms of sheer entertainment, The Brave One delivers two-fold.

Foster is customarily fantastic (could be Foster’s best performance since Silence of the Lambs come to think of it), the film is tight and simmers away beautifully, and the direction is crafty and concise.

A solid, gritty piece of entertainment.

4 out of 5

The Brave One
Australian release: 11th October, 2007
Cast: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews, Nicky Katt, Mary Steenburgen
Director: Neil Jordan
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