Braving the Dark Side of Humanity

The Brave One
Warner Bros. Pictures

So on a recent, icy Friday night with little to do, I decided to order something from On Demand. Anyone who's ever navigated through the On Demand menu knows it takes days, but after much menu searching and deliberation, I decided to give The Brave One a shot.

When this movie was released in theaters, I was impressed by the premise, but I really didn't think it would go anywhere really interesting. I mean, yeah - the vigilantism and revenge movie thing has been done -- a number of times....the ones that come to mind for me are Eye for an Eye and Double Jeopardy. I liked Eye, but Double Jeopardy left me cold...I mean, how interesting is a movie that requires you to wait out a resolution you already know! Not impressed by that one. Anyway, I figured the wronged woman turned strong woman thing couldn't give me much that was new but this little gem surprised me.

The Brave One stars Jodie Foster as Erica Bain, a radio host with a show about walking the streets of New York. She and her fiance, played by Naveen Andrews...of Lost fame...get attacked in Central Park and are brutally beaten. Erica survives, her fiance doesn't. What follows is an interesting study in the dark side human nature -- fear, depression, anger, identity-struggle. Erica finds herself afraid to leave her apartment building until she decides to procure a gun for herself. The vigilantism doesn't begin immediately, however, as we're led to believe by the trailers...she falls into it accidentally. Erica becomes a witness to a violent domestic dispute and has to defend herself. This is her first time actually shooting the gun and her self-exploration as a result is what the movie really focuses upon.

Foster has always been very selective with her roles. She plays intelligent, tough women and does so successfully every time. The Brave One is no different. She brings out the humanity in a New Yorker who loves her city so much she carries a tape recorder to capture its essence. She's got such passion, too, that I believe her show (if it existed - SIRIUS Satellite Radio, anyone?) would do very well....at least, I'd be a dedicated listener. You feel for her every step of the way and her fear is completely relatable.

Terrence Howard gives a really understated performance as Detective Mercer. He's really, really good -- we knew this already, but I don't think he gets the credit he really deserves. Take Denzel Washington minus a few sensationalism points. Where Denzel is out in the fight dredging stuff up, Howard is the silent observant type who looks before he leaps. You may disagree, but I just see him as much more low-key than Denzel, yet just as talented.

What's really interesting about this film is the friendship that comes to fruition between Bain and Mercer -- not because he's looking at her as a suspect, mind you, but because, again, they kind of fall into each other's laps. It's difficult to explain without giving stuff away, which you all know I hate to do. Suffice it to say, their relationship is just as interesting as Erica's actions.

The gems of this movie, aside from some really great performances, are the cinematography -- really great angles -- editing, and the ending. The editing is really cool -- clipping together intimate scenes between Erica and her fiance with scenes of their attack and the hospital afterwards. Really stuns you into the realization that this is too real for comfort and that this is the last intimacy they'll share. There are others, too, but that one really impressed me. An odd choice, but extremely effective. The ending, though, is just fabulous. You really don't expect this kind of ending, but, on another level, you could find it controversial. I remember when the movie was released, some people had issue with the title - a glorification of a vigilante, essentially -- and with the overall plot. I can see why, but I still really enjoyed it.

One other potential shortcoming -- it seems that Bain really just steps into trouble repeatedly...I mean, superheroes don't meet danger this frequently. While I understand that it goes with the plot and overall theme, it can be a tad overdone. A minor issue in an otherwise cool flick.

Bottom line, check this one out. It's really worth seeing, simply for the performances and technicalities of the film. But I really think you'll be intrigued by the choices the filmmakers made with this one -- editing, camera angles, and ending.



Available now on DVD.