Brave Till The End

"The Brave One" is a frustrating film, on one hand it has two great performances by Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard who can are able to take the film into dark territory and but on the other hand the film itself lets them down.

"The Brave One" stars Foster as Erica Baine a radio host who's show focuses on the various myths of New York. Erica couldn't have a happier life, she's in love and about to be engaged to the man of her dreams, but suddenly all that is lost in an instant when they go for a walk one night and are attacked by a bunch of brutal thugs. Erica barely survives and when she wakes up a few weeks later in a hospital bed, she learns of her fiancees' death.

Erica has awakened a totally different person, she no longer feels safe in this city. She wants to buy a gun, but when she goes to a gun store, the owner tells her it takes a month to get a license. "I won't last a month!" yells Erica. She soon is able to acquire a gun from off the streets, and soon she is roaming around the city at night fearlessness. When Erica kills a man in a convenient store in self defense, she runs off without waiting for the police taking the surveillance tape with her, she has become a vigilante.

Enter Terrence Howard as the police detective who knows of Erica by listening to her program. He was in the hospital when she was brought in after her attack and takes an interest in her and her case. Howard soon takes charge of the vigilante case as more and more victims are found on subways and cars, and it's not soon before he puts the pieces together.

So here's where the film worked for me, I enjoyed the scenes between Foster and Howard the best. There are moments when they are alone in a coffee shop or Foster is interviewing Howard's character for her show that really let us get to know these characters, they are both people we learn to care about and who learn to have deep feelings for each other, it's a great relationship where each seems to understand where the other is coming from.

The film itself has some strong scenes usually involving Foster alone and transforming from a good hearted woman into a vigilante.

But the film seems to be losing its way somewhere near the end. There is an important scene between Foster and Howard which sets up the action of the climax, but when we get there, the finale is a complete betrayal of the scene and especially Howard's character.

That being said I don't think a bad ending should disrupt what is for the most part a very good movie. I am mostly recommending this on the performances, Foster and Howard are two actors willing to go where ever their characters take them, I just wish the movie let them do that.

3 stars out of 4