ACED Magazine

Rated: R
Starring: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Adams
Directed by: Neil Jordan

Synopsis: New York radio host Erica Bain has a life that she loves and a fiancé she adores. All of it is taken from her when a brutal attack leaves Erica badly wounded and her fiancé dead. Unable to move past the tragedy, Erica begins prowling the city streets at night to track down the men she holds responsible. Her dark pursuit of justice catches the public's attention, and the city is riveted by her anonymous exploits. But with the NYPD desperate to find the culprit and a dogged police detective hot on her trail, she must decide whether her quest for revenge is truly the right path, or if she is becoming the very thing she is trying to stop.

DVD Features:

• I Walk the City
• Additional Scenes

Critique:

I was really thrilled to see The Brave One come out on DVD. I liked it at the theatre and loved it on my big screen. Seeing it a second time, I was able to view more of what was going on that I missed the first go 'round at the movies. Still a thriller for me, Jodi gives one of the best performances of her career. Too bad she was overlooked for an Oscar. 

Although the plot sounds a little familiar, Death Wish 1-5, Foster’s character makes this killing spree look more like a superhero trying to make the world safe from thugs, rather than a revenge story. The Brave One poses the issue, "no mater how brutal the crime, does it justify taking the law into your own hands?" Screenwriters Roderick and Bruce Taylor justify this by providing you with a platform to imagine what it would be like to retaliate and take that to the level of defending others.

Jodi Foster gives an amazing performance as Erica who believes everyone has a dark side within; ready to come out the moment you get tromped on. Foster shows us her dark side as Erica, and it’s very scary. In terrific support of her role, Terrance Howard plays Detective Mercer who gets assigned to a case of what he thinks is a serial killer on the loose. His depiction of a cold, calculating detective is extremely good, adding to the credibility of the plot. 

I was slightly disappointed in the special features. Although it does include the typical "making of" interviews and behind-the-scenes footage in I Walk the City, as well as a few additional scenes not included in the original release, I felt there should have been...more.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Even on DVD the film is an extremely good, intense film that’s brilliantly acted and thought-provoking.

This Reviewer's Rating: 4 / 5 

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