April 10, 2008
The Brave One (2007)
Should I see it?
Nope.
Nope.
Short Review: Deathwish with lip gloss.
I've been putting off reviewing this film for a while now. This is for no other reason than I really didn't have anything to say about it. Since I've put up two posts about Uwe Boll this week, I figured I could finally get to this misfire.
The reason I don't have anything to say about this movie is because this movie doesn't have anything to say either. Jodie Foster plays Erica, a public radio personality (one of those who has an insufferably calm voices and blathers about nothing with sincere self-importance) who transforms into a gun toting Bernie Getz wannabe after her half-man, boyfriend gets bludgeoned to death by bad guys. Erica is shadowed by the investigating cop Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) who suspects the mopey chick is responsible for shooting a bunch of people who, quite frankly, have it coming.
The problem with the movie is twofold. First, it doesn't want to commit to anything. Erica begins her vigilante streak by killing bad guys in self defense by luring villains into harassing her but eventually makes the descent into flat out murder. The film never fully and plainly condemns nor applauds her actions. Erica suffers with the moral balancing act revenge brings but she never comes down on either side. The people she kills have it coming and their deaths don't come with any sympathetic treatment. The fact is that a guy molesting riders on a subway who pulls a knife on a woman is begging for a gun wound. By the end of the movie there is very little actually said about revenge, society or good film making.
The other problem is that this movie, for all of its inability to be up-front with its point, is painfully self aware. Look at the character names - Erica Bain - "Bane" get it? The old word for Killer, death or a curse. Detective Mercer - Mercy. Ain't we clever. The script by television writers Roderick and Bruce A. Taylor stinks of cheesy and easy bits meant to give the illusion of meaning and depth but actually provides very little.
Related Reviews:
Jodie Foster movies
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Inside Man (2001)
Other Critic's Reviews:
It's Movie Time
Decent Films Guide
The reason I don't have anything to say about this movie is because this movie doesn't have anything to say either. Jodie Foster plays Erica, a public radio personality (one of those who has an insufferably calm voices and blathers about nothing with sincere self-importance) who transforms into a gun toting Bernie Getz wannabe after her half-man, boyfriend gets bludgeoned to death by bad guys. Erica is shadowed by the investigating cop Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) who suspects the mopey chick is responsible for shooting a bunch of people who, quite frankly, have it coming.
The problem with the movie is twofold. First, it doesn't want to commit to anything. Erica begins her vigilante streak by killing bad guys in self defense by luring villains into harassing her but eventually makes the descent into flat out murder. The film never fully and plainly condemns nor applauds her actions. Erica suffers with the moral balancing act revenge brings but she never comes down on either side. The people she kills have it coming and their deaths don't come with any sympathetic treatment. The fact is that a guy molesting riders on a subway who pulls a knife on a woman is begging for a gun wound. By the end of the movie there is very little actually said about revenge, society or good film making.
The other problem is that this movie, for all of its inability to be up-front with its point, is painfully self aware. Look at the character names - Erica Bain - "Bane" get it? The old word for Killer, death or a curse. Detective Mercer - Mercy. Ain't we clever. The script by television writers Roderick and Bruce A. Taylor stinks of cheesy and easy bits meant to give the illusion of meaning and depth but actually provides very little.
Related Reviews:
Jodie Foster movies
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Inside Man (2001)
Other Critic's Reviews:
It's Movie Time
Decent Films Guide
Labels: Cliff Curtis, cops, Jodie Foster, movie review, revenge, Terrance Howard
posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 7:59 AM
Share
Previous Posts
Friends & Reads
Christian & Culture
Film Resources
Christian Sites
Faithcom
Featured On
Good News Film Reviews LLC 2004-2010 - used with permission
Images, video and titles are the property of their respective copyright holders. Good News Film Reviews LLC claims no ownership or connection to them.
The views expressed on this site are not the opinion of any advertiser or external entity.
While we take care to only link to responsible entities, Good News Film Reviews LLC takes no responsibility for the content linked from this site. There are sharks in the waters. Surf at your own risk.
The Template is generated via PsycHo and is Licensed.
3 Comments:
Who else just got a disturbing image of Charles Bronson in lip gloss? Beuller? Beuller?
When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. One's heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.
[ . . . after a story in which one master's page knocks another down and the master pretends not to know it.] Even though hi page had acted unreasonably, after he had been struck on the head there was no reason for an apology. The master should have approached the sailor and the drunken page in an apologetic manner and cut them both down. Certainly he was a spiritless master. (Hagakure, 17th-C samurai manual)
Indecisive revenge plots are so blah. :-)
PGE
foster did a pretty good job in Brave One, a good demonstration of the power of fear
Post a Comment
<< Home