Jodie fosters a new role in ‘The Brave One’

“I’m Erica Bain and I walk the streets.”

This is the opening line of “The Brave One.” Spoken by the lead character, Erica Bain, the film tells a story of loss, revenge and a woman’s transformation into the people she hates the most: the ones who killed her fiancé.

The film introduces Bain (Jodie Foster), a New Yorker who hosts a radio show called “Street Walk.” She walks the city streets with a microphone, recording different sounds: shoes hitting the sidewalks, rumbling trains and tennis balls bouncing off the pavement. Then, in a darkened studio, she speaks of the city and people she believes to know so well.

Her view on both these things changes dramatically when she takes a late-night walk with her beloved fiancé (Naveen Andrews, “Lost”). They look like the perfect couple, strolling through Central Park with their arms around each other and playing fetch with their dog.

Suddenly, a gang confronts them in a darkened tunnel and in a viscous scene they beat Bain’s fiancé to death and leave her unconscious.

She wakes up three weeks later in a hospital and is forced to piece her life back together, but she can’t. She now fears every stranger and dark corner. She tries to buy a gun for protection, but she must first obtain a certification and then wait 30 days for it to clear.

“I won’t last 30 days,” she pleads. In desperation she illegally purchases a gun.

From there, Bain goes out on a passionate, vengeful killing spree. She shoots a man who attacks a woman in a market, two hoodlums who threaten her on the subway and a notorious, wealthy gangster. As her violent acts escalate, she becomes more like the gang who attacked her. She kills without emotion.

In the meantime, she develops a relationship with Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard) who investigates both her case and the mystery of the media-named “vigilante” murderer, also known as Bain. Mercer, though sympathetic, comes across as the typical Hollywood detective. He’s handsome, intelligent and leads a solitary life after a messy divorce. The big screen has boasted many characters like him before, but he compliments Bain well. He considers the law his job, while she makes a point to defy it.

Their relationship does not go down the romance route. It barely qualifies as a friendship. However, during a scene where Bain interviews Mercer for her radio show, the two characters show a respect and deep understanding of each other that makes their bond believable.

The films climaxes when Bain decides to go after her fiancé’s killer and Mercer figures out her secret life.

With a line of powerful roles behind her, Foster puts one more on her shelf  with “The Brave One.” Described by Roger Ebert as “natural, unaffected, threatened, plucky, looking like she means it,” her portrayal of Bain gives a sense of both pity and power. Her character, though fragile from her tragedy, still possesses strength that Foster captures. Despite her murderous turn, she’s still a character to root for.

Howard, though stuck with a hackneyed character, plays it with a cool charm.

He gives off a suaveness and mysteriousness that the part needs. What good is a bumbling detective when there’s a homicidal vigilant on the loose? If anything, these qualities will certainly attract the female viewers in the audience.

The supporting cast also strongly backs up the two main actors. Andrews, Mary Steenburgen (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”) and Zoe Kravitz (Musician Lenny Kravitz’s daughter) all use their small screen time wisely and manage to give affective performances.

Besides the acting, the cinematography of “The Brave One” contributes immensely to the mood of the plot.

The camera conveys New York City as a dark, haunting, concrete jungle with night scenes shot in open streets, cramped apartments and run-down alleys.

Shadows and varying degrees of light play tricks on the eyes.  It’s easy to see why Foster’s character found the city so easy to fear.

Because of the extreme violence the film portrays, “The Brave One” could have been unlikable. It has its fair share, but it contains enough realism and raw human emotion to create something that’s more than the violence it shows. If anything, it’s a study of humans, how they treat each other and how they deal with grief. With Foster and Howard leading the show, it succeeds.

FRANCY MARCOTTE
Culture Editor

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