Weekly Review -- Chasing revenge

The Brave One (2007) -- Revenge films can usually take one of two directions. They can either take the vindictive violence route, which sometimes makes a film forget its own realism in the process (makers of Death Sentence, I am looking at you), or they can make us sympathize fully with the protagonist's plight. Due to the extreme nature of the subject matter, there is typically no middle ground. However, Neil Jordan's The Brave One manages to thread the fine line between the two paths, never forgetting where it comes from, while being contemplative and honest. New York radio host Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) has a job that she loves and the man of her life (Naveen Andrews). Night after night, she narrates her love for her city on air, her perceptions nestled in the welcoming vibe and colorful details of the Big Apple. Everything changes on a summer evening, when Erica and her fiancé are brutally attacked and left for dead. Erica is the only survivor, her outlook on life transformed forever. Unable to take the violence that she now sees on every corner, she sets out on a mission to rid the city of crime and fear. The vigilante murders are being closely investigated by detectives Mercer (Terrence Howard) and Vitale (Nicky Katt), with Mercer and Erica occasionally running into one another and forming a guarded friendship. The question is, how does Erica get out of this desperate tailspin? The screenplay by Roderick Taylor and Bruce A. Taylor explores the questions of right and wrong, law and justice, while never giving a one-sided, myopic view of the events unfolding. Erica is a conflicted shell of the human being she was before the attack, who questions her intent throughout the proceedings. Foster is excellent in the role, painting a realistic picture of a survivor unable to find her way after her world falls apart. At the same time, Howard creates a measured portrayal of a character who balances out Erica's anguish, giving Mercer subtle nuances of intelligence and empathy. Mercer is also a conflicted individual, who understands and lives by societal rules, but is frustrated by the holes in the very law that he protects and that often lets offenders slip through. The meaningful interactions between the two characters bring a sense of warmth amid the devastating situations around them. I appreciated the intentionally abrupt shifts in the cinematography as well, the tone of which goes from warm domestic hues to steely blue urban screams. Considering its themes, The Brave One is a surprisingly quiet piece that can be seen and interpreted from many angles -- as a reflective drama, an engaging thriller and a personality study -- and a film that is equally effective from all standpoints.

8/10