Perhaps the title is meant to be ironic, but it’s unlikely most viewers will take it that way: they’re far more likely not merely to sympathize with Erica Bain but to identify with her and see her actions as, if not exactly reasonable, at least defensible. And given Foster’s presence the more cinematically inclined will certainly draw comparisons to “Taxi Driver” instead of “Death Wish,” seeing Erica as a variant of Travis Bickle rather than Paul Kersey.īut I must confess that none of these arguments for the profundity of “The Brave One” are persuasive to me. Some will choose to interpret it as an allegory of redemption through suffering and pain. It also can be interpreted as a commentary on the climate of fear prevalent in post-9/11 America, and of the lengths to which some will go (or the depths to which they’ll sink) to exorcise it. And it’s not merely a matter of having the person who takes the law into her own hands be a woman-which allows the viewer to see the film as a commentary on female empowerment, even if one that’s necessarily ambiguous because it’s so extreme. Taylor and Cynthia Mort want to invest their story with significance this isn’t intended to be an empty-headed “Death Wish” knockoff. It’s clear that writers Roderick Taylor, Bruce A.
Technically it’s a thoroughly slick piece of work, with Philippe Rousselot’s atmospheric widescreen cinematography setting off the elegant work of production designer Kristi Zea and art director Robert Guerra, Tony Lawson’s editing keeping things suspenseful, and Dario Marianelli’s background score supporting the action without overwhelming it.Īnd yet the very fact that it’s so well-made actually makes the picture all the more morally dubious. It boasts a sterling supporting cast, including Terrence Howard as Sean Mercer, the dedicated homicide detective who becomes suspicious of Erica but protective of her as well, Nicky Katt as Sean’s humorously cynical partner, and Mary Steenburgen as Erica’s station boss. It’s directed by Neil Jordan with cunning intensity, and Jodie Foster pulls out all the stops as Erica Bain, the host of a radio talk show who’s driven to confront violence with violence after she’s brutally beaten and her fiancé (Naveen Andrews) killed by a gang of thugs in Central Park.
By the standards of urban vigilante movies, “The Brave One” is certainly a class act.
0 kommentar(er)
