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Another Review Takes Aim At Neil Jordan’s THE BRAVE ONE!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
It amazes me how many people sprung to the defense of this trailer when I commented about it last week, thinking it just a wee bit ludicrous.
I’m not hearing good things from people who have seen the film, either, though. This type of movie is hard to make fresh, and if you get it even a little bit wrong, it can be hard to sit through. Having said that, I love Foster and I love Jordan, so I’m certainly hoping the film delivers, and that the early buzz is off-base.
Still, check this out:
I'm back with another test-screening review. With my tarnishing thoughts about the original "Halloween" and the "killing dead animals," I was brutally welcomed to the world of AICN talkbacks. I sure hope there isn't such a strong reaction to a new Jodie Foster movie...if there is, AICN is in trouble.
Anyway. Yesterday I attended a test screening for Foster's new movie "The Brave One," (worst title ever?) also starring the excellent Terrence Howard and Lost's Naveen Andrews. How did it fare? I'll attempt to tell you. Obviously this is a review, so some SPOILERS will be ahead.
This was a test screening, but the reps didn't even tell us it was a work in progress...I'd say this film is done, baby. Nothing seemed out of place...technically speaking.
From a film standpoint...meh. I'd have to honestly say it was quite a disappointment, especially after the trailer that had overall impressed me (disregarding the whole "I want my dog back!", a line that is not only in the film but basically the climax of the entire movie. Nice job trailer guys.)
Foster plays a New York City radio show host where she seemingly babbles on about the city and plays recordings of city noises. It's a profession they never flesh out but try to make it play a part in her story. One of only many missteps.
She's engaged to Andrews, and the film starts off just as you'd predict. We see her discuss wedding plans with him, meet a friend at an art gallery where they discuss how much she's in love in that sickening way only a movie can provide, and we see him and her take their dog for a walk. Surely nothing can go wrong, right?
Well, on their walk they meet your typical non-descript New York hoodlums. They proceed to steal the dog (oh noes!) and, to put it bluntly, fuck up Foster and her soon-to-be hubby. As she comes out of a several weeks-long coma, she learns her fiance has died. And guess what? She's a little upset about it.
During her coma session, we are introduced to Terrence Howard's character, a New York City detective. Howard is easily the best part of the entire movie, but even then, aspects of his character are treated poorly by the film's structure. His introduction is awkward and startlingly random-seeming. He spends 10 minutes in a hospital talking to some girl who's mom was apparently killed by her step-dad, and Howard then has to keep the step-dad away from the daughter. The whole time you'll ask yourself..."Um, did we just change movies?" This bit ends with him coming across Foster in her hospital bed, and he remarks that he sometimes listens to her show.
Cut to Foster waking up, and a series of brief scenes melded together in a disruptive fashion. This is the first moment that director Neil Jordan's annoying "unique" touches to the film first show up. He tends to abuse certain techniques such as quick flashbacks, rotating cameras and "hallucinations" where Foster seems to be talking to her dead boyfriend. It's all jarring and unnecessary.
After her "only in a movie" recovery, Foster is understandably nervous and apprehensive about going out onto the city streets and seems to fear every stranger that passes her by. At one point she goes to the police station to try and learn what they know about her husband's murder case. She sits there for an hour or so while no one come to talk to her. Apparently, after this, she's just HAD ENOUGH!
She goes to a gun shop and wants to buy one. The dude tells her she needs a license, needs to wait 30 days, yadda yadda yadda. "But I need one!" "Sorry." She ends up buying one from some shady dealer for a grand. It seems funny that, for someone who is so afraid of your average New York pedestrian, she's all too willing to follow this stranger down some seedy alley. Oh well.
She gets her gun, and then it's on. From here on out the film makes it apparent that if you live in New York, every other day you're gonna be witness to a convenience store shooting, threatened by a couple of thugs on the subway or be solicited by a creepy pervert. All of these end in death thanks to her new-found vigilance.
Then we're back to Howard, who's on the case. Some say this new vigilante is good, others bad. He wants to know who's doing it. In a great movie coincidence, he starts becoming friends with Foster after she interviews him regarding that evil step-dad from earlier. Howard tells Foster all the horrible things he's done. You think Foster is gonna go after him next? Shocker.
A huge problem that should/could have been fixed, but wasn't, is the film's idea of comedic relief. There are numerous lines that are genuinely funny and clever (most of them come from Howard's partner, which seems to be his only purpose in the film). However, in the context of the what the film is trying to accomplish, it feels awkward and completely out of place. Nevertheless, the audience howled in laughter. In another movie I would have laughed, but it seemed to me this film shouldn't be about that.
The main problem with the film is an unwillingness to commit to the tone. For the majority of the running time the film seems to be begging to plunge the depths of moral gray areas regarding what Foster's character is up to, and how she feels about it. Unfortunately, any headway they make in the area is predictable and not engaging. To it's credit, it seems to reach a consensus about the morality of what she's doing late in the movie, and it's executed well, but it's also a case of too-little, too-late. (She just wants her fucking dog back, alright?)
Ultimately the film is standard, blase and disappointing. Howard and Foster have some good moments together, and I hope both of them can find better projects in the future. I don't think it'll be a problem for Howard, but what's the deal with Foster? Despite a decent supporting role in "Inside Man," she's had nothing worth mentioning since "Panic Room." I wish she'd find something that she could really shine in.
Once again, I was invited to attend the smaller focus group of 25 people after the screening. And once again, I seemed to be one of the few who didn't absolutely love it. I'm convinced either I have incredibly poor taste in movies, or your average American is out of their fucking mind. I tend to lean toward the latter.
- cbebop007
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+ Expand All
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two in one night! high-five (and finished with the hand)
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i sorry no more comment just crap
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neil jordan's always gotta infuse a little gayness into his films, i'm curious as to how he'll do it in this one (easily his most mainstream since interview, which you gotta admit - pretty fuckin gay....good, but pretty fuckin gay)
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enjoyed the review - well written - will defi nitely stay away
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is better. the original always is.
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It's from that guy who fell asleep during "The Godfather", isn't it?
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I could have sworn that this exact same review was posted about a week or so ago.
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http://tinyurl.com/2dp5k5
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People who use "meh" to describe their bored indifference...meh.
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roles for women mid-40 ish on..look at the crap Julianne Moore has made recently. She's in the same demo boat as Foster. And Foster was good in Flightplan, too bad the movie was blah.
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Wow...my review was posted twice. Mistake?
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seemed to have been thrown back to the 70s. It's not like that here anymore. But if the rest of the world wants to have its little fantasy about NYC being a scum-infested hell pit, go right ahead. Sure, we have problems, but you take 9 million people and jam them all together and you'd have some problems as well.
This is the best city in the USA, and one of the greatest in the world. -
From Foster's progressive image, it seems a strange choice for her. Running around, blasting holes in black and brown people (although in my audience, black and brown people cheered the loudest during the trailer). Anyway, the whole movie seems strange from a political point-of-view
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Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Seriously, I've seen photo's of her "life partner" - picture the old bag who ran your high school library. I mean, c'mon Jodie you can do better than that! Foster is a fox!
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Here's a question: since you need to show your license to buy ammo in NYC, what does she do when she needs to reload? Go back to the seedy guy for a box of 50 Cor-Bon hollow points? Does he have a selection, or is it all Winchester White Box plinking ammo?
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"plunge the depths". You sound in high dungeon, cbebop007.
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Did you actually read what I wrote, here it is for ya, "Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Seriously, I've seen photo's of her "life partner" - picture the old bag who ran your high school library. I mean, c'mon Jodie you can do better than that! Foster is a fox!" - most "literate" people would take that to mean that I "understood" Foster was a) Gay and b) had a "life partner" that I identified as being an "old bag" ie "old woman" DUHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! You officially take the gold cup for Fucktard of the Day. Please request of your parents that they send you to a preschool where the english language is both spoken and taught. I rest my case. PS: You are a fucktard! Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Peace out Ms Foster!
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Bwaaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You are too much! "Literated"? Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!
And then this classic follow up - "Was that english clear enough for you?" Ha ha ha ha!!
Dude, you are a legend! A LEGEND!!!!
I'm going off to get "literated" now. Thankyou for putting me in my place. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
Wow. Even people that just use the name Uwe Boll are assholes. And I liked this move more whn it was Death Wish 9.
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It's a good time. It's not the best movie of the year, but you won't be sorry. Anyway, I think Jodie's doing these movies as a compromise - so she can finally make her Leni Riefenstal movie.
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