Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

A pattern has emerged in Jodie Foster's choice of roles, in case you hadn't noticed. Her last three starring roles (PANIC ROOM, FLIGHTPLAN, and now THE BRAVE ONE) have all involved her being victimized in some way and then physically fighting back. Granted, you could trace her choice in such parts back to THE ACCUSED and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, but those films don't quite match the formula of the most recent ones. Foster has mastered these parts so perfectly, she even has a "fighting-back" face, something of a cross between pure fear and and an ecstatic adrenaline rush. Don't get me wrong, I love her in these three films (PANIC ROOM is a claustrophobic masterpiece), and I get excited whenever Foster decides to make a movie at all, which seems to be less and less these days. Is lesser acting hands, THE BRAVE ONE might have been an inexcusable mess, but Foster and her equally strong co-stars bring a weight and importance to this work that made me care about these characters even when what they are doing at times seems terribly wrong.

Foster plays Erica, a carefree New York radio host who lives something of an idealized hippie lifestyle with her fiance David (Naveen Andrews of "Lost") and tells stories on the radio about the city she loves. It's actually kind of nice to see them just be a normal couple, preparing for their wedding, living their lives never really being scared of the big city they live in. That all changes one night in Central Park where they are both brutally beaten by a gang of young thugs. Erica survives the attack, although she's hospitalized for weeks; David is not so lucky. Erica struggles to rebuild a life by herself, but she's also clearly suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Every stranger that walks near her or unfamiliar sound sends waves of fear through her. She attempts to go to the police to get updates on her boyfriend's death, but she's essentially ignored.

A detective named Mercer (Terrence Howard), who knows her from her radio show, takes pity on her and attempts to do a little investigating on his own, and the two form something of an uneasy alliance. But THE BRAVE ONE isn't about a woman finding new love after a great loss; this is a film about revenge, and no actress on the planet does unfiltered rage better than Foster. Erica buys an illegal gun; she thinks it will make her feel safe as she walks through the city she now fears. She lands up in a convenience store when an armed robbery takes place, and she deals with it. She is accosted by three dangerous men on the subway, and she deals with it. She spots an underage prostitute (played by Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet) and deals with the girl's pimp. Clearly she's building up the courage and skill to go after her attackers, the men who murdered her lover. Mercer is, at first, oblivious to the connection between these crimes and his new best friend, but he begins to suspect things enough to give her veiled warnings that he will choose the job over a friendship if he has to.

I've certainly seen Foster play scared and nervous before, but I can't recall a film in which I've seen her so enraged. And it's her all-too-believable anger that sucked me into this film. After stumbling through a couple of none-too-impressive films in the last year or so, Terrence Howard finally turns in a performance that fulfills the promise he made with his work in CRASH and HUSTLE & FLOW. (Howard is actually having a great monthk; be sure to read my review of THE HUNTING PARTY next week.) Mercer is a thoughtful man who uses his eyes and his brain before he opens his mouth or acts. His cautionary ways come back to haunt him in the film's final act. I should also mention Nicky Katt (recently seen in PLANET TERROR), who is one of the film's few sources of comic relief as Mercer's partner, Det. Vitale.

THE BRAVE ONE certainly does not condone Erica's actions. In fact, I think it's safe to assume filmmaker Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME; IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER) intended this to be an anti-violence, anti-gun film of the highest order. THE BRAVE ONE is not without its flawed worldview or even plot holes (the idea that Foster's character would go down an alley with a strange man to buy a gun so soon after her attack seems highly unlikely), but that doesn't take away from the film's ability to lock you in its grip and guide you through this heartbreaking journey. Two weeks ago, a Kevin Bacon film called DEATH SENTENCE was released to little fan fare. That movie features a strikingly similar plot about a man who seeks revenge on a gang of punks who murder his oldest son. As you can probably tell just from the title, that film did not handle the material in as nearly a compelling manner, but that didn't stop it from being a wild ride. THE BRAVE ONE shuns most opportunities to become exploitative, whereas DEATH SENTENCE wallowed in its blood and guts (again, this is not a bad thing necessarily). I suppose this is what sets Foster's film apart. It's intentions are clear without being preachy or shoving its message down your gullet, and the acting is so strong that the film's flaws vanish easily.

We've entered the early stages of the fall movie season, so expect many releases (including a few that his theaters this week) to be more hard-hitting, message-oriented works like this. More often than not, it is the films that don't state their case in big capital letters that end up making their points heard. THE BRAVE ONE steps over the line a couple times, but quality of the filmmaking always outweighs the brashness of its message delivery.

Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com