À vif

this movie was much better than i had hoped or expected it to be.it basically turns the vigilante genre on its head,and has a female character as the vigilante.like any vigilante movie,it certainly poses tough questions.it contains some terrific performances in it's two lead characters,Jodi Foster as the vigilante,and Terrance Howard as the cop on her trail.both are outstanding and very credible in their respective roles.Foster really makes you sympathetic to her character and rooting for her,even though you probably shouldn't.Howard's character is also sympathetic,because he has mixed feelings,but has to follow the law.he comes off very convincingly as someone who is conflicted.the movie is well paced and appropriately dark.even before the end of the movie,i thought it was well done,but the ending caught me totally off guard.it elevated the movie a notch.for me,The Brave One is a 9/10

I saw this film in a preview. It was the final production though. Jodie Foster is a great actress, I would give her 10 of 10 without hesitation. The story is a standard revenge-movie. But with Jodies amazing acting and a good director the standard story becomes interesting. It's like experience the whole thing through Jodies character. The bad guys gets a little bit stereotyped and shows almost no personalty other than violent temper. Well, it's easier to kill them then, I guess. The sens-moral of the film is "kill the bad guys". Yes, feels good on the white screen, but it would be the end of society if everybody did like these characters did. Jodie gets 10 and the story 5, so average is 7 which is my vote. Definitely worth watching.

I would agree with those who say that Jodi Foster is the redeeming factor in this film. I remember how much fun it was to pull for Charles Bronson in those Death Wish things (the early one's; not the silly sequels). How can one not empathize with her character. The thing is that it's easy for Hollywood to appeal to our baser instincts. This does and it wouldn't sustain long term interest if it was just anyone portraying the central figure. Of course, there are factors to face, like "if you set foot on the street, is there routinely someone out there that is just waiting for you"? But the cheap thrills are more than compensated for by Foster's masterful acting style and her incredible demeanor. While it stretches the bounds of credibility, once I set that aside, I was able to enjoy the ride. It's certainly cathartic if nothing else.

I liked this one a lot. Its a revenge thriller or remake I suppose of the Charles Bronson's Death Wish series of the 70's. Jodie Foster takes the lead here and I enjoyed seeing a woman in the role of vigilante, refusing to be a victim and fighting back.

Foster can be a bit much at times but she was perfect for this role setting out on a mission of revenge after a brutal attack (it's really rough) leaves her fiancé dead and 'Erica' unable to move past the tragedy. Eventually she buys a gun and begins prowling the city streets at night to track down the men she holds responsible. Foster does a good job here with the conflicted emotions and I have to admit to yelling "yes" a couple times after she smoked one of the bad guys.

I also really enjoyed Terence Howard's detective character, the cat and mouse game between him and Foster is well done and suspenseful. Naveen Andrews has a small role here as the boyfriend, and the ending with the dog, jeez for some reason that almost had me in tears. It's the dogs that seem to get me every time. 03.13

This was entertaining. Sure, one can't help but draw comparisons and think back to the most famous vigilante film of all time: "Death Wish," but this film stands on its own story. No, it's not "Death Wish," but it ain't far from it, storywise. It's different enough to keep us guessing what "Erica" will do next so, in that regard, it's good value for your entertainment dollar, particularly if you enjoy film noirs. This would be labeled a "neo noir" today.

I was a little skeptical about Jodie Foster playing a Charles Bronson-type shooter, but she pulled it off convincingly. The difference in "Erica Bain" and Bronson's "Paul Kersey" was minimal except she seemed to be more depressed over who she had become, once she started killing.

Foster, by the way, shows no signs of slowing down as an actress and this was a juicy role for her.

But don't be misled by this film's screenplay or by Hollywood standards of morality, as they have very little. The fact is, as shown in this film, this woman quickly turns into a killer, a murderer, if even if it was scumbags she was killing, it doesn't justify her actions and, deep inside, she knew it. (It sure is satisfying, though, in a real base sense!)

The ending a little UNsatisfying to a number of reviewers, both here and in national publications. That's all I will say on that, as I don't want to spoil anything for readers who haven't seen the movie. You make up your own mind what you think of it, and the message it conveys.

Suffice to say, if you're looking for an entertaining neo noir, one that serves up your thirst for vengeance a la "Death Wish," this is one to check out at your local rental store.