The Brave One

"Foster’s pistol-packing turn as an avenging dark angel nearly sustains director Neil Jordan’s grim vigilante drama through a string of implausibilities and occasionally trite psychological framing devices, with deft support from Terrence Howard as a sympathetic cop..."

"An intense New York-set thriller that manages to be both commercial and contemplative, kick-ass and quietly, disturbingly insinuating..."

"On one hand, it's an emotional and realistic look at the devastation violent crime can have on its victims - in this case New York radio host Erica Bain (Foster). On the other, it's a gripping thriller where right, wrong and believability are sacrificed for good old "shoot 'em up" action. It is a struggle to meld the two..."

"While it had some pleasing visual moments courtesy of the cinematography, the film slowly trails off to a ridiculous ending, ultimately robbing it of any real credibility..."

"It wants to be a modern "Taxi Driver"; it manages to be the new Falling Down, with Foster as fierce as ever..."

"Of course it helps that he has the finest actress of the last 30 years as his leading lady. Forget your Linda Hamiltons, Geena Daviss or Sigourney Weavers, Foster is the iron woman of modern cinema. From The Accused to The Silence of the Lambs, Nell, Panic Room and Flight Plan, she has time and again shown her on-screen fortitude, feistiness and finesse, mixing vulnerability with a touch of the vigilante. Which of course makes her an ideal fit for this role. Like TV's favourite new serial killer Dexter, she is cleaning up the city by taking out the trash, and given Christchurch's current reputation for street crime her actions are likely to find favour with local audiences. Now if only she was running for mayor..."

"More galling than that, Erica develops an intimate friendship with Sean who, as the voice of reason, engages us before playing turncoat to facilitate a morally suspect and frankly very silly ending. Ironically, the makers of The Brave One appear to lack gumption..."