What Makes a Vigilante. Movie Review on The Brave One
Vigilantism seems to have become more and more of a public concern recently,
with online cases hitting news headlines so often. Indeed, laws made by humans
can never seem to reach the level of perfection, and vigilantism seems to be a
perfect supplement to what it takes to make the world a better place. But is it
legitimate to take the laws into one's own hands? No matter which side you choose to stand on, it's doubtful that we will finally reach a consensus.
That's where vigilantism-themed movies find their way in. The seemingly dark
colored Batman series has numerous fans, and the Spiderman trilogy can't be more
popular than it really is. Superman is a pioneer in depicting a hero who wears
two hats, one being a clumsy salesperson and another being an unsung hero forever trying to save the world. Jodie Foster's (The Silence of The Lambs) latest movie The Brave One also comes with the ideas of fear, revenge and vigilantism, but with a rather fresh flavor that we haven't tasted before.
Erica (Foster) is a host of a radio talk show. She's been walking on air because she's going to walk down the aisle with her fiance soon. But their stroll in a park irretrivably changes her life. They are attacked by a trio of thugs and her boyfriend is beaten to death, leaving Erica badly injured though more psychologically than physically. She suffers long from hounded fears after her stay
in the hospital, but she finally manages to return to the outside world. Driven by constant fears and the urge to revenge, which has somehow converted her into another persona, Erica buys a gun. She accidentally witnesses a convenience store robbery and in an act of self defence, shoots the robber dead. The incident serves to whet her appetite for more vigilante moves. Surprisedly finding her
hands not shaking, Erica comes to put herself in another dangerous situation, where she plays the role of a vigilante doing the tricky job for the police. People seem happy to see the bad guys get their comeuppance, but the deaths finally
bring her attention from the police. When she finally gets to the locate the very murderer of her much beloved fiance, she decides it's time to settle down all the mess....
The story itself may not necessarily sound thrilling or new, but the acting of
Foster is probably one of her best. Though the husky voice-over helps a lot, the helplessnesss, desperation, fear, anger and the eagerness to avenge her lover
can be easily felt from her eyes. Foster does a great job in displaying how the heroine grows from a weak urban woman into a vengeance-driven, confident yet still feminine vigilante who still looks so confused throughout the story. Erica
's relation with the kind of cynical police officer is subtle and well portrayed
. The movie would sound more convincing if set in any town-size county something rather than in a huge metropolis like New York though; and the police officer'
s final decision to put himself out to bail Erica out is somewhat far-fetched, though unexpected and succeeds in bringing up an ending that may please the audience.
Foster's recent movies seem to make her an action star, which is a bit uncomfortable to many. She doesn't look like a strong, muscular woman after all, and she's no longer young. Jackey Chen (Chen Long) can be said to be an awful example of struggling to stay in sight as an action actor at the age of 50-something,
and though not as this old, Foster's move to follow suit this way is pretty much
of a stupid idea. But I guess I should be less demanding than this. Though not necessarily bringing a second wave to her acting career, The Brave One well proves that Jodie Foster hasn't lost her touch yet, and is ready to make a roaring comeback.
The movie aims at the controversy of whether it is good or not to have vigilantism gaining more and more steam as it is the fact today. Successful or not in
its attempt, The Brave One is said to have won the boxoffice with flying colors,
and we can look forward to Hollywood churning out similar stuff for the time to
come.
Panpanpan.
|
轻松英语