By Chris Alexis

There are all kinds of movies out there. Most of them are produced solely for our entertainment, but then there are those that, to use a cliché, make you think.

The Brave One is such a movie.

Jodie Foster plays Erica Bain, a radio personality who is viciously beaten along with her fiancé during a stroll in the park. Although she survives, her fiancé does not. The attack changes Erica. Her rage drives her into becoming a vigilante.

As I left the theater, I asked myself, “what would I do?” If something that horrific happened to me, I’d certainly want revenge. And all the people she killed were horrible people. In fact, it could be argued the world was a safer place without them.

But that doesn’t make it right.

Right?

The Brave One succeeds because any of us could be Erica Bain. Director Neil Jordan puts the audience in Erica’s shoes. And that’s powerful, because it leaves each audience member asking themselves, “what would I do?”

As we strolled out the screening, I overheard a couple conversations of that nature.

Jodie Foster is an intense actress, and she leaves nothing behind in this film. Her pain, her anger… no, her rage, is seen and felt by the audience in a very powerful way.

Terrence Howard plays Detective Mercer, who is one step behind Erica in his investigation of the increasing body count. He befriends her, and they form a bond as he tracks the mysterious “vigilante.”

Foster’s acting isn’t the only thing that’s intense. The whole movie is intense. Be aware that this film doesn’t pull any punches. It’s graphic and violent and disturbing at times.

The pacing is a bit slow for most of the movie, and some of the character’s decisions in the later part of the movie don’t make any sense.

But overall, this is solid movie.

And maybe, just maybe, some people may even learn a little bit about themselves, too.