THE BRAVE ONE
RYAN: There’s nothing better in my world than seeing a great movie with one of your favorite actors. I’m talking about Jodie Foster in “The Brave One.”
CAROLINE: We haven’t seen her in anything spectacular lately, but I’m happy to report that she has not lost her mad acting skills over the last few years.
RYAN: She can do so much with just a look. There was one time during the movie that she does this look and I actually vocally responded. She’s just incredible, and I’d say this is her best performance since “Contact.”
CAROLINE: Yeah, I never saw that.
RYAN: Shame on you. “The Brave One” is directed by Neil Jordan who also directed “Interview with a Vampire,” one of my all-time favorites.
CAROLINE: We were lucky enough to interview him on the red carpet at the premiere earlier this week, which was very cool. Thanks Luke!
RYAN: Seriously, it was awesome.
CAROLINE: I’d like to discuss Terrence Howard, who basically co-stars as a detective in this movie but is obviously getting overshadowed by the Jodie Foster. He is seriously phenomenal. I knew he was good in “Crash,” but I never saw “Hustle & Flow,” which I will clearly have to rent immediately. There is something about his voice that is so appealing to me, and he’s outstanding in this film.
RYAN: I think you commented during the film how great he and Jodie are together. The two of them make for a truly interesting and unique cinematic pair.
CAROLINE: You think it’s just a vigilante movie, and it is; Jodie Foster takes to the streets with a vengeance after a horrible crime is committed against her. It’s very psychological at first, but then it really becomes about her and this detective and their relationship, and her chemistry with Terrence is awesome. On a side note, the guy who plays Terrence’s partner, Nicky Katt, is absolutely hilarious. He provides some much needed comic relief in this film.
RYAN: I also loved the score and soundtrack. They really paid attention on a metaphorical level, and sometimes the song lyrics really reflect what’s happening in a certain scene.
CAROLINE: It’s really well shot, and it takes place in New York City, which we love. It shows a lot of seedy, underbelly, late-night New York. Some of the scenes are truly horrifying, and you have to cover your face with your hands – or at least I did.
RYAN: It’s not as gory or violent as “Death Sentence,” but it’s a much higher quality film. If you had no clue what this film was about going into it, you wouldn’t know what it was about for the 15 minutes. Then the tone really changes and it turns a corner and it’s great.
CAROLINE: Look for a little appearance from Sayid of “Lost” fame, whom we adore. I wish he were in the movie more.
RYAN: Mary Steenburgen’s in it too. Nice to see her getting a little break on the big screen. There were also some interesting radio scenes, which was fun for us to see. I have to admit, there were moments where I was like, “How freeing must it be to be a vigilante in NYC?”
CAROLINE: This movie is truly an updated version of 1974’s “Death Wish.” The only difference is that the lead is a woman.
RYAN: Bottom line?
CAROLINE: I didn’t know what to expect from this film, but I’m pleased to say that it’s better than I thought it would be. It’s shot incredibly well, it looks amazing and the performances are great. I don’t think everyone is going to love it though; it could be controversial.
RYAN: I loved how the audience responded when Jodie got all vigilante. They were applauding her badass-ness. She looks very natural and great in this movie. She’s aging so well. I love her.
CAROLINE: She’s taking the “Hey guess what, people really do get wrinkles as they get older” route, which I approve of highly. It’s rare for a woman in Hollywood.
RYAN: She, much like Nicole Kidman, could be nominated for an Oscar for any movie she makes in my opinion. This movie is just so well made. I highly recommend it.