The Brave One

Erica Bain (Foster), the host of a radio show named "City Walk,", has spent years gushing about the wonders of life in her beloved New York City. She encounters a trio of thugs while walking with fiance David (Andrews) in Central Park. The two suffer a gruesome beating, which proves lethal for David and barely survivable for Erica, who, after months of recovery and in the throes of post-traumatic stress, acquires a hand gun. Erica suddenly and routinely witnesses violent criminal acts and begins to mete out street justice while forming a platonic relationship with Detective Mercer (Howard), who is investigating the series of vigilante-style slayings. Their interactions are a bright spot in an otherwise brutal story line. It may sound a bit (okay, a lot) like "Death Wish" but the distinction is Erica's inner turmoil, skillfully played out by Foster. Still, the overwhelming violence outweighs the attempt to humanize her character, and ultimately it fails as both an insightful psycho-thriller and as a vigilante shoot-'em-up.