Beautifully played, the tantalising accretion of mutual understanding between Foster and Howard is one of the film's strengths, yet the plot machinations required to lever it into position would overstretch credibility in the clunkiest action flick.
You know what would be brave? Making an unflinching film about a difficult-to-tackle topic and complex characters, and sticking to your message, damn the torpedoes.
I think The Brave One could have been a better film with a different ending, but it's still a well-crafted, thought-provoking story with outstanding performances.
USA Today
September 14, 2007
Foster does her best with a flawed story whose ending rings even less true than the rest of it.
Matt's Movie Reviews
July 06, 2010
The Brave One can at times be a brutal, violent and harrowing portrait of an over burdened system, where thugs rule the streets and the corrupt contaminate the upper echelon of society. It is also an un-original revenge/vigilante story.
