Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) finds a new hobby in The Brave One: wasting bad guys. Photo by Abbot Genser

It doesn’t take much bravery to wield a gun. Although crime stats show that gun use often is driven by less-desirable qualities, some believe guns can equalize an unfair fight.

That’s certainly what Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) supposes in The Brave One. After she and her fiancé David (Lost’s Naveen Andrews) are brutally attacked by three thugs in a New York City park and David dies, Erica feels safe in public only with a gun. So, she proceeds to buy one illegally and, sure enough, needs it later that day when a couple’s personal dispute turns violent in a convenience store. Now she feels empowered with the gun, like she has nothing more to lose, and she isn’t afraid to use it.

So with a gun in her bag and a death wish, Erica ventures into the nighttime New York City streets, superhero-style, as a defender of justice ready and eager to kill evildoers at a moment’s notice. To keep her on the audience’s good side, director Neil Jordan makes sure she only kills people who really, really deserve it.

Do two wrongs make a right? For much of The Brave One, the audience will react with an emphatic “yes!”. Foster brings a sympathetic presence to the role that gives it both substance and heart, and, to her credit, we stay on Erica’s side when she disregards the justice system and fights crime her own way. The ferocity and blank stares of indifference she emits while she kills are absolutely chilling. It’s clear that she doesn’t want to kill. The gun made her brave.

Therein lies the bigger sociological issue: Is righteous retribution against all criminals justified, regardless of the failings of the legal system? That’s debatable, but we can see the debate from a cop’s perspective vis-à-vis Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard), a jaded homicide detective for whom the system fails far too often. He and Erica are kindred spirits of sorts –– both hate scum-of-the-earth criminals who commit heinous acts of violence. To Howard’s (Hustle and Flow) credit, there is palpable tension and mutual appreciation –– a difficult duality to achieve –– between them as their friendship develops.

Unlike in David Cronenberg’s similarly themed A History of Violence, bloodshed isn’t the answer here. However, it is part of the consequences Erica must endure and, as such, the violence she once feared consumes her without pity or remorse. The notion that a normal, law-abiding citizen could become a cold-blooded killer is both a scary and disturbingly plausible one to bear.

The Brave One is a tense, exciting drama featuring one of the best performances of the year. It should not be missed.

The Brave One ***1/2 Directed by Neil Jordan. Written by Roderick Taylor and Bruce A. Tayor. Starring Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews. Rated R. **** A genuine must-see *** Entertaining ** Mediocre, but not worthless * A wretched waste of time Also opening in Miami-Dade County this Friday: Mr. Woodcock