Views from the Void

The Brave One
Plot: Erica (Jodie foster) is a radio presenter in New York, but when a mugging gets her fiancé killed and she ends up in hospital, she finds that she doesn’t feel safe anymore. She gets herself a gun for protection but unsure she would ever use it. However, things turn worse when she is a store during a robbery and has to shoot the armed robber for her to escape alive. This is her first kill and soon she finds that she can kill easily just to protect the innocent. But cop Mercer is on her tail.
My Thoughts: Hot on the heels of ‘Death Sentence’, this provides us with another vigilante movie. However this film doesn’t depend on the blood and violence to provide the suspense, but more on how Erica reacts to each situation and the relationship building between her and the cop. The plot is straight-forward and you can’t help empathising with her throughout the film. I even liked the ending, even though there is no way it would happen in reality! (I wonder if it was due to audience pressure)
On the whole, a great vigilante style movie with heart and depth that other violent shooty film doesn’t have. However it is slow and feels like it is dragging along in some places.
Best Bit: Every time a bad guy gets it.
Score: 7/10

Halloween
Plot: Michael Myers is a disturbed little boy, who ends up slaughtering many members of his family at Halloween. He gets institutionalised and, seventeen years later, escapes to stalk the street where he grew up- and teenager Laurie!
My Thoughts: IN this film, as compared to the original, we get to see the beginning- in fact the first 45 minutes seem to be about him as a boy. We see how Michael as a ten year old has a fascination with dead things and how he ends up killing his family. And to be honest, I didn’t really need to know. Even though, there is a slight sense of satisfaction when the gross step dad gets his throat cut, I didn’t really want to feel any empathy with the psychotic killer. This version adds blood and gore but seems to lose the edge and suspense of the original.
On the whole, even though there are some ‘jumps’ it feels like we have been here before and it loses a lot compared to the original.
Best bit: The asylum breakout is probably the best bit. But I all feels familiar
Score: 6/10