Pun Salad

Erica Bain, played by Jodie Foster, is a stereotypical Manhattanite sophisticate. Her employment is composing and performing glib urban-vignette essays on an NPRish radio station. She moves in a world of trendy bars, art exhibitions, and scenic walks in Central Park with her fiance, played by the guy who does Sayid on Lost. Everything's perfect until she and Sayid are the victims of a brutal crime.

And then she turns into Charles Bronson's character in Death Wish. Really.

Now, this is a serious movie—directed by Neil Jordan, a certified serious-movie director—which means that Jodie is conflicted, and torn, and emotes about this turn of events. None of this affects the plot much, though; it just gives her acting things to do between shooting bad guys.

Terence Howard plays a good detective, and develops a complex relationship with Jodie's character. Nicky Katt plays Howard's partner, and makes himself noticeable in a small part by having some very funny lines.

All in all, this movie is a pretty good argument for concealed-carry and vigilantism. I didn't mind that too much, but I would wager it pushed some more progressive critics into rage and denial. Suggestion: double-feature it with Taxi Driver.