Jodie Foster stars in “The Brave One” as a radio host that, after a traumatic experience, finds a different person within herself.

In Neil Jordan’s “The Brave One,” Jodie Foster is Erica Blain, a New York radio talk show host in love with her fiancé, David, and in love with her city. Intelligent, analytical, tender, she enjoys her life and relies on its safety.

Until one evening when everything is turned upside down. Erica and David (Naveen Andrews) are walking their dog through a park one evening when they are viciously attacked.

David loses his life; Erica spends three weeks in a coma and awakes a terrified, confused, emotionally wounded woman.

The police assure her that the attackers will not remain unpunished. Barely keeping herself together, frustrated with the law’s slow pace, she buys an illegal handgun, perhaps with the consoling illusion that it will help her feel safe.

Erica soon finds herself using that gun, repeatedly, against violent individuals, becoming a vigilante on the tracks of her lover’s murderers. Foster seductively narrates throughout the film her character’s view on the changes going within her, her transformations.

Terrence Howard co-stars as Sean Mercer, a police detective pursuing the anonymous vigilante that is now making headlines. He and Erica become friends and the detective soon suspects her…

Both are left with decisions to make – Erica, whether her revenge-fueled vigilantism is justified; Sean, whether he can turn his new friend in to the authorities.

The script, penned by Roderick Taylor and Bruce A. Taylor, includes the intellectual, analytical notes Foster has got us used to and emphasizes certain aspects of Erica’s experience that we are meant to meditate on.

Director Neil Jordan captures the struggle that any woman who has ever been harassed is familiar with: wanting to hurt the harasser, and takes it one step further in Erica than rational people with common sense usually do – acting out on that desire.

With Foster’s incredibly expressive visage, it is perhaps not much trouble to capture those mixed, contradictory feeling, between being the victim and turning into the aggressor, being rational and civilized and tapping into utterly primitive vengeful, self-protective energy.

The morality of Erica’s actions is left for the viewer to ponder on. She displays emotions, we receive. What is right and what is wrong; what is “appropriate” and what is organic, primal, beyond social rules; the viewers are left to sort through all this and decide for themselves.

Perhaps what is brave about Foster’s character is that she explores those dark, frightening places within herself that most of us learn from early childhood are forbidden and shameful and emerges a more complete, authentic woman.

“The Brave One” opens Friday, Sept. 14.

Director: Neil Jordan

Screenplay by Roderick Taylor, Bruce A. Taylor and Cynthia Mort

Producers: Joel Silver and Susan Downey

Starring: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews

In other roles: Nicky Katt, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Adams.

Running time: 1:59

MPAA rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexuality