The Brave One (2007)

A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge.

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Roderick Taylor (screenplay), Bruce A. Taylor (screenplay),

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Nicky Katt

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jodie Foster	...	Erica Bain
Terrence Howard	...	Detective Mercer
Nicky Katt	...	Detective Vitale
Naveen Andrews	...	David Kirmani
Mary Steenburgen	...	Carol
Ene Oloja	...	Josai
Luis Da Silva Jr.	...	Lee
Blaze Foster	...	Cash
Rafael Sardina	...	Reed
Jane Adams	...	Nicole
Gordon MacDonald	...	Murrow
Zoë Kravitz	...	Chloe
John Magaro	...	Ethan
Victor Colicchio	...	Cutler
Jermel Howard	...	Thug on Subway

Storyline

David Kirmani,a medical professional, lives in an apartment with his sweetheart, Erica Bain, a radio host, and his dog. They usually take the dog out for a stroll in nearby Central Park and let him run and fetch. One day while at the park they let the dog run without a leash, and when he does not return or respond to their calls, they frantically search for him. They eventually find him being held by three men who want a reward. When David refuses, they start to molest Erica and David intervenes. Two of the men assault the couple, while the third uses a camcorder to film this incident. Erica is knocked unconscious, and regains her senses several days later in a hospital. She is told the shocking news that David was killed and the dog is missing. A traumatized Erica returns home to try and regain her life. She also visits the police station but does not get much help. Fearful of a repeat of this type of incident, she gets an unlicensed gun and carries it with her all the time. One day ...

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Plot Keywords:

dog | park | gun | death | police | 

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Taglines:

How many wrongs to make it right?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [fr] Warner Bros. Pictures [de]

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Neustrašiva

Filming Locations:

183 Grand Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£497,838 (UK) (28 September 2007)

Gross:

$36,789,772 (USA) (22 November 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Village Roadshow Pictures, Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before Jodie Foster was attached to this movie, the character of Erica was supposed to be a newspaper reporter. Foster changed her job to radio host because she thought that her being a print journalist didn't "didn't set a mood for the film and it wasn't as compelling in terms of the narrative" as being a radio reporter was. Foster also wanted to specify that Erica worked for the real news organization National Public Radio, but NPR declined to allow their name to be used in the movie because of the vigilante aspects of the plot.

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Goofs

In the scene where she receives a package and before the opens the box, you can clearly see and hear something moving on the floor in the room behind her (through the glass doors). It looks like a stand for a microphone or camera being pulled out of the view.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Erica: [voiceover, doing her radio show] I'm Erica Bain. And as *you* know, I walk the city. I bitch and moan about it. I walk and watch and listen, a witness to all the beauty and ugliness that is disappearing from our beloved city. Last week took me to the gray depths of the East River where Dmitri Panchenko swims his morning laps, like he has every morning since the 1960s. And today I walked by the acres of scaffolding outside what used to be the Plaza Hotel. And I thought about Eloise....
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: I Spit on Your Grave: Part 2 (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya"
Written by John Creaux
Performed by Dr. John
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Really good acting, but the story is kind of standard

I saw this film in a preview. It was the final production though. Jodie Foster is a great actress, I would give her 10 of 10 without hesitation. The story is a standard revenge-movie. But with Jodies amazing acting and a good director the standard story becomes interesting. It's like experience the whole thing through Jodies character. The bad guys gets a little bit stereotyped and shows almost no personalty other than violent temper. Well, it's easier to kill them then, I guess. The sens-moral of the film is "kill the bad guys". Yes, feels good on the white screen, but it would be the end of society if everybody did like these characters did. Jodie gets 10 and the story 5, so average is 7 which is my vote. Definitely worth watching.