The Brave One (2007)

Struggling to recover emotionally from a brutal assault that killed her fiancé and left her in a coma, a radio personality begins a quest for vengeance against the perpetrators that leaves a bloody trail across New York City.

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 6 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 | detective | death | 

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Taglines:

How many wrongs to make it right?

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Genres:

Action | 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. Pictures [Japan] Warner Bros. Pictures [UK]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Brave One

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,471,488, 16 September 2007

Gross USA:

$36,793,804

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$69,787,394

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

Nicole Kidman was originally cast as Erica. Jodie Foster also took over Kidman's role in Panic Room (2002).

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Goofs

When Erica listens to her recording from the subway, the volume indicator on her recorder continues to flash even when the recording has stopped and there is nothing audible anymore.

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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

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Vigilante Justice Movies (2016)

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Soundtracks

Everybody Can You Feel the Vibe
Written by Frantic, C. Black and M. Breazza
Performed by Blade and Brezza
Courtesy of LoveCat Music, by arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Terrific performances from Jodi Foster and Terrence Howard

this movie was much better than i had hoped or expected it to be.it basically turns the vigilante genre on its head,and has a female character as the vigilante.like any vigilante movie,it certainly poses tough questions.it contains some terrific performances in it's two lead characters,Jodi Foster as the vigilante,and Terrance Howard as the cop on her trail.both are outstanding and very credible in their respective roles.Foster really makes you sympathetic to her character and rooting for her,even though you probably shouldn't.Howard's character is also sympathetic,because he has mixed feelings,but has to follow the law.he comes off very convincingly as someone who is conflicted.the movie is well paced and appropriately dark.even before the end of the movie,i thought it was well done,but the ending caught me totally off guard.it elevated the movie a notch.for me,The Brave One is a 9/10