The Brave (DVD 2003)

I was very excited to find this film available in the UK, as I had not been able to find it when I was living in the US. This film really shows the levels of depth that Johnny Depp is capable. Mr Depp wrote, directed and starred in this dark, poignant tale of poverty in the land of plenty. The acting is spot on, the cinematography is harsh, stark and perfect, and the story does not flinch away from showing either the depths of despair or the wonders of love. This is a very bleak film, but very beautiful. Hopefully we will see more of Depp's writing and directing prowess in the future. --kg07

A world away from the 'pretty boy' roles that he can play, Johnny Depp stars in, directs and adapted the screenplay of this thought provoking film. At times it can appear 'dark' both in the story and also the scene lighting, but this all adds to the atmosphere that I feel he was trying to create. He still gets to look pretty gorgeous with his open shirt and soul bearing eyes. I like the way in which he gets a 'second wind' to be a husband and father even though he is at his most desperate, and time is running out. Marlon Brando was just a joy to have in the film and I don't think this would have worked so well with someone else in the role (in my opinion). I got so engrossed that I was willing the end to be different which made the film even more powerful, and I was definately up for a good cry at the end! The title is also a clever choice as it denotes the indian roots for this character and also the depth of his personality from within to face every day falling in love again with his family, knowing the heartache that would follow. I also bought it as it's not one of his films that the media have picked up on and 'bigged' up. I was curious to see if Johnny Depp's directing was as good as his acting and I personally, was not disappointed. It would be great to see more of his directing skills in the future.