VividSimon Simply Perfect

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

MG Soikkeli Everything in "The Brave" is somehow false. Slow storytelling and strained dramatisation with zero motivation for audience to care for characters is an awful combination. It's brave message about the status of native American minority is lost with a stupid plot of sacrificing oneself in a snuff film.If you watch only the first half an hour of "The Brave", you may be satisfied to see something thematic in hollowness of characters and in the situations they are introduced to audience. Even the short discussion with Marlon Brando is almost tolerable if you keep thinking this is just meta-criticism against conventions of film realism.Only if you keep on watching... and you see the director (Johnny Depp) concentrating to his own character (Raphael) as a victim AND as a hero, you begin to see that there's another level of ethnic exploitation in these kind of indie films.In a proper drama the characters are used to enhance each others qualities. With main actor also directing all attention is focused to his character, but mr Depp is not able to express what's happening inside his character during the oppressive and violent situations.A stout, withdrawn character of an Indian with criminal background is a good choice for a director-actor who is used to do simple caricatures in Burton-fantasies - and even this is too much for mr Depp. Admittedly he is much more comfortable presenting ethnic antihero in "The Lone Ranger" than recycling an ethnic hero making ethnic love in ethnic sunset with an ethnic beauty (Elpidia Carrillo). YAWN! "The Brave" is so far the only long feature film Johnny Depp has directed and I truly hope it will also be the last one.

Peter Grunbaum I agree with those that say, that this is a good story. It's like a Twilight Zone episode. In the beginning, one is intrigued and guessing what will happen but then that breaks down, and it doesn't seem to be fantasy anymore. It just seems like we don't really believe in the story or the characters anymore. Why would any of them act like that? Seriously, I really think Rod Serling could have gotten some great stuff out of this, apparently, Hostel-like story and setup. The subject of snuff-movies is an epic theme, but this way of telling the story is just so weak that we lose interest. Still it is a lot more interesting than the average movie, and clearly Johhny Depp is a talented director but he should really have thought some more about creating some excitement in this story.

carol2843 I truly love this film. Of all of Johnny's films so far, this one really touches me. I feel for Rafael and his family. No matter how many times I watch this film, I get very emotional knowing what is about to happen to Rafael. This film also shows Native Americans as they are and not in a white man's version of how they think Native Americans talk and act. I have a DVD from Korea but it is not the full-version and am participating in a letter writing campaign to Johnny Depp to ask him to release this beautiful film in it's entirety on Region One DVD form. If you would like to participate, please contact Firefly at bravecampaign@yahoo.com for details. This movie is worth seeing and should be seen in it's entirety!!!

kermitthefrog594 Think of many underrated movies out there. "Chaplin", with Robert Downey Jr. Martin Scorscese's "Kundun". Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy". Or Troy Duffy's "Boondock Saints"."The Brave", based on the novel by Gregory McDonald, is among them. Why the critics at Cannes... canned this film, I will never understand. This film should have been released in the United States, and everywhere else around the world, for it is a sensitive drama that truly shows what an artist Johnny Depp is.Raphael's (or is it Rafael? I'm not sure) love for his family compels him to sign on to star in a 'snuff movie'. For those not in the know, it means he will be killed on camera for money. He hopes this money will be enough to bring his family out of poverty. He takes care of everything in his life before following the trail to his doom.For a first-time director, Johnny Depp does a better job than many big-time directors (Michael Bay? Are you paying attention?). The score by Iggy Pop also helps the film move along. And it's gripping finale outshines other classic endings, like "Planet of the Apes" or "The Sixth Sense".This is easily among my Top 100 Movies of all-time. It's far better than many classic movies and current films around. So if the reason behind its unfair dismissal by film critics is justified, then show me the flaws. Because I can't find any.10 out of 10