![]() His lengthy monologue in the torture chamber, where Raphael brokers his deal, is almost a parody of Last Tango In Paris - so Method, so genuine, it seems fake. Marlon Brando puts in a strong performance, as McCarthy, the angel of death, to whom Raphael sells his soul. I found myself tuning out, never a good sign when you have almost two hours to go. The first 15 minutes is barren of dialogue and, although the cinematography is strong, even Johnny Depp's smouldering good looks and impressive acting are not weighty enough to carry that length of time without a word spoken. The unfeasibility of this situation is not the only flaw of the film there are too many to count. Somehow, in the middle of a junkyard shanty town, he finds lights, fairground rides, trampolines, swings and all manner of fun and games, thus making the family, drowning in its apathy and disinterest, suddenly welcome him with open arms, which is fortunate, since there are only four days remaining before the Grim Reaper comes to collect. An unconventional move, I know, but it seems to work. This he does - wait for it - by throwing a huge and colourful fiesta. ![]() The rest of the movie is about his attempt to win back respect and love, with only seven days left to live. Having spent time in and out of jail all his life, Raphael is so desperate that he sells himself to a snuff movie director, trading his own death, so that his family might have a better future. The film takes a basic story, with a whole lot of potential, and overworks it, which is frustrating, not to say disappointing.īuilt around a Faustian trajectory, Johnny Depp stars as Raphael, a Native American, living with his family, who seems to ignore him completely, probably because he is unable to put food on the table, in a shanty town, adjunct to a rubbish tip, where they scavenge to survive. I had heard little about The Brave, starring its writer/director Johnny Depp, which opened at Cannes in 1997.
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