| Brazen | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Monika Mitchell |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Brazen Virtue by Nora Roberts |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Robert Aschmann |
| Edited by | Christopher A. Smith |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Brazen is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Monika Mitchell. It is based on Nora Roberts' 1988 novel Brazen Virtue. The film stars Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, and Matthew Finlan.
Well-known murder mystery novelist Grace Miller gets an urgent message from her sister Kathleen, who she hasn't seen for five years, to come help her. Literally catching the first flight available, she arrives very quickly.
They haven't talked about why she'd left her rich and powerful husband Jonathan Breezewood, and Kathleen is living in their childhood home in Washington D.C. She'd wanted a divorce from the misogynist, but he refused and her pill addiction prevented her from taking their young son Kevin. Now clean, she's teaching high school English and drama and needs Grace's support in her fight for full custody.
As the sisters co-own the house, Kathleen asks to mortgage her half. And she vaguely mentions she's looking into other things. When pressed, Kathleen talks of blackmail.
Homicide Detective Ed Jennings has a week off, so he's renovating his house, where he's Kathleen's next door neighbor. Ed and Grace meet and instantly connect. They meet up, she with the excuse of consulting with him for a story idea. Heading back next door to Kathleen's, Grace finds her lifeless body. Ed hurries over and helps the other police in the investigation, and lets Grace stay with him that night.
After searching the house, they discover that Kathleen had been working as a dominatrix for the website Fantasy Inc. Collecting her things from the house the next day, Grace goes over the details she'd observed with Ed, and he likewise answers some of her questions. Detective Jennings and his partner Ben learn that Kathleen's performer name was Desiree and she had many clients. As the company is small and family-run, access to the performers' info is limited.
Visiting Kathleen's school, a few students express their condolescences to Grace. She collects her things, finding the papers she'd planned to use against her husband. Outside the school Jerald Baxter, son of a senator, asks Grace what she knows about Kathleen's death, but she doesn't say. He tells her he'd overheard janitor Billy Sachs upset her one day. Grace approaches Billy, and he admits he'd discovered Kathleen was Desiree at his cousin Richie's, the webcam technician for Fantasy Inc.
Another performer is killed, the body laid out similarly to Desiree's. This body was discovered as she was killed during a recorded session, and her client had called 911. Now they consider it to be a serial killing.
Grace approaches Jonathan, who insists he has a solid alibi. He also knew of her side job, and refers to her as a hooker, so she punches him. Grace tells him not to come to the funeral, but he disregards her. She confronts him there, and is observed by students. Jerald takes a moment by the casket. Reading the cards sent with the flowers, one is addressed to Desiree.
Grace approaches Captain Rivera, showing her the card and offering her services for the investigation. Citing help she gave to the NYPD which ended a case they'd worked on for months solved three days after she'd joined them, she offers herself as an asset. After Grace makes a few concise observations, the captain takes her on as a consultant.
Another performer is attacked, but this time she cuts the attacker, who gets away. She describes him as a tall white teen and his watch in detail. Returning to student Rand's house, they find a watch fitting the description, he has an injury on his arm and his size matches. He's taken in, but his blood type doesn't match. After Grace speaks to Billy again, he admits Rand and Richie are a couple, although he is still closeted.
That night Grace and Ed act on their attraction. At the next morning's debriefing, after Ben reports Rand's legit alibis, Grace proposes baiting the killer by posing as Desiree. In the meantime, after wrestling practise Jerald beats Rand severely after he says he was obsessed with Kathleen.
The MPDC shuts down Grace's sting operation as they have enough evidence on Jerald. While they are at the Baxters' to arrest him, having abandoned the sting operation, Grace faces him alone. She secretly leaves the computer on live feed and Jerald confesses to all, even a plot to kill his own mother. When Grace tells him his confession was recorded, the enraged teen goes ahead with trying to strangle her. Ed comes in and shoots the armed Jerald dead.
Grace and Ed celebrate their victory enjoying tea and each other.
In January 2021, it was announced Alyssa Milano would star in a feature film adaption of Nora Roberts’ romance thriller Brazen Virtue with Monika Mitchell directing. [2]
Following the announcement of Milano's casting as Grace, Nora Roberts' Facebook page was inundated with negative responses from sections of her fan base who were critical of Milano's role in the #MeToo movement and criticism of Donald Trump's administration. [3] [4] Roberts was quoted:
I'm delighted Ms. Milano's been cast in the adaptation of Brazen Virtue for Netflix. To say I was stunned and appalled by some of the comments regarding the announcement on my Facebook page is a wild understatement. I spoke my piece, posted it publicly, and stand by it and Ms. Milano. To those who state they'll never read my work again due to differing political viewpoints and opinions, or because a talented, experienced actor will play a role, I can only say that's their choice. I believe Ms. Milano and I will survive it. [4]
The movie was released on Netflix's service January 13, 2022. [5]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 13% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10. [6]
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect who battles against conventional standards and refuses to compromise with an architectural establishment unwilling to accept innovation. Roark embodies what Rand believed to be the ideal man, and his struggle reflects Rand's belief that individualism is superior to collectivism.
Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue.
Fear is a 1996 American psychological thriller film directed by James Foley and written by Christopher Crowe. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Alyssa Milano and Amy Brenneman. It revolves around a wealthy family whose seemingly perfect life is threatened when their teenage daughter begins dating an attractive and mysterious young man who turns out to be a violent sociopath.
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress, producer, activist, and former singer. She has played Samantha Micelli in Who's the Boss?, Jennifer Mancini in Melrose Place, Phoebe Halliwell in Charmed, Billie Cunningham in My Name Is Earl, Savannah "Savi" Davis in Mistresses, Renata Murphy in Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, and Coralee Armstrong in Insatiable.
Embrace of the Vampire is a 1995 American direct-to-video erotic horror film directed by Anne Goursaud. It stars Alyssa Milano as Charlotte, a chaste girl who is haunted by a vampire played by Martin Kemp.
Poison Ivy II: Lily is a 1996 American direct-to-video erotic thriller film directed by Anne Goursaud, written by Chloe King and stars Alyssa Milano. It is a sequel to the 1992 film Poison Ivy and the second installment of the Poison Ivy film series.
Cast a Dark Shadow is a 1955 British suspense film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert and written by John Cresswell, based on the 1952 play Murder Mistaken by Janet Green. It stars Dirk Bogarde, Margaret Lockwood, Kay Walsh, Kathleen Harrison and Robert Flemyng. The film released on 20 September 1955, distributed by Eros Films Ltd. in the United Kingdom and Distributors Corporation of America in the United States. The story concerns a husband who murders his wife.
Zeus and Roxanne is a 1997 American family adventure film directed by George T. Miller. It revolves around the friendship between the title characters Zeus and Roxanne, a dog and a dolphin, respectively, and the relationships between the human characters played by Steve Guttenberg, Kathleen Quinlan, and Miko Hughes.
Waterfront is a 1950 British black and white drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Robert Newton, Kathleen Harrison and Avis Scott. It is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by John Brophy.
Zoo is an American drama television series based on the 2012 novel of the same name by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, the former also serving as an executive producer for the series, which stars James Wolk, Kristen Connolly, Nonso Anozie, Nora Arnezeder and Billy Burke as a group of varied professionals who investigate a mysterious outbreak of violent animal attacks upon humans all over the world. Zoo premiered on June 30, 2015, on CBS. CBS renewed the series for a third season in August 2016, which aired between June 29 and September 21, 2017. On October 23, 2017, CBS announced the series had been cancelled after three seasons.
Creep 2 is a 2017 American found footage psychological horror film directed by Patrick Brice and written by Brice and Mark Duplass. It is a sequel to Brice's 2014 film Creep, which was also written by Duplass and Brice. Duplass reprises his role from the first film as a serial killer who lures unsuspecting videographers to their deaths, with Desiree Akhavan portraying his latest target.
Gerald's Game is a 2017 American psychological horror thriller film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, and screenplay written by Flanagan with Jeff Howard. It is based on Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same title, long thought to be unfilmable. The film stars Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood as a married couple who arrive at an isolated house for a holiday. When the husband dies of a sudden heart attack, his wife, left handcuffed to the bed without the key and with little hope of rescue, must find a way to survive, all while battling her inner demons.
Amybeth McNulty is an Irish actress. She is known for her starring role as Anne Shirley in the CBC/Netflix drama series Anne with an E (2017–2019), based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
The End of the F***ing World is a British black comedy-drama television programme. The eight-part first series premiered its first episode on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2017, after which the following episodes were released on All 4. Netflix handled international distribution and released it internationally on 5 January 2018. The programme follows James, a 17-year-old who believes himself to be a psychopath, and Alyssa Foley, an angry classmate who sees in James a chance to escape from her tumultuous home life. Gemma Whelan, Wunmi Mosaku, Steve Oram, Christine Bottomley, Navin Chowdhry, Barry Ward and Naomi Ackie appear in supporting roles.
Insatiable is an American dark comedy-drama television series created by Lauren Gussis, starring Dallas Roberts and Debby Ryan. It is based on Jeff Chu's article "The Pageant King of Alabama", published in July 2014 in The New York Times Magazine. The first season premiered on Netflix on August 10, 2018. In September 2018, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 11, 2019. On February 17, 2020, Netflix cancelled the series after two seasons.
Polar is a 2019 neo-noir action thriller film directed by Jonas Åkerlund and written by Jayson Rothwell, based on Víctor Santos's 2013 graphic novel Polar: Came From the Cold. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick, and Matt Lucas. It revolves around an aging assassin on the verge of retirement who becomes targeted by an employer wanting to cash in on his pension.
The Prom is a 2020 American musical comedy film directed by Ryan Murphy from a screenplay by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name by Martin, Beguelin, and Matthew Sklar. The film stars Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, and Kerry Washington, and introduces Jo Ellen Pellman in her film debut as Emma Nolan. Logan Riley Hassel, Sofia Deler, Nico Greetham, and Nathaniel J. Potvin also appear in supporting roles.
The Unforgivable is a 2021 drama film directed by Nora Fingscheidt and written by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, and Courtenay Miles, based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven written by Sally Wainwright. The film stars Sandra Bullock as a woman who, following her release from prison after serving twenty years for committing murder, is determined to reunite with her estranged younger sister. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, Rob Morgan, and Viola Davis also star.
Mother/Android is a 2021 American post-apocalyptic science fiction thriller film, written and directed by Mattson Tomlin in his feature directorial debut, and starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith and Raúl Castillo. It follows a pregnant woman and her boyfriend who try to reach a fortified Boston amidst an AI takeover. It was released on December 17, 2021 on Hulu.
The Weekend Away is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Kim Farrant from a screenplay by Sarah Alderson, based on Alderson's 2020 novel of the same name. It follows a woman named Beth, who travels to Croatia for a weekend getaway with her best friend Kate. However, Kate suddenly goes missing and Beth is forced to figure out what happened to her. The film was released on Netflix on March 3, 2022.
