The Brutalist

r96sk 3/4/2025 8:07:21 PM 8.4

<em>'The Brutalist'</em> is simply outstanding. The biggest compliment I can pay it is that the run time of 215 minutes (!) comes and goes in a flash, the interval at ~1h 40m hit me like a brick! It's a perfect example of not overthinking run times, as long as what's onscreen is good it'll fly by. I'm not going to be able to add anything fresh to it what has already been lauded about this film, all I can say is that every inch of praise is unequivocally warranted. In regards to the Oscars, I agree that <em>'Anora'</em> smashed it out of the park greater but it's a close run thing. Two spectacular movies! Adrien Brody's performance is indeed sensational, he is an actor I've seen in bits down the years and have always been impressed so I loved be able to see him act front and centre in such a grand, tremendously made picture. He nails every part of László Tóth. I couldn't imagine any other actor in the role. Guy Pearce is also a brilliant performer here, obviously <em>'Momento'</em> remains his best work (that I've seen, anyway) but this is the greatest I've seen from Pearce away from that Christopher Nolan flick. He is superb! Joe Alwyn and Felicity Jones merit praise too. Nice to see Jonathan Hyde, as well. I don't think there is anything about this film that you could truly say is bad. The cinematography is particularly awesome, so is the score, the editing and practically every other detail. It's a quality piece of filmmaking. The first half is stronger than the second, but it's negligible.

Brent Marchant 1/11/2025 12:33:53 AM 8.4

Pursuing the American Dream is an ambition of almost every immigrant who manages to make it to this country’s shores. Its realization can take many forms, too, depending on one’s circumstances. But, as many new arrivals discover for themselves, there’s no guarantee of success (or, at the very least, they may find that the journey can be more problematic than anticipated). One such story that provides the focus for this optimistic undertaking is the latest offering from writer-director Brady Corbet. The film follows the odyssey of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a fictional Jewish Hungarian architect who flees Europe in 1947 after being interred in a concentration camp during World War II. He initially struggles to assimilate, to re-establish his career, and to find a way to bring his wife, Erzsebét (Felicity Jones), to America. But, despite these sundry challenges, his fortunes change drastically when he’s commissioned to design a high-profile mixed use community center with the generous support of a wealthy and powerful benefactor, a capricious, enigmatic industrialist (Guy Pearce) whose many impulsive, emotionally charged whims provide László with a firsthand introduction to the many possibilities and pitfalls tied to that elusive American Dream. In telling this story, the filmmaker explores the ups and downs associated with these themes, as well as an array of additional diverse story threads involving the protagonist’s professional pursuits and personal life. These combined elements make for an engaging and intriguing tale, even if some of the story arcs and character traits are unevenly developed. That sometimes includes the nature of László himself, which is somewhat perplexing given the production’s hefty 3:35:00 runtime (with an included intermission), a duration that should provide ample time for the picture to sufficiently flesh out its core narrative elements and character attributes. That shortcoming aside, though, “The Brutalist” has myriad strengths to its credit, including the fine performances of Pearce, Jones, Golden Globe Award winner Brody and a host of capable supporting players, along with its superb cinematography, stirring original score, and ably sustained pacing (quite a commendable feat for a film of this length). Admittedly, this offering’s solid opening act is far superior to its back half, which tends to sag at times as it wears on, but, on balance, this Golden Globe winner for best drama and best director generally holds up well. In an awards season that has had more than its share of dismal disappointments, it’s heartening to finally find a release that comes closer to approaching the standards that a film should embody to merit the kinds of accolades and attention such honorees truly deserve. It may not be perfect, but it’s a far sight better than many of its other 2024 cinematic peers.

Chandler Danier 2/22/2025 2:19:38 PM 8.4

This movie is excellent. Beautiful. Good story. Funny stuff. Drama. Twists and turns. Despite all that excellence, the best feature of this film is the fact that you could turn it off and come back to it the next day when the intermission pops up.