Certificate: TBC

Running Time: 215 mins

UK Distributor: TBC

UK Release Date: 24 January 2025

REVIEWED AT TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024

WHO’S IN THE BRUTALIST?

Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Stacy Martin, Raffey Cassidy, Isaach De Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola, Emma Laird, Jonathan Hyde, Peter Polycarpou, Jaymes Butler

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Brady Corbet (director, writer), Mona Fastvold (writer), Nick Gordon, D.J. Gugenheim, Andrew Lauren, Trevor Matthews, Andrew Morrison and Brian Young (producers), Daniel Blumberg (composer), Lol Crawley (cinematographer), Dávid Jancsó (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In 20th century America, a Hungarian Jewish architect (Brody) is given the opportunity to design a monumental new building…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE BRUTALIST?

The New Hollywood era – that period between the 60s and early 80s wherein then-blossoming filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were virtually given carte blanche to make their visions a filmic reality – is long since over. In an age where studio tentpoles and franchise flicks rule the roost, it is becoming increasingly difficult for any filmmaker, be they a regarded thespian or an aspiring newcomer, to acquire the funds to make big and ambitious projects that are more focused on general quality than ticket sales.

Some, though, like Brady Corbet with his new feature The Brutalist, manage to push through the barriers every now and then with a vision so singular and epic in stature, that you could almost mistake it for an actual New Hollywood venture. Corbet’s film is an astonishing piece of work, far from easy viewing but extremely rewarding for those with patience to spare, as well as anyone who misses when Hollywood filmmakers would actually take some risks with their craft.

The film spans numerous decades, beginning in 1947 when László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Jew, arrives in New York after emigrating from Holocaust-ridden Europe, where he had been forced to leave behind both his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and his niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy). László is an architect, having designed dozens of striking buildings in and around his homeland, but he struggles to find work as he shacks up with his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola) and his less welcoming wife Audrey (Emma Laird). It is when he is secretly commissioned to reconstruct a library for wealthy client Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) that he attracts the attention of the mysterious tycoon, and he is soon commissioned to create a monumental new building that will ultimately change the lives of László and his family – but not necessarily for the better.

As with many stories concerning what it is to achieve the American dream, The Brutalist depicts a vision of 20th century America that is harsh, unforgiving, and – indeed – brutal. What Corbet does here, though, is give the familiar cautionary tale a deeper focus on its actual participants, with the world-building itself seen largely through the eyes of characters on both sides of the coin. Though fictional, the character of László Tóth – as whom Adrien Brody delivers an all-timer of a performance that outdoes even his Oscar-winning turn in The Pianist – is an amalgamation of countless migrants who came to the United States in search of grander opportunities, only to be met with merciless exploitation by those too privileged to fully understand their plight. The latter is represented by Mr. Van Buren, a well-to-do but abrasive fellow whose affluence and pretence of goodwill allows him to commit reprehensible deeds that only the most powerful could realistically get away with, and Guy Pearce – who completely disappears into the role, to where you never see the actor but only Van Buren himself – brilliantly makes him someone you can both love and hate at equal measure.

In his script, Corbet gives both characters a range of complexity that makes their central dynamic the core anchor that drives this vast story, along with many others such as Felicity Jones’s Erzsébet (which, thankfully, is far from a throwaway role) that draw you in with their alluring but often mysterious nature. The character work is so rich that it often makes the near three-and-a-half-hour movie fly by, as the director also paces the film accordingly so that enough time is spent establishing certain plot points and introducing key players that all come into play at various junctions. You’re also sensorily captivated by this saga, as Lol Crawley’s exquisite cinematography offers luscious visuals captured on 35mm film stock that adds further to its New Hollywood look and feel, while a striking musical score by Daniel Blumberg perfectly encapsulates the grand nature of the far-reaching narrative. It is, in all essence, a finely crafted picture that few filmmakers have the balls to make nowadays.

That being said, this is also a film where it is very clear that one section is a lot stronger than the other. For the first half – and you know it is so, thanks to a handy intermission card that is hopefully retained when the film goes on general release – The Brutalist is flawless. Everything from the writing to the direction to the acting and beyond is stellar, and had it maintained this momentum then this would have easily been a five-star film. But then, once its second half kicks in, it begins making a number of choices that arguably cheapen aspects of the drama, and leaves certain things floating about that perhaps needed to be seen all the way through. Some characters are underutilised, with some only uttering their first line of dialogue long after they’ve been formally introduced, and others just floating about the sidelines without ever really being given that much to do. It also ends on a note that is, after so much time setting up every last meticulous detail, rather anti-climactic in nature, and might come across as somewhat cold to certain viewers.

Predominantly, though, The Brutalist is a powerful reminder of what epic auteur-led filmmaking can still be, and how it is still possible to see your grand vision all the way through, even though the New Hollywood movement is no more.

SO, TO SUM UP…

The Brutalist is a near-perfect example of epic filmmaking in the modern era, with writer-director Brady Corbet greatly impressing with a character-focused tale of the American dream that’s boosted by fantastic performances by the likes of Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, but slightly undone by a less stable second half.

It’s too early for cinema showtimes, but watch this space!