The Brutalist ⭐⭐⭐

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I was brimming with excitement for The Brutalist… a film about a notoriously boring style of post-WWII architecture. It also may be the case that when I Googled the film during the trailers, the 3-hour-35-min runtime made me regret every single choice that had led me to that point. But, as is probably typical of films nominated for 10 Oscars, The Brutalist has its merits.

The story follows fictional architect László Tóth played by Adrian Brody (of King Kong fame). It begins in 1947 when Tóth, a Hungarian-born Jewish holocaust survivor, makes it to his new home in the US. However, much like the upturned image of the Statue of Liberty that greets us upon his arrival, things are not quite as the renowned architect expects in the warm bosom of ‘Merica.

The best praise I can give The Brutalist is that I survived the full length without packing up my toys and going home. Director and Writer Brady Corbet did just about manage to maintain my interest, creating enough tension between Tóth and the Capitalist society that wants to use him up and spit him out. But rather than the storyline it was the acting that kept me clinging on, thanks to three Oscar-worthy performances (more on that later).

As signified by the lifesaving intermission, the film is one of two halves. The first focuses on Tóth’s fight for survival upon his arrival in America, while the second centres around a different struggle, one against members of an upper class society that seek to manipulate and abuse him. The former held my attention more as a homeless Tóth’s genius is ultimately discovered, allowing him to build his masterpiece. Meanwhile, in the second half I wanted Tóth to get on with said masterpiece so I could see what all the fuss was about and go home.

When Brody signed his name on The Brutalist contract, he undoubtedly had a certain golden statuette in mind. He became the youngest (29) to ever win Best Actor at the Oscars for The Pianist in 2003, and no doubt he is hoping to break his own record for longest-ever acceptance speech. You can do it Brody, play-off music be damned.

I could bang on about how captivating Brody is as Tóth, but instead I think the majority of the praise should go to his peers. Felicity Jones (of Chalet Girl fame) is the star for me. Playing Tóth’s wheelchair-bound wife, Jones conveys a heartbreaking desperation, attempting to reconnect with her tortured love while she struggles with chronic pain. The Brutalist’s most gut-wrenching scenes involve Jones, whether she is forgiving Tóth for sleeping with women in her absence or confronting his tormenters on his behalf.

Jones understandably joins Brody in the Oscars nomination list, as does my other shoutout Guy Pearce (of Iron Man 3 fame). The Brutalist simply would not have maintained my attention without its villain. Harrison Lee Van Buren is the human embodiment of greed and manipulation, ultimately developing a warped sense of ownership over Tóth with sordid results. However, he also has a true appreciation for art and beauty. Pearce portrays this complex character excellently, all with a perfect diction that gives his unspeakable actions a heartless edge.

Brody and Jones’ use of the Hungarian language also deserves a shoutout. Film Editor Dávid Jancsó sparked controversy recently when he revealed that the team used Artificial Intelligence to enhance the Hungarian, making it appear more native. Whatever the case, it sounded great. If we use AI to ensure the audience is more immerced in the story then I don’t see a major problem with it, as long as we are not replacing the actors’ voices entirely.

Oscar-worthy performances and beautiful cinematography ensure The Brutalist flows, but the story doesn’t do enough to make it one of the greats. It was exactly as interesting as I expected.

Three stars.