The Brutalist (2024, R)

*Premise spoilers.*

I’ve had difficulties in the past with managing my attention on super-long Oscar movies, but I think I did fairly well this time around. I took periodic short breaks to get up and move around for a few minutes, and I kept my hands occupied with something stimmy. I wouldn’t say I was laser-focused the entire time, but my attention mainly stayed with it.

What’s It About?

László Tóth, a prominent Hungarian architect, flees Europe after the war and comes to Philadelphia. As he struggles to make ends meet as a poor Jewish immigrant, he catches the attention of a wealthy American tycoon who’s learned of his work. László is hired to design an ambitious build for him, but matters grow strained when others question his singular vision.

Who’s in It?

Adrien Brody gives a nicely complex performance as László. He’s a man who’s suffered horribly, and he continues to be degraded by his purported American benefactors. But he’s also difficult and deeply flawed, and he sabotages himself a lot with self-destructive behavior and prioritizing his own goals to the point that he pushes others away. I’m always glad to see Felicity Jones, and she’s excellent as László’s wife Erzébet. They’re separated during the war and Erzébet spend a good chunk of the film trying to get to America to reunite with her husband. Once she’s on the scene, she’s determined make the most of her survival and create a new life for herself in her new country. The film also features Alessandro Nivola as László’s assimilated cousin, Guy Pearce as the millionaire who takes an interest in him, and Joe Alwyn as the millionaire’s son—I tend to associate all three of those actors with some of their most well-known “asshole roles,” and I’d say this film fits the pattern for each of them.

What’s It Nominated For?

The Brutalist was nominated for ten Oscars:

·        Best Picture

·        Best Leading Actor – Adrien Brody

·        Best Supporting Actor – Guy Pearce

·        Best Supporting Actress – Felicity Jones

·        Best Director

·        Best Original Screenplay

·        Best Cinematography

·        Best Original Score

·        Best Production Design

·        Best Film Editing

What Do I Love About It?

·        I mentioned this above, but I like that László is allowed to be so messy and complicated. His suffering doesn’t negate his flaws, just as his flaws don’t negate his suffering. In the film, he’s cheated and demeaned by self-serving opportunists, but his actions also make things worse for him on numerous occasions.

·        The score is just excellent, super evocative. That’s not an Oscar category I actively follow, but I’ve seen most of the Best Original Score nominees this year, and I love that so many of them are really fantastic in such different ways. In the case of The Brutalist, the score has a sort of architectural quality to it—it complements the story so well.

·        All the relationship dynamics here are really interesting, especially László’s interactions with Erzébet, his cousin Attila, and the millionaire Mr. Van Buren. There’s a lot to dig into here with these characters.

Warnings

Strong thematic elements (including discussion of genocide,) violence (including rape,) sexual content, drinking/smoking/drug use, and language.