THE BRUTALIST

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: OCTOBER 19, 2024

RATING: 4 out of 5

The Brutalist is a staggering achievement in filmmaking by director Brady Corbet that delivers a truly epic historical drama that features some of the best technicals of the year, unbelievable performances from Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, and an intoxicating cinematic experience that will leave viewers at a loss for words to describe what they have just witnessed.

It is hard to imagine that The Brutalist is only the third film from director Brady Corbet, who co-wrote it with alongside Mona Fastvold, as the entire production is impeccably crafted and measures up against some of the finest works of cinema’s greatest directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg. With an original story, Corbet and Fastvold have conjured up a thirty year historical epic chronicling the life of one man with rich thematic discussion, jaw dropping visuals and an intoxicating cinematic experience that is rare these days in an industry dominated by blockbuster films. Featuring an insanely talented cast led by Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones who all deliver awards worthy performances, what unfolds over the course of two hundred and fifteen minutes (including a great use of an intermission) is nothing short of a monumental filmmaking effort that makes The Brutalist one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of the year.

From the opening scene of The Brutalist, you know that Corbet has crafted a truly magnificent film in every way imaginable. Starting with a sweeping shot following Brody’s László exiting the hold of the ship and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time after that spiralling camera movement with Daniel Blumberg’s musical score soaring, you know this is not your average film. Every shot of the film is a sight to behold thanks to Lol Crawley’s cinematography that captures the grand nature of Corbert and Fastvold’s story, giving audiences a sprawling visual experience that gives life to the intimacy of the story and the visionary design of László’s architecture, as well as the corruption and falsity of the American Dream that the screenplay explores. And shot on film stock, if you get a chance to see the movie in either 35mm or 70mm, it is one experience you cannot afford to miss! The set design emulates the sophisticated architecture of the story with every choice made to create the buildings in which the story unfolds, while the costume design is impeccable. But the highlight of the film was Blumberg’s musical score, which is without a doubt one of the year’s finest with its grand orchestrations that match the marvellous visuals appearing on screen with every note. It’s all brilliantly edited together by Dávid Jancsó, ensuring that every frame of this film is a work of art that makes the almost four hour experience an unforgettable theatrical experience. Including that fifteen intermission which perfectly splits the film into two chapters and makes a great argument of why epic films of this length deserve an intermission.

Brody won his first Academy Award for Best Actor back in 2003 for The Pianist, and became the youngest actor to have won the award, and the role has finally come along that could win him his second Best Actor trophy. As László, Brody deploys everything he has learnt over the course of his career with a quiet and nuanced performance that captures the genius of this architect trying to build a new life for his family in America, while creating works of art in the buildings he designs to leave a lasting mark on history. Full of hope, ambition and a determination to do right by his family, as well as a darkness, Brody’s vulnerability invests the audience in the film and keeps you anxiously watching to see whether László will construct the perfect structure he has envisioned or not. 

Pearce stuns with a career best performance as Harrison Lee Van Buren, the wealthy businessman who commissions László’s services, with a sophisticated and charismatic elegance that lights up the screen and completely captivates the audience’s attention. He’s at his best while delivering the long, detailed and engrossing stories of his character, having the audience hanging on his every word, while instilling the film with an insidious feeling as you know he will toss László aside for the slightest reason just to ensure his own reputation is not tarnished. And while physically absent on screen for the entirety of the film’s first half, appearing only through voice over reading her letters to László, Jones amazes as László’s wife Erzsébet, stealing every scene she has with an elegance, determination and vigour that makes her an unstoppable force within the film. Continuing to impress as an actor is Joe Alwyn as Harrison’s son Harry, making a formidable adversary at times with his hot temper and wicked cunningness, while Raffey Cassidy manages to give an endearing performance without speaking as László and Erzsébet’s niece Zsófia. 

There is no denying the technical marvels of or outstanding performances in The Brutalist, but may keep some audiences from fully falling in love with this film is its story. With a of over three and a half hours, the film chronicles the life of László in a post World War II America as he arrives in the country, looking to make a new start for his family and is hired by a wealthy American businessman that will change the course of his life forever. It is a film about legacy, creation, rebuilding, art, and the lengths we will go to achieve them, that Corbet and Fastvold explore through the work of László and the Van Buren family. Contemplative, purposeful and leaving the audience with questions intentionally unanswered, there is not a stone left unturned as both the idealist glory and moral corruption of the American Dream is deconstructed on screen. For those audiences who are able to connect and engage with the thematic exploration of Corbet and Fastvold’s screenplay, they are in for one rich experience, but for those who like a moving plot to their film, The Brutalist is most likely not their cup of tea as its an almost four hour movie about building a structure.

It is not often that such a grand epic film like The Brutalist is made, but when it is, it is one film that demands to be seen by all. Joining the ranks of American epics like Gone with the Wind, Oppenheimer, and The Godfather, Brady Corbet has made a truly one of a kind film with The Brutalist. With its sprawling exploration of art, creation and the American Dream, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold have written an incredible screenplay that is brought to life with a technical magic from jaw dropping cinematography to a sensational musical score, that when brought to life by the powerhouse performances of Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, cements The Brutalist as one of the most impressive films of the year!