"The Brutalist," a 2024 A24 drama directed by Brady Corbet, opened in the U.S. on Dec. 20 to widespread critical acclaim and even early Oscar buzz. Though still solid, largely carried by a spirited first half, the film does not meet these lofty expectations.
Adrien Brody stars as László, who immigrates to the U.S. in search of a better life and settles in metropolitan, and then rural, Pennsylvania. Brody himself is incredible in the role, displaying the wear and grit necessary to pull off the struggle and hardship of the character.
The film's main theme is assimilation and how far one will go to integrate themselves into a new culture. This idea is executed well through powerful prose and subtle characterizations.
"None are more closely enslaved than those who believe themselves free."
This is shown best through characters like László's cousin Attila, played by Alessandro Nivola, who goes by the name "Miller" in his American business. The conflicts between the two cousins create a captivating, spiraling dynamic that further explores this central theme.
Guy Pearce plays Van Buren Sr., a wealthy man who commissions László for a large project. His performance is striking, with multiple monologues in cozy settings that draw the audience into his character's family and prompt questions of his true motives.
Van Buren's juxtaposition to László and their methodical discussions of architecture, a central theme of the film, are fascinating to watch. The movie teeters between this jazzy yet coal-mining-esque Americana aesthetic and the looming feeling of a darkening, "Get Out"-like storyline.
And either of these, playing off the film's (though likely false) growing feeling of community would have been more interesting than the direction it went after the intermission.
The grueling 3 hour and 35-minute runtime is hard for the average movie fan to swallow — thus it needed to be used perfectly to justify the runtime.
And unfortunately, it was not. A meandering and out-of-place storyline shifts "The Brutalist" from a complex conversation about "the enigma of arrival" into a blah retelling of the dangers and craze of genius. It simply isn't as interesting, and it's been done too many times to count.
Felicity Jones showcases her skills in the second half as Erzsébet, László's wife, but all other characters lose likability to such a degree that it becomes a slog.
Then out of nowhere, sexual assault is sprung on the viewer simply for shock value and the opportunity to create an Oscar-bait screaming scene at the film's dragged-on climax.
Corbet clearly had something interesting with "The Brutalist," but the chase for more ended up undermining the core of the film — its romanticism of architecture, characterization of the underbelly of the 20th-century East Coast and memorable performances.
Though still technically sound, with quality cinematography, editing and more, this loss of heart turned what could have been great into nothing more than fine.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this review are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by George Headley, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
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Andrew is a junior studying journalism and mass communication. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked at The Arizona Republic.
