REVIEW #433 The Brutalist (2024)

The Brutalist

Synopsis

Escaping postwar Europe an Architect leaves for America to rebuild his life, career and his marriage. After settling in Pennsylvania a wealthy businessman takes notice of his talents.

My Review

The Brutalist utilises the amazing talents of Adrien Brody to create a lengthy drama that tackles not only societal themes from post World War 2, but many that are still relevant today, such as immigration, racism, poverty and addiction. Brady Corbet avoids the pretentious lectures that can often accompany such subjects and instead weaves them into a captivating storyline that subtly educates and entertains simultaneously. But what impacted me most was the wonderful musical score composed by Daniel Blumberg, the sound enhances the imagery on screen and can make the most simple of shots penetrate your soul, evoking emotion whilst giving simplicity the highest of stakes. Now I won’t pretend that the films storyline was the most riveting I’ve witnessed this year, but for a three and a half hour drama, I never felt like it was dragging and the time passed by surprisingly quick. Adrien Brody certainly deserves that best actor nomination and you can certainly see why a film such as The Brutalist excites the Academy, impressive writing, striking cinematography all wrapped in a wonderful score that I feel like even the most casual of audiences can still enjoy, without feeling isolated by its length and subject manor.

My rating: 8.5 out of 10

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Film Review Club