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The Brutalist (2024) - Film Review

Writer's picture: christophermizerakchristophermizerak

With the previous review covering the winner for the Golden Globe Best Picture - Musical or Comedy: "Emilia Perez", it only makes sense that the winner for the Golden Globe Best Picture - Drama should be next with "The Brutalist". Going into this one, there was more of a reason to get my hopes up than with "Emilia Perez". To give credit where it's due, I can't recall the last time that we've had a mainstream Hollywood film running well over three hours that had an intermission. I like the thought process behind this decision.


With the practice of binging TV series and other mediums increasing in relevance, bringing back the film epic seems like the next logical step to evolve the film industry further. I wish that films such as "Wicked" did that from the start instead of splitting it into two as they have been doing. The well intentioned ambition comes with a caveat however. In able for the strategy to pay off, the film needs to have a strong narrative to back it up. And ultimately, that's the reason I don't have as much enthusiasm for this film as I should be having.


Adrian Brody plays a Jewish architect who escapes post-WWII Europe to rejuvenate his career and, eventually later on, his marriage to a handicapped wife (Felicity Jones). His introduction to America slowly but surely takes him to Pennsylvania and a wealthy industrialist (Guy Pearce) who gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. The architect is given the task of envisioning a multi-purpose building to be constructed on a vast hill near the industrialist's personal estate. But will this architect's vision come to pass as originally intended?


One of the primary selling points of "The Brutalist", outside of its length, is that it's the first film in decades to use the 70 mm VistaVision camera for filming. The film's production quality is its most notable strength, with striking cinematography and bold angles showcasing poetic imagery. The actors across the board are fully committed to their roles, namely a beefy supporting performance from Pearce with his morally conflicted character. The music has a relatively low key vibe to it, mostly consisting of playing the piano.


Your ability to get into "The Brutalist" will depend on whether or not you like the narrative at hand. For me, this was one of those films where plot developments occur either too slowly or rather abruptly without enough time to set them up. It's curiously uneven and imbalanced with its writing and pacing. I'll admit that the subject matter simply wasn't interesting to me. There are moments that show a degree of intrigue here and there, but the film lacks the proper support to back it up. In a way, the running time should've been even longer.


"The Brutalist" is one of those rare films that I'd actually recommend seeing in theaters for the sake of supporting more ambitious films of this ilk from the industry. It's a film I'd recommend more for what it represents rather than for its overall quality, if that makes sense. At best, its story is only so-so for my liking. I was looking for a more compelling and complete narrative, one that didn't leave me hanging in the last 15 to 20 minutes without a proper conclusion. I respect the initiative, but the industry has more work to do to reclaim its glory days.


Final Verdict: 7/10

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