Synopsis
Welcome to America.
When a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.
When a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.
Բռուտալիստը, El Brutalista, Le Brutaliste, 브루탈리스트, 粗野派, O Brutalista, Бруталіст, 粗獷派建築師, เดอะ บรูทัลลิสต์, Бруталист, Der Brutalist, El brutalista, Brutalist, הברוטליסט, სასტიკი, A brutalista, Brutalista, Brutalisten, بروتالیست, Brutalistul, Giấc Mơ Mỹ, Бруталистът, ブルータリスト, Brutalistas, Бруталиста, Brutālists
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
To anyone who thinks the ending is too simplistic and attempts to tie things up in a nice bow, do you really think “it is the destination, not the journey” was meant to be taken at face value?
Zsofia—like much of America trying to sell how great the “American Dream” is—attempts to package Laszlo’s life in a nice, digestible speech with a pleasant ending. In an abrupt tonal shift, the complex, grand, uncomfortable atmosphere of the previous three hours is stripped away and haphazardly replaced by upbeat music, digital footage, and a celebration.
She tells those around her that in the end, for Laszlo, it was all worth it. He has secured a legacy, and has “achieved” the American Dream. …
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
i had to use the restroom and walked back in during the first Handjob scene. was really awkward. Then like 15 mins later there was an intermission and I didn’t need to go to the restroom anymore so i played angry birds on my phone. Had to use the restroom again during the second half of the film (i had a large soda). Walked back into the theater during the surprise 2nd Handjob scene.
the first half is terrific– reminded me of watching a really good 90/2000s biopic– as is the score and cinematography through the entire thing, but the second half… i don’t know. it’s like watching an impressive floor routine that ends in the running man. what were you going for. why’d you end with that. cannot stress enough that I looooved the first half though, even the opening credits made me almost gasp with joy. bowled over by the production itself, too- shot in 31 days for under $10 million? how the fuck?
This made me want to light a cigarette and stare at a wall for two hours. Five stars.
i simply cannot accept the fact that lászló tóth isn't a real person... i just got tár'd again
gargantuan. there is a single shot near the end of this film where felicity jones nearly steals the whole thing in one fell swoop. over three hours in and i could hardly believe the build up had led to such a simplisticly monsterous scene, and so much of it clicked miraculously into place for me right then. the first half is a deconstruction of the american dream, and the second half takes a sledgehammer to it. this is the kind of movie we should be going to the movies for
The kind of movie that uses newsreel inserts to explain to the audience concepts like “Pennsylvania” and “heroin”.
Guy Pearce’s unwavering for Palestine on this press tour is the only reason I’m not writing off completely.
This movie was breathtaking- literally, I found myself gasping at some shots and parts of the score. Brody, Pearce, and Alwyn were phenomenal, and the first half is one of the greatest pieces of work I’ve ever seen. I appreciated the tone switch for the protagonist within the metaphor of the first half being the American dream, and the second the dismantling of that dream, but the tip-toeing around Zionism in the second part, and the pacing and stylistic choices of the epilogue were what had me wanting to stay in the first part.
Free Palestine. Death to colonialism.
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
The Brutalist has once again invited a question that’s been irking me for some time now. How easy is it to mistake competence for brilliance?
What I mean to say is that breathtaking cinematography, engrossing performances, and a captivating score are hardly containing whatever noxious substance lurks beneath the surface of this film. It was easy to be swept up in some truly astounding visual feats - a train exploding in the distance, the Statue of Liberty turning on its head, that incredible heroin-induced sex scene. It was also easy to fall face-first into some very moving sequences - like Adrian Brody’s László breaking down in sobs as his equally traumatized wife, Erzsébet, clinging to his dick, pleads with him to…
It's difficult to articulate why this didn't fully work for me. The performances and direction were solid but the story felt like a rather stock deconstruction of the American Dream, one that rarely surprised or engaged me. I'll take this over an Emilia Perez win in any category however.