Another one of those Academy Award winning films from last year just like I already reviewed the first two, Anora, The Substance and now we have The Brutalist and from what I saw from the beginning I thought this is anther one of those holocaust films about Hebrew where Adrian Brody played the same character and that makes me am I watching the sequel to The Pianist. I looked it up the two and I saw is, no, it's not the sequel to The Pianist by his character's name wise, but there are no Germans in the film. Hell, if it a sequel as he IS a holocaust survivor, why not just call it "The Pianist Brutalist" or "The Brutalist Pianist". Hahahahaha! I get the picture what you both might be thinking when I put those names together. It's insane. A Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor, László Tóth played by Adrian Brody, travels to Philadelphia and stays with his cousin, Attila played by Alessandro Nivola. He discovers that Attila has assimilated, anglicizing his name and converting to Catholicism. Revealed to László that Erzsébet and Zsófia are still alive but stuck in Europe. He offers him work with his furniture business, and the two are soon approached by Harry Lee Van Buren, who wishes to surprise his father, wealthy industrialist Harrison played by Guy Pearce, with a renovated library at his mansion near Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Since that this is actually one of the last films that is over three hours long, there are still more in the near future so any film that is three hours, I'm all in for it. And considering that The Brutalist had an overture in the beginning and an intermission in the middle, you're going to witness a really long experience. Such films have these types of terms whilst you're watching something, you can tell whether or not you think this is going to be over three hours long much like we both witnessed Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Once Upon a Time in America, The Godfather: Part II and the extended cut of Dances with Wolves and it even does the same thing with musicals and non musicals as well which are not over three hours like High Society, King Kong and The King and I if you watch a VHS of it. If one of those things appeared in films that are completely over three hours that have intermissions in the middle of those films, heck, why not try do the same thing with this one when the intermission has happened but the physical media says "No, let's just The Brutalist as it is." which you know what, I don't mind at all. As for Adrian Brody however, he actually an Oscar for his role in the film, in another film as a Jewish character as I literally thought as I say it again it's a sequel to The Pianist but no. Two time Academy Award winner. From what I'm seeing so far after seeing the two Oscar winning movies, The Brutalist is one of the most epic drama films I've seen. Yeah, I know it's a little similar to The Pianist but it is done in very different way by not making it a straight out war film instead just do it in a period drama way but make it epic and long with Adrian Brody being in it. This film is very well acted by the performances, a well captivating cinematography and immense directing style. Of course this is the film I can watch along with the other epicly long films without getting interrupted but actually did but nothing major but still. Since now that I've watched two Oscar winning films from last year, like I said about Anora and like I said The Substance, I've said it twice and I'll say again, The Brutalist is one of the best films of 2024. Boom shakalaka!
It’s surprising that The Brutalist isn’t based on a real person. Everything about it—the tone, the narrative arc, the emotional weight—feels like a historical biopic. But it’s not, and maybe that’s what makes it even more powerful. Because despite its ambition and scale, this is an intensely human film. I walked away deeply moved by the story of a marriage that always seems on the verge of getting better… but doesn’t.
Adrien Brody is outstanding. He crafts a restrained, layered character without relying on big speeches or overacting. Brady Corbet’s direction is grand and imposing, yet never loses sight of the small details—a glance, a gesture, a well-timed silence. The story unfolds like a tragic symphony, slowly pulling you into a world where visual beauty and emotional devastation go hand in hand.
And the music… From the very first sound on the ship to the closing moments, it’s phenomenal. It doesn’t just accompany the drama—it heightens it, transforms it. One of those scores that stays with you long after the film ends.
This is not an easy film, nor a short one, nor light in any way. But it’s the kind of experience that leaves a mark. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we’re looking for.
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