While in my personal opinion it is still not a "perfect" film, one cannot help but admire "The Brutalist"- one of the most important, impressive, and well-made films made in recent years.
The term "masterful" gets thrown around a lot these days, and I am guilty of overusing it myself, but Adrian Brody's performance in this film is nothing less than masterful in every sense of the word. The film runs nearly four hours, and for the vast majority of that time, Brody's face is on screen. He carries the film on his back in an incredibly impressive and charismatic way, delivering one of the best performances of his career-and certainly one of the finest in recent years. A second Oscar may very well be on the horizon. Guy Pearce, who has had plenty of outstanding performances throughout his career, gives what is likely his best performance ever in this film. His acting is extremely impressive, taking the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster, and I won't say more beyond that. Felicity Jones also gives an incredible performance that perhaps is not being talked about enough in the context of the immersive praise the movie is getting in all circles.
Recently, reports surfaced that AI was used to "enhance" the Hungarian accents of Adrian Brody and Felicity Jones, as well as to design some of the buildings shown in certain scenes. I don't want to dwell on this too much, but I will say that, in my view, AI should be kept out of artistic endeavors as much as possible. It's one thing if it's used behind the scenes for research and data gathering-but if it's something the audience directly experiences in the final product? Big no-no. Honestly, I was disappointed.
In many places, this film has been described as an "American Epic" and a modern classic-and rightfully so. It feels like an incredibly ambitious work, crafted with the highest quality, telling a very important story and meticulously structured. While I have other personal favorites from the past year, if, as some analysts predict and as certain early awards indicate, this film wins the Oscar for Best Picture, it would feel like a well-deserved victory-one that celebrates high-quality cinema made at the highest level. In fact, I believe this film could have easily been a five-star masterpiece, a title it has already received from many critics worldwide. However, one thing stands between it and that coveted label-its runtime.
Look, I am all for long movies. As someone who saw Oppenheimer six times in theaters and The Irishman twice in the same week it was released, I can confidently say that when done right, an extended runtime isn't a problem-it can even be amazing. But in this case, nearly four hours (!!) might have been a bit too much. Brady Corbet, for whom this film is one of his first full-length screenplays, may have fallen into the trap of keeping the script exactly as he envisioned it, without making the much-needed cuts that could have made it more accessible-and even improved it for a larger audience. The two films I mentioned earlier were written by screenwriters who are nothing short of masters of their craft (Christopher Nolan and Steven Zaillian, respectively), and they were structured so well that their runtimes were hardly felt. Even they didn't reach the length of this film. While The Brutalist has an undeniably excellent script, its astronomical runtime was definitely noticeable. I believe that even a slight edit-bringing it closer to the three-hour mark-could have worked wonders, creating a film that feels more cohesive and flows better, making it more inviting for repeat viewings like the films mentioned above.
The film, which revolves around an architect, innovatively weaves architectural design into its narrative. Production designer Judy Becker was responsible for crafting original buildings that fit both the era and the personality of the protagonist, László Tóth, a brutalist architect. Becker's designs serve as fascinating artistic expressions of Tóth's evolving and deeply conflicted identity, with the film's central project embodying both the spirit of brutalism and the film's core themes.
For this reason, the architecture in the film is far more than just a visual backdrop-it's an integral storytelling tool. Corbet, both as a director and screenwriter, handled this aspect exceptionally well and is highly likely to win an Oscar for it. Through this technique, he reflects Tóth's personal journey of loss, survival during one of the darkest periods in Jewish history, and the process of rebuilding after the Holocaust and World War II. With meticulous production design and impressive storytelling, the film uses architecture as a symbolic language, exploring how physical spaces can hold history, pain, and hope. Becker's work not only enhances the film's visual authenticity but also positions architecture as a key element in the protagonist's story of resilience-and, for those more knowledgeable about the field, at the very emotional core of the film. At least, until AI got involved.
The Brutalist is one of the most important films of recent years. With career-defining performances from Brody and Pearce, stunning direction and cinematography, an outstanding score, and a focus on urgent themes-particularly the growing antisemitism faced by Jews in the diaspora-I highly recommend everyone watch this film. While its runtime may be (and likely will be) exhausting for many viewers, don't let that stop you from experiencing this important work. It's the kind of film that will stay with you for days after watching.
The term "masterful" gets thrown around a lot these days, and I am guilty of overusing it myself, but Adrian Brody's performance in this film is nothing less than masterful in every sense of the word. The film runs nearly four hours, and for the vast majority of that time, Brody's face is on screen. He carries the film on his back in an incredibly impressive and charismatic way, delivering one of the best performances of his career-and certainly one of the finest in recent years. A second Oscar may very well be on the horizon. Guy Pearce, who has had plenty of outstanding performances throughout his career, gives what is likely his best performance ever in this film. His acting is extremely impressive, taking the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster, and I won't say more beyond that. Felicity Jones also gives an incredible performance that perhaps is not being talked about enough in the context of the immersive praise the movie is getting in all circles.
Recently, reports surfaced that AI was used to "enhance" the Hungarian accents of Adrian Brody and Felicity Jones, as well as to design some of the buildings shown in certain scenes. I don't want to dwell on this too much, but I will say that, in my view, AI should be kept out of artistic endeavors as much as possible. It's one thing if it's used behind the scenes for research and data gathering-but if it's something the audience directly experiences in the final product? Big no-no. Honestly, I was disappointed.
In many places, this film has been described as an "American Epic" and a modern classic-and rightfully so. It feels like an incredibly ambitious work, crafted with the highest quality, telling a very important story and meticulously structured. While I have other personal favorites from the past year, if, as some analysts predict and as certain early awards indicate, this film wins the Oscar for Best Picture, it would feel like a well-deserved victory-one that celebrates high-quality cinema made at the highest level. In fact, I believe this film could have easily been a five-star masterpiece, a title it has already received from many critics worldwide. However, one thing stands between it and that coveted label-its runtime.
Look, I am all for long movies. As someone who saw Oppenheimer six times in theaters and The Irishman twice in the same week it was released, I can confidently say that when done right, an extended runtime isn't a problem-it can even be amazing. But in this case, nearly four hours (!!) might have been a bit too much. Brady Corbet, for whom this film is one of his first full-length screenplays, may have fallen into the trap of keeping the script exactly as he envisioned it, without making the much-needed cuts that could have made it more accessible-and even improved it for a larger audience. The two films I mentioned earlier were written by screenwriters who are nothing short of masters of their craft (Christopher Nolan and Steven Zaillian, respectively), and they were structured so well that their runtimes were hardly felt. Even they didn't reach the length of this film. While The Brutalist has an undeniably excellent script, its astronomical runtime was definitely noticeable. I believe that even a slight edit-bringing it closer to the three-hour mark-could have worked wonders, creating a film that feels more cohesive and flows better, making it more inviting for repeat viewings like the films mentioned above.
The film, which revolves around an architect, innovatively weaves architectural design into its narrative. Production designer Judy Becker was responsible for crafting original buildings that fit both the era and the personality of the protagonist, László Tóth, a brutalist architect. Becker's designs serve as fascinating artistic expressions of Tóth's evolving and deeply conflicted identity, with the film's central project embodying both the spirit of brutalism and the film's core themes.
For this reason, the architecture in the film is far more than just a visual backdrop-it's an integral storytelling tool. Corbet, both as a director and screenwriter, handled this aspect exceptionally well and is highly likely to win an Oscar for it. Through this technique, he reflects Tóth's personal journey of loss, survival during one of the darkest periods in Jewish history, and the process of rebuilding after the Holocaust and World War II. With meticulous production design and impressive storytelling, the film uses architecture as a symbolic language, exploring how physical spaces can hold history, pain, and hope. Becker's work not only enhances the film's visual authenticity but also positions architecture as a key element in the protagonist's story of resilience-and, for those more knowledgeable about the field, at the very emotional core of the film. At least, until AI got involved.
The Brutalist is one of the most important films of recent years. With career-defining performances from Brody and Pearce, stunning direction and cinematography, an outstanding score, and a focus on urgent themes-particularly the growing antisemitism faced by Jews in the diaspora-I highly recommend everyone watch this film. While its runtime may be (and likely will be) exhausting for many viewers, don't let that stop you from experiencing this important work. It's the kind of film that will stay with you for days after watching.