The Brutalist (2024) (1 Viewer)

[DigniT@DigniT!]

There is a great deal to admire in the film. I applaud the scope, scale, and ambition of the project. Ultimately, a turn in the last part of the film plays into a trope, common in much of Western fiction, that considerably dilutes the work and lessens the overall impact for me. And to be clear, it didn't come out of nowhere for me. I smelled it coming in the first scenes with this particular character and hoped the work would be above this particular stereotype and trope. I get it, and I get why, but it felt cheap and easy for a film with such grand ambition. Excellent performances and a lot to admire, but a considerable letdown by its end. I may feel differently with subsequent viewings. It was a real boon to see a 70MM presentation in a theatre with VistaVision clarity and the audience (sold out at my showing in NYC) really had a community experience viewing the film that reminded me of the old days at RoadShow presentations with intermissions. Even with my reservations, there is much to recommend.

 

[mskaye]

How absurd. I said no such thing. I respect many film critics as I have said numerous times in the past.

It's fine. No rancor implied. As I said, you're allowed to feel how you feel. My tastes generally skew away from mainstream populist entertainment (though many of my favorite films are those where film art and entertainment intersect beautifully on the Venn diagram of cinema.)

 

[Tino]

It's fine. No rancor implied. As I said, you're allowed to feel how you feel. My tastes generally skew away from mainstream populist entertainment (though many of my favorite films are those where film art and entertainment intersect beautifully on the Venn diagram of cinema.)

I look forward to your thoughts on The Brutalist.

 

[mskaye]

I look forward to your thoughts on The Brutalist.

Will definitely let you know. I want to see it in 70mm and I don't think it is showing that way in my city yet.

 

[battlebeast]

Spoiler: Spoilers writing

I thought this was an ok film. Adrian Brody was very good. He gave a rather soulful performance.

But Guy Pearce was only average… nothing special… certainly not Oscar Worthy imo. Adrian’s wife was decent, but again, not Oscar Worthy.

The gratuitous sex scenes - the brothel, the porno film, all of it - it added notjing to the picture. It could have easily been removed. What is it even there for?

For some stupid reason, I didn’t realize toth was raped. I thought his boss was just holding him as he puked.

The movie was extremely bizarre… odd camera angles, odd cuts, many questions left unanswered.

The ends credits… slanted like that? Why?

Was his Niece raped?

Did he kill himself / Where did he go?

Why did his cousin kick him out when he knew it wasn’t his fault?

One thing I did like was the “roadshow” vibe. The overture (however brief) and the intermission, with the clock ticking down, as well as being filmed in VistaVision! That was a neat to see the logo.

Overall, I give it a 6/10. Did I like it? Yes and no. It was too bizarre for me, but Brody’s performance really helped it.


BTW, the scene in the quarry was filmed in the same quarry Michaelangelo carved his statue of Mary and Jesus. Several years ago, a man named LASZLO TOTH damaged it with a hammer, causing an arm to fall off.

It is now behind bullet proof glass.

 

[DaveF]

Good rule of thumb is no spoilers for the first two weeks of release

 

[Malcolm R]

It was released December 20.

 

[battlebeast]

I realize I should have out spoilers. Sorry.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It was released December 20.

In just four theaters for its Oscar eligibility. It went from 338 theaters on January 17th to 1188 theaters on January 24th.

 

[Tino]

I see that @Robert Harris hated The Brutalist too. I would love to hear his full take on it here but as far as I know he has never posted in the movies section.

 

[Tino]

Looks like The Brutalist is generating poor word of mouth.

It increased its theater count by almost 500 screens but still dropped a predicted 39% this weekend.

The Brutalist (A24) 1,612 (+494) theaters, Fri $425K (-41%), 3-day$1.6M (-39%), Total $11.8M/Wk 7

 

[Jake Lipson]

It increased its theater count by almost 500 screens but still dropped a predicted 39% this weekend.

I think that implies that many people in markets where it is playing who wanted to see it because of its nominations have likely already done so. If it is opening somewhere new this weekend, maybe those people are going now.

My local arthouse got it two weeks ago. My nearest big chain multiplex, which is in the same general geographic area, added it a week later despite it already playing in close proximity at the arthouse. It seems like the people who wanted to prioritize seeing it just went when the arthouse had it first. Also, a film as long as The Brutalist would seem to be appointment viewing for people and not something they're likely to choose on a whim.

1,612 theaters isn't a mammoth footprint, so there might be people in smaller cities where it hasn't opened who are still waiting. (If so, I sympathize; I'm in that boat with Nickel Boys, which would require a 93 mile drive to see this weekend.) But Brutalist is no longer a limited release either. This has gone wider than some other nominees. Nickel Boys appears to have maxed out at 540 theaters and has already lost half of them. September 5 (up for Screenplay) is in only 398 theaters after having a wider expansion cancelled a couple weeks ago after advance tickets were already on sale. I'm Still Here has thus far maxed out at only 120 theaters, although I think it will expand to some degree next week.

Anyway, good for A24 for getting The Brutalist out as widely and with as much support as they have.

 

[Patrick Sun]

So I just saw "The Brutalist" and I mostly want my 4 hours back. Heck, I'd settle for 2 hours of my life back. Heh.

When a movie is this long, you have time while it's playing on the screen to ask if this movie has any narrative heft to it, and sadly, it does not, and rarely anything pays off by the end. There might be a lean 100-minute film in there somewhere once you pare down odd subplots and cul de sacs that go nowhere. Meh.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I'd add that I wanted to like it as the film proceeded... but it being completely fabricated and not based at all on the life of any real person(s) definitely made it feel more empty to me than otherwise... because it certainly became that much more pretentious as result...

I'd also say the whole definitely didn't feel like it lived upto the sum of its limited number of various good parts...

RE: the talk of exposing audience to Brutalist architecture and design (and whatever philosophy behind them), well, the film seemed to try to treat that as something to be merely tossed into the final moments in a kinda purely talkie monologue that barely tells us anything and only from the POV of someone close to the completely fabricated main character, not necessarily truly of Brutalism itself... It definitely wasted a lot of time barely mentioning (or showing) much of anything about the (Brutalist) distinctiveness of Toth's approach to design and such and treated it like nothing more than a Macguffin.

And whatever one wants to call Milos Forman's Amadeus, it's simply waaay more entertaining and compelling than this, including the fact it's based on an actual, truly influential genius of the music world/history of the highest order, not someone pretentiously fabricated (to suffer and struggle as he does) as in this hefty long film.

_Man_

 

[BornOfAJackal]

This movie didn't have quite the budget it needed to achieve the visual grandeur it was obviously going for. However, making do with material limits while keeping an uncompromised vision is exactly what this movie is about.

Amidst the strivings of the leads for respect, accomplishment, psychological and physical restoration etc., there is a lot of dignity lost, regained and lost again, making this a true epic well worth any thinking person's time.

Production design, costumes, makeup, photography all top notch. If an epic is judged by the unexpected places it takes you, this one is a smash. Sorry, Bob Harris. The grueling personal tales can't all be Lawrence of Arabia.

 

[Tino]

making this a true epic well worth any thinking person's time.

That’s a bit rude and dismissive of those that don’t share your opinion isn’t it?

 

[Kevin Antonio (Kev)]

Having seen the film, which I drove nearly a hr to see, I have one word to describe my experience. It was a " chore" watching this film. While it has its moments I fell asleep twice, and I need some time to really form a better review for it, but I hope that more aspiring filmmakers and editors study " pacing " in film. Just because you shot a million feet of film doesn't mean all of it needs to be in the final cut.

 

[mskaye]

Having seen the film, which I drove nearly a hr to see, I have one word to describe my experience. It was a " chore" watching this film. While it has its moments I fell asleep twice, and I need some time to really form a better review for it, but I hope that more aspiring filmmakers and editors study " pacing " in film. Just because you shot a million feet of film doesn't mean all of it needs to be in the final cut.

Not just "aspiring filmmakers." Scorsese, who is one of the greatest directors of all time, has definitely been falling in love with his footage the last 15 years (esp. his last one.) And we can quibble about the length and pace of some very famous 3-4 hour plus mega-epics, star studded dramas and musicals infected with elephantiasis going back to the 50's.

 

[mackjay]

I did not like THE BRUTALIST. Films never depress me. If I'm depressed it something inside of me that brings it on. But I think THE BRUTALIST is an ugly film, mainly visually ugly: is it trying to express the architectural style of the protagonist? Sure, Brody and especially Pierce give top notch performances, but the narrative is very dragged out (a 2 hr movie at most) and I agree the sexual scenes are needless. The epilogue left me wondering---are we supposed to believe all these people appreciate Tóth's work? In the photos we see boxy, unattractive structures. Or is it an ironic commentary, showing elites celebrating empty artistry? I know it comes down to taste and if others think his work is beautiful I can't dispute that. But, after all, the film's title does have significance.

 

[Tino]

Available today for purchase on all streaming platforms for $19.99.