I thought The Brutalist was a very good film, and about 85% of an all-time great one. Even in a 215-minute movie, the second act felt a bit rushed (Gordon just kind of disappeared after one short argument, and in particular the build to Erszebet/Van Buren's climax had all the "correct" foreshadowing notes but still seemed underexplored), but it was such a beautiful exploration of pain and trauma and ego and capitalism that I'll need way longer than a day and a half to fully digest it.
Becoming a father for the first time in April I haven't seen *that* many films in 2024, but I have to think Adrien Brody is a near-lock for Best Actor. Pearce, especially in recent years, has tended to get a little hammy, but his ability to bounce between menacing and warmly funny here, without going too over-the-top in either direction, really impressed me as well.
I thought The Brutalist was a very good film, and about 85% of an all-time great one. Even in a 215-minute movie, the second act felt a bit rushed (Gordon just kind of disappeared after one short argument, and in particular the build to Erszebet/Van Buren's climax had all the "correct" foreshadowing notes but still seemed underexplored), but it was such a beautiful exploration of pain and trauma and ego and capitalism that I'll need way longer than a day and a half to fully digest it.
Becoming a father for the first time in April I haven't seen *that* many films in 2024, but I have to think Adrien Brody is a near-lock for Best Actor. Pearce, especially in recent years, has tended to get a little hammy, but his ability to bounce between menacing and warmly funny here, without going too over-the-top in either direction, really impressed me as well.