The Brutalist (2024)

IMDb plot summary: A visionary architect flees post-war Europe in 1947 for a brighter future in the United States and finds his life forever changed by a wealthy client.

Directed by Brady Corbet. Stars Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce.

The Brutalist stars Adrien Brody as a Jewish immigrant from Hungary, right after the second World War. In his home country he was a celebrated architect, but here in the US it takes some time for him to become noticed by a wealthy man, played by Guy Pearce, who hires him to design a community center. As we follow this project over the years it is plagued with difficulties and toxic relationships and slowly destroys Brody. I'm going to start off this review by saying I think this film was absolutely too long. I know it was trying to give a sense of the many years engulfed in this project, but I think I could have had the exact same -- or even a better -- emotional response at half the time. The piece that resonated with me the most was the climactic scene before the end, in which some of the negative treatment of Brody comes to a head. I thought the way that ended was both fascinating and satisfying. I didn't expect it to go down the way it did, but it really worked for me. I continue to think Felicity Jones is one of the least interesting actors getting work today, and that remains the same here, even when she's given kind of a fascinating character to work with. So overall, this has some good moments, and I think the grandiose feel of it captivated a lot of people, but it was only okay for me. 

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 The Brutalist (2024)

📊 Ranked #1748/4008 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 57

beat The Dissident (#2001 → #2006)

lost to Fargo (held at #999)

lost to Charlie St. Cloud (#1500 → #1497)

beat Roma (#1749 → #1750)

lost to Death to Smoochy (#1624 → #1626)

lost to The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (#1686 → #1676)

lost to Ant-Man (held at #1717)

lost to Abigail (#1733 → #1719)

lost to The Magnificent Ambersons (#1741 → #1739)

lost to Dark Shadows (held at #1745)

lost to Quiz Show (#1747 → #1746)

beat Challengers (#1748 → #1749)