I saw this movie in Venice almost by accident, going to the preview of the film that would win the Silver Lion for Best Direction - before that award had been handed out. And how glad I was it turned out to be "The Brutalist".
That movie is a mesmerizing immersion in a sick slice of old Americana that could only be described as a sweet nightmare; a twisted insight into minds messed up by war-related trauma or wealth; a semi-, low-key apocalyptic stroll into the Holocaust and its fallout, the immigrant experience, anti-Semitism, and brutalist architecture; and so much more. "The Brutalist" is an unrelenting, grinding 3.5 hour chamber epic that will stay with me for a very long time. Coming out of the auditorium on the Lido I was breathless, speechless, sad but also glad I had seen that film. And to think they gave the Golden Lion to Almodovar's "The Room Next Door", which by comparison feels like a made-for-television snoozer.
Adrian Brody has rarely been so convincing and touching; if you thought "The Pianist" was his masterpiece, think again. "The Brutalist" features what must be the most touching masturbation scene I have ever seen (yes, it is that kind of film), as well as the most unexpected and shocking rape scene I have ever seen (yes, it is that kind of film). You never know what to expect with "The Brutalist". Guy Pearce is also excellent, in one of the most repulsive characters in recent memory. Both actors have already been seen in rather similar roles, but never quite with the same quiet intensity and force. Compared to this "There Will be Blood" feels like a mainstream, family-friendly, Saturday matinee picture.
Just make sure you see it on as big a screen as possible (the film was shot using the old VistaVision format), with the intermission. Everything was done to make sure the film would feel like an old-fashioned 1950s/1960s epic drama - but without the censorship and with raw honesty, which makes all the difference. From its relentless, tortured, topsy turvy beginning the movie will seize you by the throat and never let go again. Welcome to America.
That movie is a mesmerizing immersion in a sick slice of old Americana that could only be described as a sweet nightmare; a twisted insight into minds messed up by war-related trauma or wealth; a semi-, low-key apocalyptic stroll into the Holocaust and its fallout, the immigrant experience, anti-Semitism, and brutalist architecture; and so much more. "The Brutalist" is an unrelenting, grinding 3.5 hour chamber epic that will stay with me for a very long time. Coming out of the auditorium on the Lido I was breathless, speechless, sad but also glad I had seen that film. And to think they gave the Golden Lion to Almodovar's "The Room Next Door", which by comparison feels like a made-for-television snoozer.
Adrian Brody has rarely been so convincing and touching; if you thought "The Pianist" was his masterpiece, think again. "The Brutalist" features what must be the most touching masturbation scene I have ever seen (yes, it is that kind of film), as well as the most unexpected and shocking rape scene I have ever seen (yes, it is that kind of film). You never know what to expect with "The Brutalist". Guy Pearce is also excellent, in one of the most repulsive characters in recent memory. Both actors have already been seen in rather similar roles, but never quite with the same quiet intensity and force. Compared to this "There Will be Blood" feels like a mainstream, family-friendly, Saturday matinee picture.
Just make sure you see it on as big a screen as possible (the film was shot using the old VistaVision format), with the intermission. Everything was done to make sure the film would feel like an old-fashioned 1950s/1960s epic drama - but without the censorship and with raw honesty, which makes all the difference. From its relentless, tortured, topsy turvy beginning the movie will seize you by the throat and never let go again. Welcome to America.