It is an excellent film long enough to include an intermission but captivating throughout.
Brookstreet courtesy pictures
Adrien Brody plays László Toth, a survivor of the holocaust who moves in Pennsylvania to rebuild his life in the brutalist.
Written and directed by Brady Corbet, the brutalist features Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce.
Brody plays László Toth, a survivor of the holocaust who moves in Pennsylvania to rebuild his life. The film follows him while he struggles with the separation of his family, adapting to a new culture and a new language and by treating the horrors of his past. Toth is an architect, more than a simple architect, he is an artist-architect-visionary who was well known before the Second World War and now seeks to recover.
His trip takes a turn when he finds a boss, Harrison Van Buren (played by Pearce), a rich man who hires him to design a community center. Later, his wife (played by Jones) joined him in America.
Throughout the film, we see the challenges of making his architectural vision while satisfying his benefactor and those around him. The film plunges into its personal struggles and the tension between artistic integrity and external pressures.
Brody and Pearce offer excellent performance. Although I generally like Felicity Jones as an actor, his character in this film feels a little badly put. His character did not work for me. The film addresses the complex relationship, often uncomfortable between the artist and the boss, Pearce embodying the smooth benefactor and concerned with the status wishing to impress his peers.
Beyond his central history, the brutalist offers thoughtful comments on wealth in America, the experience of immigrants and the struggle to remain faithful to his vision while dealing with trauma.
The film persisted with me long after the roll of credits, which aroused a reflection on these themes. I particularly appreciated the ultimate message of the film – that an artist can remain faithful to his vision while finding ways to integrate into a new society.
I highly recommend the brutalist.