jon_pratt12345
Joined Oct 2012
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Ratings279
jon_pratt12345's rating
Reviews261
jon_pratt12345's rating
The Brutalist has many hallmarks of an epic film with a grand vision. The meagre $10m budget is astonishing given what has been accomplished.
Especially given the intermission this film can be considered in two very distinct halves. The first is a somewhat uplifting story of an artist building a life in America; the challenges, opportunities and hope. The second half is a much more dramatic and bleak tale of trying to live the AmericanDream and the crushing toll it takes.
Adrian Brody truly embodies the protagonist, Lazlo, a Hungarian architect fleeing Europe after the war. He is an emotional character with a heavy accent and numerous vices, so Brody has a lot to work with and it's not surprising his performance has recieved many accolades.
Guy Peace plays Lazlo's wealthy, industrialalist patron. A powerful and ruthless, smooth talker who can turn on and off the manners and graces to manipulate those around him.
Felicity Jones is Lazlo's wife whose journey to the US has taken longer than his. It is her arrival, along with their niece, that denotes a marked change in the drama and tone of the film in its second half. Their relationship is tumultuous and challenging. She shines a light on the problems and injustices present in the life he has made for himself.
The film is beautifully shot and there are some breathtaking scenes which I can recall vividly. The era is evoked well as is the feeling of a growing and prosperous America, where things are being built all around. The great demand for materials, construction and transportation is palpable. And the things that get made are either ugly or beautiful with Lazlo's interest being in the latter.
I found much of the film's emotion came from the phenomenal score. Foreboding heavy tones rumbling in the background that every now and then built to an icon and triumphant swell of high horns.
The Brutalist is a great triumph for many reasons and it has stayed with me. The score and the cinematography go together so well. It isn't always the most subtle in its messages but it does have a lot to say about history, culture, power but first and foremost about being an immigrant in America.
Of my very few criticisms I did feel a little put off by the Hungarian accents. Brody's was believable in isolation, but once Felicity Jones arrived there were frequent scenes of dialogue between the two and I couldn't help feel a mild sense of inauthenticness that took me out of the film a little bit.
The second half of the film embraced a more melodramatic focus. Voices raised and arguments played out; there was a lot of emotinal outpouring and perhaps a more restrained, subtle approach could have been more effective.
These are minor gripes in a film that had a strong and positive impact on me. I think it will stay with me for a long time and I hope to see the 70mm version in the best future.
Especially given the intermission this film can be considered in two very distinct halves. The first is a somewhat uplifting story of an artist building a life in America; the challenges, opportunities and hope. The second half is a much more dramatic and bleak tale of trying to live the AmericanDream and the crushing toll it takes.
Adrian Brody truly embodies the protagonist, Lazlo, a Hungarian architect fleeing Europe after the war. He is an emotional character with a heavy accent and numerous vices, so Brody has a lot to work with and it's not surprising his performance has recieved many accolades.
Guy Peace plays Lazlo's wealthy, industrialalist patron. A powerful and ruthless, smooth talker who can turn on and off the manners and graces to manipulate those around him.
Felicity Jones is Lazlo's wife whose journey to the US has taken longer than his. It is her arrival, along with their niece, that denotes a marked change in the drama and tone of the film in its second half. Their relationship is tumultuous and challenging. She shines a light on the problems and injustices present in the life he has made for himself.
The film is beautifully shot and there are some breathtaking scenes which I can recall vividly. The era is evoked well as is the feeling of a growing and prosperous America, where things are being built all around. The great demand for materials, construction and transportation is palpable. And the things that get made are either ugly or beautiful with Lazlo's interest being in the latter.
I found much of the film's emotion came from the phenomenal score. Foreboding heavy tones rumbling in the background that every now and then built to an icon and triumphant swell of high horns.
The Brutalist is a great triumph for many reasons and it has stayed with me. The score and the cinematography go together so well. It isn't always the most subtle in its messages but it does have a lot to say about history, culture, power but first and foremost about being an immigrant in America.
Of my very few criticisms I did feel a little put off by the Hungarian accents. Brody's was believable in isolation, but once Felicity Jones arrived there were frequent scenes of dialogue between the two and I couldn't help feel a mild sense of inauthenticness that took me out of the film a little bit.
The second half of the film embraced a more melodramatic focus. Voices raised and arguments played out; there was a lot of emotinal outpouring and perhaps a more restrained, subtle approach could have been more effective.
These are minor gripes in a film that had a strong and positive impact on me. I think it will stay with me for a long time and I hope to see the 70mm version in the best future.
The awards buzz brought me to this film and I was expecting something fun spirited and experimental. Emilia Perez however took itself very seriously and while the use of song was unconventional it was downbeat and unengaging, sapping the energy from the story.
The story itself felt very simplistic for topics that are so current and complex. Although I can't draw from any personal experience I felt the transgender experience was far more deeply and thought provokingly conveyed in "I saw the TV glow".
The cinematography was impressive and the film looked great. There was a lot of darks and deep reds with an interesting, theatrical, spotlighting effect on many scenes.
Overall, although nice to look at, I was not drawn in by the story or the characters both of which were a little too lacking in depth.
The story itself felt very simplistic for topics that are so current and complex. Although I can't draw from any personal experience I felt the transgender experience was far more deeply and thought provokingly conveyed in "I saw the TV glow".
The cinematography was impressive and the film looked great. There was a lot of darks and deep reds with an interesting, theatrical, spotlighting effect on many scenes.
Overall, although nice to look at, I was not drawn in by the story or the characters both of which were a little too lacking in depth.
