The Brutalist (2024)

The critic calls it gorgeous capital-C Cinema and a staggering achievement, praising its breathtaking VistaVision visuals, score, and Brody’s phenomenal lead performance as a Jewish architect navigating post-war America.

The critic deems it an Oscar-worthy epic in length, weight and ambition that speaks volumes about America’s uneasy relationship with immigrants, praising its rich history, VistaVision aesthetic, intermission, and Brody and Pearce’s performances.

The critic calls it a majestic historical epic and the film to beat for the Oscars. It praises the savage performances, especially Brody and Pearce, and the extraordinary VistaVision cinematography.

The critic hails it as a major work of art and mighty, discordant anthem to modern America, commending its monumental parable on the American dream, creation, money, and love story, plus its technical craft and Brody’s Oscar-worthy turn.

The critic hails the film's epic, self-consciously important scope as a myth-making saga that propels forward despite its length and weighty themes. They single out the awe-inspiring visuals, Brody and Pearce's performances, and the director's ambition for particular praise.

The critic hails the film as a remarkable, audacious achievement that moves Corbet into the ranks of cinema's heavy hitters. It singles out the rich, involving storytelling and exemplary craft, especially the cinematography and score.

The critic hails the film as an American epic of rare authority that inverts the American Dream through its story of a brilliant architect's exploitation and abuse in the US. It singles out the powerful performances, especially Brody's, and the film's thematic depth on capitalism and assimilation for praise.

The review calls the film a colossal, impeccably paced filmmaking triumph and brutal parable about the immigrant experience. It singles out Brody's nuanced, detailed performance for praise while noting some heavy-handed elements and flaws in the ending.

The critic describes the film as a work of staggering mystery and power that demands rapt attention and repays it with triumphant artistry. They single out Brody's astonishing performance and the visual grandiosity for praise.

The critic views the film as an ambitious epic about the high price of artistic perfection and the fraught artist-patron relationship, with strong ideas and craft despite some flaws. It singles out the director's brains and vision, along with the lead performances, for praise while noting issues in the final stretch.

The critic finds the film an audacious three-and-a-half-hour American saga anchored by a terrific Adrien Brody performance, but concludes that its grand ambitions ultimately exceed its grasp despite impressive craft and scope.

The critic finds the film bloated, dull and self-indulgent, a slog that will soon be forgotten. It complains about the implausible story and excessive length while acknowledging strong performances from Brody, Jones and Pearce.

The critic sees a towering but flawed paean to perfectionism that insists upon itself. It praises Brody's photorealistic performance but faults the self-conscious borrowings and heavy-handed execution.

The critic finds it a meticulous, visually magnificent Venice Silver Lion winner about a Hungarian-Jewish architect in post-war America, admiring its VistaVision shooting, score, and cast (especially Pearce) while noting longueurs, narrative inertia, and lack of humour make it hard to love.

The critic praises Corbet’s ambitious, distinctive post-war epic about a Holocaust survivor architect building a new life in America, highlighting its vast scope, strong performances by Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, and how it explores history, survival, and perspective without meandering despite its length.

The critic praises Brady Corbet's ambitious, novelistic epic about a Hungarian Jewish architect's immigrant experience in America as bold and enveloping, with a devastating central performance by Adrien Brody that conveys both genius and humiliation.

The critic praises the film as a grave, serious, visually sumptuous saga of bold visions and outsized ambitions that explores tensions between art and commerce, immigration, and modernity. It singles out the haunting lead performance and the movie's expansive ideas as strengths.

The critic hails it as a masterpiece, an overwhelming triumph comparable to classics like Citizen Kane, praising its ambition, performances, cinematography, and how it captures the American experience.

The critic hails it as an unmissable giant of a film that deserves Oscars. They praise the electrifying performances by Brody and Pearce, the jagged score, and Corbet's assured direction in this epic about obsession, art, and the American Dream.

The critic lauds Brody's career-best performance in this ambitious epic. They highlight Corbet's exploration of the immigrant experience and the exploitative nature of the American Dream through the architect's story.

The critic finds The Brutalist an ambitious, towering achievement that warrants its epic scope despite occasional stumbles in the second half. Adrien Brody delivers a career-best performance as the Holocaust survivor architect navigating the American dream.

The review praises the film's novelistic form and enthralling journey through assimilation, immigration, and American ambition. It singles out Adrien Brody's anchoring performance and the visual evocations of midcentury modernists for praise.

The critic praises the film's intimate and humane portrayal of an immigrant's journey and its grandeur, but notes the ending feels rushed and incomplete, leaving it short of perfection. It highlights Adrien Brody's performance as the carrying force.

The critic finds the film flawed but fascinating, falling somewhat short of its lofty target yet casting a strange spell with imagination. It singles out the 70mm cinematography and the practical possibilities of cinema for praise, while critiquing the heavy second half and epilogue.