Settle in and prepare to be overwhelmed by The Brutalist, the kind of broad-canvas, epically realised, character-driven drama they say isn't made anymore. The Oscar-buzzed movie is a titanic meditation on the nature of the immigrant experience, the changing landscape of contemporary America and the brutal sacrifices needed to pursue one's dreams.
Showcasing an all-star cast and a handsome visual aesthetic, the film stands as a sturdily constructed piece of drama that reflects both outer scale and inner torment. Scroll down to find out more including cast, story, age rating, running time and release date.
What is The Brutalist about?
Escaping postwar Europe, a visionary architect named László Tóth comes to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, he settles in Pennsylvania, where a wealthy and prominent industrialist recognises his talent.
Who stars in The Brutalist?
Adrien Brody, Oscar winner for 2002's World War II drama The Pianist, plays the tormented László whose quest for perfection and the American Dream results in equal parts triumph and tragedy. Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential; Memento) plays the duplicitous Harrison van Buren, Laszlo's wealthiest client and the man who sets his brutalist ambitions in motion.
Joe Alwyn (Kinds of Kindness) plays Van Buren's priggish and spoilt son Harry while Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) portrays László's wife Erzsébet. Rounding out the cast is Raffey Cassidy (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) as László's niece Zsófia, Isaac de Bankolé (Casino Royale) as László's friend Gordon, Stacy Martin (Nymphomaniac) as Maggie Van Buren, Harry's twin sister, and Alessandro Nivola (Jurassic Park III) as László's envious business-owning cousin Attila.
Brody says he was drawn to the film in large part due to his Hungarian ancestry. He tells the BBC: "The wonderful thing is, it's an opportunity for me to honour my ancestral struggles - my mother and my grandparents' hardships and loss in fleeing Hungary in the '50s and emigrating to the United States.
"[It's] very moving to be reminded of the details and hardships that they experienced that very much parallel the lived experience of my character."
Who directs The Brutalist?
Brady Corbet directs The Brutalist. He began his career as an actor, diversifying in a range of roles from the Thunderbirds movie (2004) to Michael Haneke's English-language remake of his disturbing Funny Games (2007).
In 2016, Corbet announced himself as a filmmaker of note with his debut feature The Childhood of a Leader. The movie is an uncompromising study of a fascist mind, exploring the growth to maturity of a fictional European dictator. Clad in a dour aesthetic and with a thunderous score from the late Scott Walker, the movie was well-received for its formal brilliance and politically incisive script.
Corbet has spent seven years bringing The Brutalist to the big screen, telling Little White Lies: "I’m very grateful that people are covering The Brutalist because I genuinely believe that if the film does even just okay, commercially speaking, that it’s a huge win. The movie was not made for very much money, so for it to sort of justify itself, and erase our debt, we don’t have to do crazy numbers. Then maybe people will think, Oppenheimer at three hours long was not a fluke."
Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones discuss the inspiration behind Corbet's vision in the following video.
How has The Brutalist been received by the critics?
The Brutalist has been acclaimed for its sweeping scope and frank depiction of the realities of the American immigrant experience as it sprawls across the decades. The actors have been applauded for the honesty of their roles, as has writer/director Brady Corbet who spins a truly epic vision on a relatively minuscule $9 million budget.
Writing for The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey raves: "It’s not a film to devour, but to be devoured by. There’s such a weight to it that it creates its own field of gravity – which, coupled with the same fierce cynicism of Corbet’s previous films, The Childhood of a Leader (2015) and his pop star psychodrama Vox Lux (2018), turns a traditional historical epic into an existentially disturbing monster movie. The monster in question, of course, is America."
How many Oscar nominations has The Brutalist received?
The Brutalist has received 10 Oscar nominations, tying with Wicked as one of the most nominated movies in this year's Academy Awards race. It has been recognised in the coveted Best Picture field, as well as Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Brady Corbet, Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones, Best Supporting Actor for Guy Pearce and Best Original Score for Daniel Blumberg.
Is The Brutalist playing in special formats at Cineworld?
The Brutalist is playing in special format IMAX at Cineworld. The huge screens, pin-sharp digital resolution and all-encompassing surround sound of IMAX will put you at the heart of Laszlo's dream, magnifying and enlarging his brutalist visions and painting a truly epic vision of mid-to-late 20th-century America.
What age certificate is The Brutalist?
The Brutalist is rated 18 by the BBFC for 'strong sex, drug misuse and brief sexual violence'.
How long is The Brutalist?
The Brutalist runs at 215 minutes in total.
When is The Brutalist released in the UK?
The Brutalist is released in the UK on January 24th.
Where can we book tickets for The Brutalist?
Book your tickets for The Brutalist via the following link.
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