Great review articulating Corbet’s shortcomings and strengths. I do think it’s important to note Zsofia is his niece, not his daughter, and they’re not portrayed as emotionally or ideologically close, which gives the entire coda an ironic, cynical glaze as she mythologizes his life, while he watches, deteriorated and mute. I think the coda is a lot more sophisticated in its politics than the rest of the film. A disappointing last ditch effort to justify the subject matter IMO.
Wonderful review!! I'm so happy that there's a place where I get to read you go long so frequently now.
The other night, I helped a couple of women at Suburban not get off on the wrong stop because they heard "train to Doylestown" as "this stop is Doylestown" and were about to be in the middle of Center City. #doylestownupdate
Great review! I was caught up enough in the first half to overlook a lot of obvious shortcomings, but totally agree that as soon as the second half starts this thing just fucking SINKS. Totally boring. Whacky ending sorta lured me back in but overall the movie hasn’t stuck with me in any real way despite how much I’ve enjoyed a lot of the criticism it’s produced. Corbet’s actual masterpiece was his delivery of “Final cut tie break goes to the director” during his (second!) golden globes speech, had me rolling on the ground laughing
“More damning, however, is the lack of ingenuity in more quotidian scenes, which Corbet stuff with lazy medium coverage, skeletal tracking shots, and nauseating shaky-cam. The VistaVision calls undue attention to the uninspired mise-en-scene as much as the good stuff.”
God, how I’ve painstakingly attempted to articulate this feeling to friends of mine, only to come up with “it lacked electricity.” So well-put.
Fantastic review, and a great catch on Borges’ translation dates. Seems to me of a piece with the movie: an intellectual brag that falls part under scrutiny.
Just as an aside, Mary Poppins isn't actually listed as shot on Vistavision on the 'list of Vistavision films' Wikipedia page, instead, the last feature shot entirely on Vistavision is 'One Eyed Jacks'. Interestingly, the Wikipedia page for the List of Vistavison films, until around October 2024, used to list a tonne of Japanese movies as shot on Vistavision, including Lupin III and End Of Evangelion. Whilst it seems like those Japanese movies were referring more to the 'vista' aspect ratio, whilst The Brutalist was being made and screened at Cannes there's a very decent chance Brady Corbet actually thought the last Vistavision feature was actually End of Evangelion.
"[The Brutalist] feels like play-pretend, a schoolyard dirt pie treated like a Michelin star tasting menu." This is why THR roundtable is funny lol. Catch him slipping in "sculpting in time"
I basically agree with your assessment of the movie, but you seem to know way too little about Israel and Zionism to even consider the film's relationship to those topics (funnily, the film's fundamental hollowness in the second part stems from the fact that Corbet also does not seem to know anything about Jews, Judaism, Israel or Zionism).
Just for starters, you write:
"The movie has no position on whether Israel is a sanctuary or an inherent act of colonialist violence. It merely knows that the US put it there just so they wouldn’t have to take in Jews."
How on earth did the US "put it there" when Israel itself fought a war of independence under a US arms embargo?
i have so many posts about osteoporosis making you horny inside my spirit. they need to break free
this is prob the best thing you’ve ever written
i liked when she cucked herself from the spirit realm
thank you truly wrote this to make you proud
Great review articulating Corbet’s shortcomings and strengths. I do think it’s important to note Zsofia is his niece, not his daughter, and they’re not portrayed as emotionally or ideologically close, which gives the entire coda an ironic, cynical glaze as she mythologizes his life, while he watches, deteriorated and mute. I think the coda is a lot more sophisticated in its politics than the rest of the film. A disappointing last ditch effort to justify the subject matter IMO.
you're so right! God I wish the whole movie was as strong as the coda
Wonderful review!! I'm so happy that there's a place where I get to read you go long so frequently now.
The other night, I helped a couple of women at Suburban not get off on the wrong stop because they heard "train to Doylestown" as "this stop is Doylestown" and were about to be in the middle of Center City. #doylestownupdate
Oh I miss you so much! Grateful to encounter words from your mind so consistently these days
loved this; so good and apt and thoughtful - AND funny! quadruple threat
thank you Fran!!! yay Fran!!
Great review! I was caught up enough in the first half to overlook a lot of obvious shortcomings, but totally agree that as soon as the second half starts this thing just fucking SINKS. Totally boring. Whacky ending sorta lured me back in but overall the movie hasn’t stuck with me in any real way despite how much I’ve enjoyed a lot of the criticism it’s produced. Corbet’s actual masterpiece was his delivery of “Final cut tie break goes to the director” during his (second!) golden globes speech, had me rolling on the ground laughing
he's a funny guy! he should lean into that! the coda is good lol
“More damning, however, is the lack of ingenuity in more quotidian scenes, which Corbet stuff with lazy medium coverage, skeletal tracking shots, and nauseating shaky-cam. The VistaVision calls undue attention to the uninspired mise-en-scene as much as the good stuff.”
God, how I’ve painstakingly attempted to articulate this feeling to friends of mine, only to come up with “it lacked electricity.” So well-put.
I appreciate the compliment but "it lacked electricity" is basically just as apt!
Fantastic review, and a great catch on Borges’ translation dates. Seems to me of a piece with the movie: an intellectual brag that falls part under scrutiny.
thank you, my autism put to good use
thank you for writing the only good pan of this movie
ahhh, thank you SO much for reading!! loved your review sm!
“Intellectual charade” sums it up for me
Just as an aside, Mary Poppins isn't actually listed as shot on Vistavision on the 'list of Vistavision films' Wikipedia page, instead, the last feature shot entirely on Vistavision is 'One Eyed Jacks'. Interestingly, the Wikipedia page for the List of Vistavison films, until around October 2024, used to list a tonne of Japanese movies as shot on Vistavision, including Lupin III and End Of Evangelion. Whilst it seems like those Japanese movies were referring more to the 'vista' aspect ratio, whilst The Brutalist was being made and screened at Cannes there's a very decent chance Brady Corbet actually thought the last Vistavision feature was actually End of Evangelion.
And please write that piece on Project X I've seen you post about once or twice
"[The Brutalist] feels like play-pretend, a schoolyard dirt pie treated like a Michelin star tasting menu." This is why THR roundtable is funny lol. Catch him slipping in "sculpting in time"
I basically agree with your assessment of the movie, but you seem to know way too little about Israel and Zionism to even consider the film's relationship to those topics (funnily, the film's fundamental hollowness in the second part stems from the fact that Corbet also does not seem to know anything about Jews, Judaism, Israel or Zionism).
Just for starters, you write:
"The movie has no position on whether Israel is a sanctuary or an inherent act of colonialist violence. It merely knows that the US put it there just so they wouldn’t have to take in Jews."
How on earth did the US "put it there" when Israel itself fought a war of independence under a US arms embargo?