Film review: The Brutalist

It only takes a few minutes to ascertain that The Brutalist is a brilliant work of art.Soon after it begins, this fictional bio/drama exhibits an artistry and craftsmanship usually rendered by French, Italian or Mexican directors. But surprisingly, this auteur is Arizona-born Brady Corbet. An actor (Thirteen) turned director (Vox Lux) whose talent and skills led up to this unique moment, but not in any obvious way.Adrien Brody stars in The Brutalist. Photo by Lol Crawley Shadowed figures move around in the darkness. Hard to distinguish who, what and where. A slight bit of light emerges. A tiny bit of color. It could be a man. Hard to distinguish. There are voices. Murmurs, like animals stirring after hibernation in a cave. There’s movement. Finally, a stream of light. A door is flung open. There’s sunshine. There’s America.These cryptic, mesmerizing images introduce the weary but hopeful central character László Toth (Adrien Brody, Oscar winner The Pianist). He’s a Jewish Hungarian architect who fled post-WWII Europe in 1947 seeking refuge in the land of the free. Leaving behind his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and daughter Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy, Vox Lux) until they can reunite. The very symbolic opening scene signifies the darkness...