In 1947, architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody) flees persecution in Budapest for the US; initially forced to toil in poverty, circumstances thrust him into the orbit of Harrison van Buren (Guy Pearse), a millionaire businessman who comes to recognise the spark of revolutionary genius in the Hungarian’s innovative contemporary designs, and engages him to build a spectacular structure in honour of van Buren’s recently deceased mother, a sprawling project that will consume both men as their tumultuous relationship grows ever more co-dependent. With ambition to match that of his protagonist, Brady Corbet has fully realised the potential he displayed with his first two films, The Childhood of a Leader, and Vox Lux; shot and presented on 70mm, The Brutalist, though modernist in its sensibilities, is redolent of epic event pictures of old. This is enthralling, maximalist, exhilarating cinema. 

The Brutalist opens January 24th. There will be exclusive 70mm preview screenings on Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th, Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd.

Notes by David O’Mahony