The Brutalist (Brady Corbet, 2024) • Page 4

On the other hand, I’m pretty fucking disappointed by the use of AI in the film. It sets an awful precedent.

 

I don’t really care about the AI touching up the foreign language work. To me, that’s kind of harmless, doesn’t take away work from another artist, etc. I am disappointed that they used it for some of the architectural drawings apparently. No excuse to not just hire an artist to do what, 10 quick sketches?

 

Yeah, but like I said, they use it anywhere and it sets a precedent. Especially if we just shrug it off and it wins a bunch of awards. I loved this movie but I cannot defend its use of AI. The accent stuff also deflates a lot of my appreciation for Brody’s performance bc I no longer know what is authentic about it. Idk man. Shit like this just triggers something in me as a fellow artist.

 

Every year during awards season films that r in serious awards consideration.. rival studios hire reporters from the trades or pay people who worked on films from rival studios to get dirt on the competitor for years now between this and Emilia Perez.. getting dirt on your rival best picture contenders to sway voters from not voting for a particular film.. this has happened for years now and I bet next awards season will be the same thing

 

After sitting on it, I’m conflicted. This is sort of where I’m at with it at this point- definitely opposed to the generative AI design of architecture and such, but regarding Adrien’s performance, it’s harder to gauge. Part of the issue is that marketing(?) labels a ton of tech as AI now, even tools that were used before the big AI-boom, like how they de-aged De Niro in The Irishman.

 

Fwiw.

 

I also think we've lost the plot with the whole AI thing. If the Irishman was released today you'd have people complaining that it's an AI Robert De Niro

 

At least we know now exactly where it was used and that it didn’t impact the entirety of his performance. I think skepticism around this stuff is warranted given that we’re already riding on the slippery slope and there’s just no regulation or communal literacy for any of it yet. At the very least, tech needs to stop labeling every little thing AI because that’s confusing.

 

Im cynical so I think it's deliberately confusing. They call so many non-AI things AI that we eventually just accept it.

 

Appreciate the swift clarification

 

Can’t stop thinking about this film. Catching again in IMAX tomorrow

 

A lot to commend here. This thing is an absolute feast for the eyes, and considering its ambition in terms of runtime and storytelling—The Architect as a God! Post war! Redemption! American Dream!—it's a true miracle that something like this can get made for $10 million.

Back to the visuals; just incredible work from Corbet here. It doesn't matter if it's scenic vistas, conversational closeups, handheld, or extended and roaming takes, everything looks gorgeous and lends weight to the emotional stakes. The entire segment in Italy, my goodness. Well acted, even if the cast of impactful characters is rather small.

I would agree with most that it's most definitely a tale of two halves and two movies. The first half is just about perfect as you adjust to a new world in step with Laszlo, lots of exposition but it all feels essential and well earned. Perhaps mostly importantly it hooks you very quickly. The film's second half, while not a complete disaster, just does not feel nearly as firm in its footing. Changes in motivation and background spill out haphazardly, the pacing gets a bit wonky, and in the final 30 you can feel a bit of the "how do we wrap this up?" seeping out. Most of it works...until it doesn't.

I am a little hung up on the rape angle between Pearce and Brody. It just feels a little superfluous. Like a crutch. "Oh, what fucked up thing can we put him through in service of character development...okay we'll have the capitalist rape the immigrant."

There is some preamble for the power play—Pearce's character is always talking about how he's uninteresting and untalented, and this violence is his way of exerting dominance But I just feel like there are so many other ways to convey that message without resorting to shock for shock's sake? It felt cheap.

 

I don’t disagree especially when you view it through the lens of the movie being a metaphor of the struggles of making a movie and it feels very on the nose/lazy

 

I still really loved it though.

 

Can we talk about how hard the credits song goes?

 

i think i’d just rather the accent be a bit off and reveal the imperfections/inherent conflict of the casting of his character. it’s lame but also it is a two minute segment i don’t think it’s such a huge deal.

the movie overall was extraordinary imo

 

I will be in New Orleans for about a week so I am going to see this, Nickel Boys, and the new Soderbergh in the fancy theater.

 

Regal closed their concessions already so I’m spending this intermission listening to some asshole doomscroll at full volume

 

Holy shit lol


During part 2, someone decides to start chatting on their phone at full volume. Another dude chucks a drink at them and tells them to shut up. They shut up…for about 20 minutes, then they start doing it again. My man goes out to the hallway, fills a water bottle, throws ANOTHER round at the yapper and gives him a mini-rant about shutting up during movies. The yapper leaves. This is the story of a real American hero.

anyways, great movie