THE BRUTALIST (2024)

December 20, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. Too many view WWII as just another page in history books, when in fact, so much changed around the globe because of that war. Almost 80 years later, the war continues to provide stories for filmmakers, and when it comes to storytelling, few do it better than this latest from writer-director (actor-turned-filmmaker) Brady Corbet and his co-writer (and romantic partner) Mona Fastvold. The two had previously collaborated on THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015) and VOX LUX (2018).

This is an old-fashioned epic on a grand scale with a few specific features that deserve to be highlighted. At 3 hours and 35 minutes in run time, Corbet included a throwback intermission (with a 15 minute countdown on screen). The opening credits run right-to-left horizontally, while the closing credits run diagonally. For true film geeks, the film is shot in VistaVision to capture the period feel. Part 1 covers 1947 through 1952, while Part 2 covers 1952 through 1960, and the Epilogue takes us to Venice in 1980.

Oscar winner Adrien Brody stars as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian architect who arrives in post-WWII America after using heroin “for the pain” on the boat ride over. Due to administrative and governmental red tape, Laszlo had to go ahead of his wife and niece, to whom he writes regularly. A familiar face from home greets him upon his arrival. Attila (Alessandro Nivola, FACE/OFF, 1997) has already been Americanized to the point where he’s married and running a custom furniture business. He offers Laszlo a room to sleep and a chance to help design furniture. When Harry Lee Van Buren (Joe Alwyn, THE FAVOURITE, 2018), the son of a wealthy Pennsylvanian tycoon, contracts for a re-design of dad’s library, Laszlo gets a chance to show his brilliance. It turns out, Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr (Guy Pearce) does not like surprises and tosses the workers out.

Soon, a cooler head prevails for the tycoon, and he tracks down Laszlo for a project of much larger scale – a massive memorial on a hill overlooking the city. The project builds an odd connection between rich Harrison and brilliant Laszlo – although the rich guy remains anything but stable, and his son flaunts his own arrogant annoying tendencies (an Alwyn specialty). Laszlo maintains one true friendship. He bonds with Gordon (Isaach de Bankole) after meeting him in the food shelter line. Despite the new World, Laszlo continues to struggle with poverty; however, one of Van Buren’s lawyers is amenable to assisting with the paperwork for bringing Laszlo’s family to the states.

Part two brings wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, 2014) and mute niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, 2018) to America. Erzsebet is wheelchair bound after nearly starving to death due to the war. She’s a smart woman married to a creative genius, and yet the land of opportunity continues to toss hurdles in their path (not the least being Laszlo’s continued use of drugs). The moments of hope include a trip to the stunning Carrara quarry to locate the perfect piece for Van Buren’s project.

It should be noted that, despite the lead character’s name, this is a fictional account of the period, and the journey is both physically and emotionally draining. That’s also true for viewers, as I was exhausted by the end. Corbet uses the Epilogue to take us to Venice in 1980 for the first Architectural Biennal. It’s a fitting end after watching the battles of Jews versus Christians, and Immigrants versus American born, all while the United States is booming. I wasn’t ever able to understand the message Corbet was sending by exaggerating footsteps throughout, but I do recognize that Cinematographer Lol Crawley and Production Designer Judy Becker worked some magic along with Corbet and Fastvold … and yes, Adrien Brody, who along with Guy Pearce, deliver some of the finest acting we’ve seen all year. This is not a film so much about the brutalist style of architecture, but rather a film about character and personality during brutal times – and finding a way to utilize one’s true talent, while also remaining true to one’s roots. This is a complex story and one that fully captured me right from the unconventional opening credits.

Opens in limited theaters on December 20, 2024 and wide in January 2025

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

WHITE NOISE (2022)

December 2, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer-director Noah Baumbach’s latest film is one of those that causes us to feel a bit guilty at not finding it as important or noble as it finds itself. That’s not meant to be as critical as it sounds. Afterall, Baumbach is the one who has managed to bring the “unfilmable” … Don DeLillo’s 1985 novel (National Book Award for fiction) … to the big screen. Baumbach’s last film was MARRIAGE STORY (2019), a masterpiece on relationships, and while this current film is a more ambitious undertaking, it likely will prove less accessible to many viewers.

Adam Driver stars as Jack Gladney, a professor at a (fictitious) midwestern college, who has reached celebrity status through his Hitler studies curriculum – although he remains uneasy at his own inability to speak German. Jack’s own home life teeters on bedlam most every day. He and his wife Babbette (Greta Gerwig, director Baumbach’s real life spouse) are both on their fourth marriage, and their blended family of kids results in tension and more overlapping dialogue than one would find in a filled sports arena. Babbette is showing signs of early onset dementia, and is regularly and secretly taking a drug called Dylar. Of course, it’s the 1980’s and Google hasn’t been born, so Jack and Babbette’s daughter Denise (Raffey Cassidy) find themselves scouring books and asking doctors about the mysterious drug.

There are some amazing lines (most taken straight from DeLillo’s novel) throughout the film, and Act 1 features a stunning rap-battle type lecture with Jack and his colleague Murray Suskind (Don Cheadle) taking on Elvis versus Hitler and their relationships with their respective mothers. It’s filmed like a boxing match and most of the students seem oblivious to this treat. Act 2 is labeled “The Airborne Toxic Event” and it’s a fiery tanker car (filled with toxic waste) explosion that marks the transition. A mass evacuation takes the family to Camp Daffodil for 9 days, and Jack’s limited exposure to the toxic air places him in peril and leads to Act 3 where the fear of death merges with the discovery of Babbette’s Dylar source. The question then becomes, will Jack first die or commit murder … because, as we are told, men are killers.

Jack’s son is aptly named Heinrich and is played by Sam Nivola (the son of Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer). Baumbach is an intellect obsessed with neurotic intellectual characters, and he thrives at blurring the line between satire and societal commentary … which is obviously why he was drawn to DeLillo’s novel. The film is often chaotic, and is an odd blend of science fiction, the ugliness of consumerism, and teasing the end of our world and existential contemplation reflecting our fear of death. Especially effective are the Production Design of Jess Gonchor and the work of composer Danny Elfman. Perhaps there could be no better ending than the dance number in the vitally important local grocery store that continues through the closing credits. The film is funny, frightening, and a bit of a downer that offers more questions than answers – an adaptation that serves the novel.

Opening in theaters on December 2, 2022

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017)

October 26, 2017

 Greetings again from the darkness. When we become a spouse and a parent, we immediately develop a mode of protection never before experienced. We would do anything possible to protect our kids and spouse – even die for them if necessary. One of the most gifted and imaginative filmmakers working today forces us to consider a terrifying scenario: what if we had to select one of our family members to die?

Yorgos Lanthimos delivered the most bizarre and interesting film of 2016 with THE LOBSTER. This time out he re-teams with co-writer Efthymis Filippou, although this story eschews the dark humor of their previous film, opting instead for a type of gut-wrenching psychological warfare we have not previously witnessed on screen.

The goal here is not to make the viewer uncomfortable. Mr. Lanthimos wants us downright miserable from the tension. This is obvious from the opening scene as Schubert accompanies a close-up look at open-heart surgery, and continues through the awkward conversations and speech patterns as we get to know the characters. A terrific Collin Farrell plays the surgeon Dr Steven Murphy. Nicole Kidman is his wife (also a doctor), and their kids Kim and Bob are played by Raffey Cassidy (TOMORROWLAND) and Sunny Sulgic, respectively. The wild card is Barry Keoghan (DUNKIRK) who plays Martin, the most charming and oddball stalker who is hell bent on revenge and retribution. Keoghan is quite brilliant in this most difficult role.

Beyond the psycho-revenge plot lies a story of survival and atonement, making for an excruciatingly unsettling time in the theatre. We feel the vice tightening on us as the tone shifts from uncertain awkwardness to dark sinister intentions. Director Lanthimos and his regular cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis are in perfect sync with the various harsh angles (high and low spiked with screeching violins) and the necessary tight shots to emphasize the uneasiness and confusion of the characters.

Alicia Silverstone is quite memorable in her one scene as Martin’s mother. Frustrated that her flirtations with Steven aren’t reciprocated, she belts out the year’s greatest line of dialogue: “I won’t let you leave until you’ve tried my tart!” Of course, we couldn’t expect sexual relations to be any closer to normal than the conversations, and Ms. Farrell and Ms. Kidman ensure this to be so. Truly at the peak of the acting profession, Ms. Kidman has never shied away from tough material or less-than-ideal characters. Her strength and determination come through in every scene here, and it’s her scene at Martin’s home where she really puts her stamp on the film.

As difficult as it is to describe the film without giving anything away, one thing is certain – it’s a horror film. It’s difficult to imagine a more frightening scenario than what shakes out here with touches of both SOPHIE’S CHOICE and THE DEER HUNTER, while also having nothing in common with those films. The film’s title comes courtesy of Euripides, and its suspenseful awkwardness at a level rarely seen. The next feature from Mr. Lanthimos (starring Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) is due next year, and if the line was forming now, I’d be in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

watch the trailer:

9 Comments | Drama, Horror, Thriller | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson