The Cinematic Schematic

The Cinematic Schematic is kicking off 2025 with a review of the ten-time Oscar-nominated The Brutalist from writer/director Brady Corbet.

The film follows a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor and architect named László Tóth (Adrien Brody) who emigrates to the United States in pursuit of a new life. As fate would have it, his life becomes intertwined with a wealthy industrialist named Harrison Lee Van Buren(Guy Pearce) who wants to pay Tóth to build a community center in his mother’s honor. Van Buren helps Tóth work on a dream project, achieve wealth quickly, and reunite with his wife Erzsébet Tóth (Felicity Jones).

This uniquely rags-to-riches American story is more than meets the eye. The Brutalist explores the complex relationship between artist and benefactor, the demands of art vs commerce, and the realities of the American dream for the best-case immigrant story.

It’s got the makings of a great American epic, but after Corbet soured audiences with the polarizing Vox Lux in 2018, does it have what it takes to be an Oscar winner?

Tune in for the in-depth analysis.

Meet the Brutalist Boys

Hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are rejoined by Daniel Bokemper to crack open this ambitious historical fiction.

Left to Right: Daniel Bokemper, Laron Chapman, and Caleb Masters

Ice-Breaker Question

Time Stamp: 5:42

Icebreaker question: What are two movies you’ve seen in the last month you’d like to highlight for listeners?

The Brutalist Spoiler-Free Review

Time Stamp: 21:47

In our spoiler-free review, we discuss:

* Our overall thoughts on the film

* Brady Corbet’s career so far

* The various controversies surrounding The Brutalist

* How many Oscars The Brutalist could win

* Letter grade verdicts

* Alternate media recommendations

Spoiler-Filled Analysis Discussion

Time Stamp: 1:32:02

We dive deep into the film’s 3-hour and 35-minute runtime. We talk at length about:

* The film’s interpretation of the US immigrant experience

* How the film explores the relationship between the artist, the work, and commerce

Special Guest

Daniel Bokemper

Contributor at The Cinematropolis and Flick Attack

About The Brutalist

According to IMDB, The Brutalist is described as:

When a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.

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