*The Brutalist* (no real spoilers)

As I kept watching, I was thinking “well, this is pretty good but it isn’t great.”  But by the time the final scene rolled around, I was convinced.  A few points:

1. The Hungarian wife is the best character.

2. The title “The Brutalist” does not refer solely to the architect.

3. The industrial landscapes and shots of an earlier America are excellent.

4. The movie never felt too long, and that is at 3.5 hours.

5. It is an explicitly pro-Israel movie, and that angle I was not expecting at all.

6. The movie does make an actual case for brutalism in architecture.  Note the architect and main character starts off as a modernist, not a brutalist.

7. Do pay attention to how this movie “rewrites” Casablanca.

Recommended, for some.