The Brutalist
Stark and daring, “Brutalism” was a name given to a style of modern architecture that flourished in the '50s and '60s. Its sharp angles were formed of humble materials like rebar and concrete. Light and shadow danced dramatically across its sheer walls and through its bold windows. In a sense, “The Brutalist” – nominated for numerous Golden Globes including Best Drama – is a work of architecture, too. If you can get past the title and its three-and-a-half hour runtime, it offers epic visions of immigrant aspirations and the American dream (pro and con) through a highly stylized lens. Best Actor nominee Adrien Brody delivers a penetrating, fearless performance as László Toth, a brilliant Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the World War II carnage of his homeland and arrives at the feet of the Statue of Liberty hoping to begin anew. Lady Liberty is upside down on the poster because that's the way she first appears to the immigrants emerging from the steerage holds o...