Adrien Brody plays a visionary Hungarian architect who escapes post-war Europe to rebuild his life in Pennsylvania. After a few years of struggle, he’s commissioned to design a massive new building by a wealthy businessman (Guy Pearce). This film feels momumental from the beginning. There’s a feeling of grave importance about the man and the movie. The scope and time span contribute to this effect, but Brody is magnificent in the lead, capturing complex moments with powerful depth. Felicity Jones is equally compelling as his wife. Director Brady Corbet brushes up against the issues of immigration and anti-Semitism, but his focus is on the man. His sometimes brilliant vision is majestic. Speaking of grand, this was shot in 70mm VistaVision and runs 3.5 hours (with a 15-minute intermission). The first half energetically propels the story, but after intermission, things get dark and heavy. Daniel Blumberg’s ponderous score adds to the heft. Thru all the complexity, there’s little genuine emotion to make the film emotionally involving. As it stands, it is a significant motion picture, but one that may be more impressed with its own importance than giving the audience an affecting experience. 
(4 / 5)
