The Brutalist

As an upside-down Statue of Liberty drifts into view, it's clear that The Brutalist will not be a straightforward, flag-waving take on the American Dream. Director/co-writer Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader) takes his film-making to another level with this multi-Oscar-winning epic, which tells the ambitious story of fictional architect László Tóth, who arrives in America following the Second World War. After an ignominious start, this Hungarian Jew is taken under the wing of Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr (Guy Pearce), who commissions him to work on a cultural centre in tribute to his late mother. The building's construction takes its toll on both men, while later László is reunited with his wife (Felicity Jones) and niece (Raffey Cassidy). This richly detailed film speaks volumes about America's uneasy relationship with immigration. It captures the poisoned chalice of philanthropy through Pearce's searing portrayal of the monstrous Van Buren, while an Oscar-winning Brody nails the torment of a proud, talented man who cannot help but absorb the hatred of others. Seven years in the making and shot in the defunct large-scale VistaVision format, the film is epic in its length, weight and ambition, like a modern-day Orson Welles picture. It's a timely examination of how modern America came into existence, and the resentments that lurk beneath its surface.