Does The Brutalist deserve Best Picture?

And more importantly, will it win?

2024 has been another demoralising year of dwindling attention spans in cinemas, to which Brady Corbet has raised The Brutalist; a 215-minute film featuring an intermission that not even Scorsese offered with Killers of the Flower Moon’s 10-minute shorter runtime.

With early raves for Anora and Conclave as well as a massive push from Universal for Wicked, Corbet’s chances don’t seem too bad for Best Director but Best Picture? I think it might be too long for that - but let me clarify.

Having watched a gorgeous 70mm preview in the beautiful NFT1 at BFI Southbank last weekend, it didn’t feel like I was in there for nearly four hours. Expertly paced by Corbet and partner Mona Fastvold’s writing, the trials and tribulations of our troubled architect Laszlo Toth - played by previous 2002 Oscar winner and predicted 2025 nominee Adrien Brody - are mountainous but memorable to say the least.

I have a failing memory for long films: but I can remember full lines of dialogue from every hour of The Brutalist. I can’t say the same for last year’s Killers, but Scorsese’s other lengthy masterpiece, The Irishman, is a bit easier for me having watched it thrice. All this to say, Corbet’s offering to The Academy isn’t as burdensome as its runtime suggests - and it’s still getting a few eye-rolls from critics unenthused by a swipe at the American Dream.

As we consider what Corbet’s up against, we can’t forget the power of the sequel as we hear of Gladiator II and Dune: Part Two in the running: but I don’t think they’ll get Best Picture for the same reason I don’t think Wicked will - the mainstream campaigns have had their successes elsewhere and I think we’ll be looking at either Neon (Anora) or A24 (The Brutalist) for our winner again.

Sean Baker’s Anora seems more palatable to The Academy possibly because of its occasional encouragement of frank and raucous laughter across its festival rollout and extended release in the US, while the same can be said of Conclave from Edward Berger with its papal quirks and political slights. Although, that ending scene caused a stir with some in the industry and might not play in its favour.

So, could The Brutalist get Best Picture over Anora?

I think so. Whether it’s my winter cynicism or the amateurish judgement coming out to play (self-reference intended), I fear Hollywood won’t bestow such grandeur on a sex worker storyline.

Does it deserve to win over Anora?

Well, you’re asking me a tough question as someone that thoroughly enjoyed sitting in that seat for two very different stories.

It’s essential to note that Anora deserves praise for its performances above all.

Mikey Madison needs flowers and needs them now - it frustrates me to admit that her rise to stardom may well have been boosted by her casting in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Mark Eydelshteyn is too charismatic on-screen and off, but maybe too charming for The Academy to reward. Performances aside, Anora drew criticism for its second act being too drawn out and not justifying the runtime. Said runtime is nothing in comparison to The Brutalist, of course and Anora is quite at home in the predicted nominees list with other contenders running at two and a half hours-ish.

However, voters don’t like to be bored, and the word ‘boring’ cropped up in early reviews a bit more than Baker might have liked.

On boredom, our only recent comparisons for The Brutalist are last year’s Oppenheimer and Killers. Not only did they come away with two overwhelmingly different turnouts after last year’s awards - seven-nil to Oppenheimer - but they were both three hours or more and intermission-less. Ryan Gosling’s tease that Oppenheimer owed its success to the Barbenheimer phenomenon might have been true, because its runtime did not deter its success in one of the best summers for cinema; whereas the longer Killers suffered at Nolan’s hands.

Remember, Killers got ten nominations and not a single win even for performances: which is the fate I fear for Corbet and co, but not the destiny I think it deserves. I think Lol Crawley needs recognition for the film’s aesthetics, Felicity Jones for playing another amazing wife-of-genius and Brody for bringing a rich history of his own (also Hungarian and Jewish) to a multi-faceted role.

A nominee for Best Picture is at the very least, a testament to the quality of its parts and from that approach, I think The Brutalist deserves to win over Anora. Both were shot for small budgets in small timeframes, with independent backing and original stories, stellar performances with impeccable casting - but I think Corbet made better use of his time, intermission included.

Also, I did not mention September 5 here on purpose. There is no way it will get a nomination (I pray) and will hopefully only remain in the shortlist.