The first half absolutely lives up to the hype, and was well on its way to being my number two movie of the year, behind Dune: Part Two. Just incredible filmmaking on every level, especially the acting, to the point where, when the intermission lights came up, I was convinced Adrian Brody was taking home the Best Actor Oscar (and he still very well might).

That said, while the second half isn't bad by any means, due to the nature of the story, it's more brutal (no pun intended), more of a downer, and not nearly as satisfying in comparison. It's good, there just aren't any highs like in the first half. Not to mention, the ending (or "The Epilogue" as it's titled) is pretty random/out of no where, and when the end credits appeared I was definitely left with somewhat a "huh" feeling. Not "What the hell was that?" but more "Hmmm, that was... interesting?"

Again, it's still an affecting - I would even say phenomenal - achievement overall. The There Will Be Blood comparisons are apt. It's just that The Brutalist is a bit more artsy, and while memorable and even iconic in its own right, it's not nearly on the level as Blood in either regard. But it is very much a similar vibe/dynamic. I just have a feeling the second half, and especially the ending, is going to be somewhat of a turnoff for a number of people.

Also, it's not that Brody wavers at all - he really does deliver possibly the performance of his career - rather, it's that because I don't think the movie will quite resonate with general audiences the way it is with critics, the door is now left open for Chalamet to swoop in and "steal" Best Actor.

All that said, if you're even mildly interested, it's definitely worth seeing, especially in theaters. That, and the runtime doesn't feel like three-and-a-half hours at all. It's engrossing from start to finish. I would just go in expecting a really good film, but something short of the films it's being compared to.