United News of Bangladesh

Adrien Brody has won his second Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist, further cementing his reputation as one of Hollywood's most captivating actors, reports AP. Brody earned the Best Actor accolade at the 97th Academy Awards for his portrayal of Lázló Tóth, a visionary Hungarian architect who survives the Holocaust and emigrates to the United States in search of the American Dream. The film, which spans 30 years, follows Tóth's unorthodox designs and his dedication to artistic integrity, challenging societal expectations. ‘No Other Land’ Wins Oscar for Best Documentary In his acceptance speech, Brody reflected on the glamorous nature of the industry, acknowledging that while it can appear glamorous, the reality often offers a humbling perspective. "No matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away," he remarked, highlighting the fleeting nature of success. He also pointed out that being aware of this transience makes the night especially meaningful. During his speech, Brody also addressed issues of antisemitism and racism, emphasizing the lingering impacts of war, oppression, and discrimination. He expressed hope for a more inclusive and harmonious world and stressed the importance of not allowing hatred to go unchecked. Brody triumphed over other nominees including Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan. The Brutalist, a postwar American epic directed by Brady Corbet, is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. Brody stars alongside Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce in this three-and-a-half-hour VistaVision film. In February, after winning Best Actor at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, Brody spoke about the powerful message of The Brutalist, calling for shared responsibility in how we treat others. "There's no place anymore for antisemitism or racism," he said. Brody previously won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 for The Pianist. His 22-year gap between wins is the second longest in history, with Anthony Hopkins holding the record at 29 years between Silence of the Lambs and The Father. ‘Anora; wins best picture at Oscars Brody is also well known for his roles in The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Darjeeling Limited, and Midnight in Paris. In The Brutalist, his character's experiences resonate with his iconic role in The Pianist, where he played a Jewish artist struggling to survive during WWII.

The Brutalist tells the story of Hungarian immigrant and holocaust survivor László Tóth, who is trying to rebuild his life in post-war America through his work as an architect. Oscar winner Adrien Brody delved deep into his own family history for his portrayal of the character, reflecting on his mother and grandparents' experiences in fleeing their native Hungary, which after World War Two was becoming a satellite state of the Soviet Union, BBC reports. "The wonderful thing is, it's an opportunity for me to honour my ancestral struggles - my mother and my grandparents' hardships and loss in fleeing Hungary in the '50s and emigrating to the United States. Most Awaited Films of 2025: Sneak Peek at Hollywood's Biggest Releases "[It's] very moving to be reminded of the details and hardships that they experienced that very much parallel the lived experience of my character," Brody says. The actor says his character's drive to create also reflects his own path as an actor. "Any artistic person, I think, can relate to the struggle and yearnings to leave, create a body of work and leave behind something of great meaning," he says. Epic length The relationships in the film might be intimate and personal, but they're set against a backdrop that is in so many ways epic - not least its running time. It clocks in at over three-and-a-half hours - something that might put off some moviegoers. But director Brady Corbet believes The Brutalist's length really shouldn't deter audiences. "For me, I think that the length of a movie is similar to the length of a book, a double album, a painting with a big canvas. "I love small portraits and I love Anselm Kiefer (a German artist known for his large-scale installations). There's a space for both of them, you know. And at the end of the day, especially because the film has an intermission, it's only 100 minutes on each side, so it's not so bad." Felicity Jones, who plays Tóth's wife, Erzsébet, says she spends a huge amount of time looking for realistic female characters who are more than just weak offshoots of their husbands. "I spend most of my life foraging through scripts, trying to find decent characters to play. That's a huge part of it," she explains. "I have to find someone who has some kind of spunk, or has some fight in them. Some sense of defiance is so key, so when I read the script it was an absolute no-brainer. "I thought this woman is tremendous. But... they are few and far between, for sure. When you get something like this, you just grab it with both hands." In the film, Tóth is hired by rich industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren to design and build a vast project as a tribute to his late mother. Van Buren, played by Guy Pearce, is a man who is in awe of the architect's talent. A useful parallel, then, for the actor. Two Hollywood films, “Wicked” and “Red One”, set to premiere in Bangladesh "I suppose so," admits the Australian. "I really admire Adrien and his work. I think he's an extraordinary actor. "It was really interesting the way Adrien played his role. He plays a man who has almost more sense of self than Van Buren does, which was a great thing for me to work off because I think Van Buren, even though he admires László, he probably is patronising of him. "He probably expects him to be more subservient than he is, so it was a great dynamic between the two of us." On Thursday, the film was nominated for 10 Oscars, including a best-actor nomination for Brody. Even before the Academy Awards shortlists were announced, Brody said how thankful he was for the reception the film had received from awards bodies. "I'm just really grateful and I'm very appreciative of having had a chance to flourish in a work that I've dedicated a life towards. And when that is received with respect and appreciation. It's very rewarding." The Brutalist is released in cinemas on January 24.