Review: ‘The Brutalist’ is hand-wringing over the high price of a perfect masterpiece

Approximately five centuries back, Michelangelo, the artist, spent numerous months retrieving 100 tons of marble from Carrara’s quarry, only to learn that his patron, Pope Julius II, wouldn’t cover the costs. Infuriated by this, Michelangelo departed Rome before completing the pope’s tomb, leading to the pope sending men to retrieve him. Despite this twist of fate, Michelangelo consented to collaborate with the pope again on a new project, the Sistine Chapel. In the painting, if you look closely at the cherub above Zechariah’s shoulder, you’ll notice the Italian hand gesture that translates as: “I disrespectfully defy you.