Adrien Brody says 'The Fauves' pays homage to my ancestors' struggles

“The Brutal” tells the story of Hungarian immigrant and Holocaust survivor László Toth as he attempts to rebuild his life in postwar America through his work as an architect.

Academy Award winner Adrien Brody delved into his own family history when creating the character, reflecting on his mother and grandparents' experience fleeing their native Hungary, which became a Soviet satellite after World War II.

“The beautiful thing is that this is an opportunity for me to commemorate the struggles of my ancestors – the hardships and losses my mother and grandparents experienced when they fled Hungary and immigrated to the United States in the 1950s.

“It's really touching to be reminded of the details and difficulties they went through that were so similar to the life experiences of my characters,” Brody said.

The actor said his character's creative drive also reflects his own path as an actor.

“I think anyone in the arts can relate to the struggle and desire to leave, to create a body of work and leave something behind that is of great significance,” he said.

The relationships in the film may be intimate and personal, but their context is epic in many ways—especially its running time. It's over three and a half hours long – which may turn off some moviegoers.

But director Brady Corbett believes the length of “The Beast” really shouldn't deter viewers.

“For me, I think the length of a film is similar to the length of a book, a double album, a painting on a large canvas.

“I love small portraits and I love Anselm Kiefer (a German artist known for his large-scale installations). You know, there's a space for them all. At the end of the day, especially because the movie has Half-time, only 100 minutes per side, so not bad.”

Felicity Jones, who plays his wife Ozsebet, said she spent a lot of time looking for realistic female characters who weren't just weaklings to their husbands.

“I've spent most of my life looking for scripts, trying to find the right characters to play. That's a big part of it,” she explains.

“I had to find someone who had courage, or a fighting spirit. Some sense of defiance was key, so when I read the script, it was absolutely a no-brainer.

“I think this woman is amazing. But… of course, there are so few and far between. When you get something like this, you grab it with both hands.”

In the film, wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren hires Todt to design and build a massive project in memory of his late mother. Guy Pearce plays Van Buren, a man in awe of the architect's talent. This is a useful metaphor for actors.

“I think so,” the Australian admitted. “I really admire Adrian and his work. I think he's an extraordinary actor.

“The way Adrian plays this character is really interesting. He plays someone who is almost more self-aware than Van Buren, which to me is a great thing because I think Van Buren, even though he admired Laszlo , he may be being superior to others.

“He probably wishes he were more submissive than he is, so we have a really good relationship between the two of us.”

On Thursday, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including a best actor nod for Brody. Even before the Academy Awards shortlist was announced, Brody said he was grateful for the awards body's reception of the film.

“I'm really grateful and grateful for the opportunity to thrive in the work that I've dedicated my life to. When that's respected and appreciated. It's very rewarding.”

“The Fauves” will be released in theaters on January 24