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Brady Corbet and his film The Brutalist are the talk of the town right now in the world of film. This sprawling epic film is attracting audiences in surprisingly strong numbers—especially for a 215-minute film—and sweeping awards shows aplenty, with nine BAFTA nominations announced on Wednesday, January 15th. Though Corbet is certainly not yet a household name, that will undoubtedly change now that his Adrien Brody-helmed period epic is in cinemas and receiving quite a lot of awards buzz. A lot of the talent that Corbet displays in his current masterpiece was on show in his previous, most recent film, too.
Vox Lux, written and directed by Corbet alongside regular partner Mona Fastvold, stars Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Raffey Cassidy, who plays two roles. It tells the story of a pop star who uses a tragic event in her childhood to spark a career into life and explores the rises and pitfalls of fame en route. It is a cautionary tale, one which Corbet himself might need to prepare for, should his stock continue to rise after The Brutalist has been and gone in cinemas. At the time of its release, Vox Lux didn’t exactly set the world alight, as it split critics and received a poor return at the box office. But within the film, there’s much to like that makes it worth revisiting.
Portman Channels Her Inner Pop Star in ‘Vox Lux’
Vox Lux begins with a preamble of sorts; Celeste (Cassidy first, as a young girl) survives a school shooting and writes a song with her sister (Stacy Martin) that’s performed at a vigil for the victims of the shooting, going viral in the process. Celeste’s career progresses impressively as she records EPs and takes to the party life of a celebrity, trying to move past her trauma. The film fast-forwards to Celeste in her 30s (Portman), established as a pop star and on tour, who is informed of a terrorist shooting in Croatia where the perpetrators wore masks very similar to ones used in one of her music videos. Celeste is indifferent to this as she displays signs of excessive alcohol consumption in front of her daughter. Celeste breaks down as a press junket is about to begin and sleeps with her manager (Law) while high. She then goes on stage to perform for her concert, informing her team of a Faustian pact she made for her life before her career began as she takes to the stage.
Corbet’s ‘Vox Lux’ Speaks to the Modern Age of Fame
Vox Lux is distinctly a film of our times, with both its themes and the actions of its characters rarely more pertinent than in the 21st century. Corbet’s meditation on the cult of celebrity is what the film does best, especially with its portrayal of Celeste as an “industry plant,” or a celebrity who is manufactured to meet societal desires. This specific celebrity depiction is particularly germane to the way, in this digital age of the internet and social media, that fame culture is perceived. Celeste’s fame isolates her, and she loses sense of what is public and what is private, which is often one of the classic pitfalls of fame.

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Vox Lux, for a film with themes that are so prevalent today, unfortunately flopped at the box office, earning back only $1.4 million against its budget of $11 million. That is a surprise given the star power of its cast and the original songs provided by Sia. Now that Corbet is bound to be given a clean slate for whatever follows the success of The Brutalist, it will be interesting to see if another film with the scorching satirical bend of Vox Lux is what follows. Brady Corbet is a writer-director whose ascent into Hollywood’s circles of fame might very well be well informed by his own filmography.
Vox Lux is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

Vox Lux
- Release Date
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December 7, 2018
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Director
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Brady Corbet
- Writers
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Brady Corbet
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