Many of us seem to have forgotten how to sit through a film without checking our phones, talking to our friends or stumbling our way to the toilet, but the mandatory 15-minute break in The Brutalist shows there is another way
Looking at your smartphone is one of the cardinal sins of cinema-goers. Photo: Getty
Can I be brutal with you all? Your cinema etiquette has gone to the dogs. This is not the place for catch-ups with your friends beside you or texting the ones elsewhere. Nor is it the time to scroll on Instagram. I don’t know if it’s a post-Covid consequence or a sign of moral decline, but having witnessed all of the above at recent screenings, it’s getting harder to immerse ourselves into the movie-going experience.
And that’s a shame, because we’re in a golden age of film, judging by recent releases. One such feature — on Irish screens from January 24 — is The Brutalist, an epic immigration story starring Adrien Brody in a career-defining turn. More importantly, its screening stipulation might be the hero in this tale of cinema unrest.
