Pearce does a great job at showing how much of a lie Fernand’s claim of nobility really is. In the film’s initial scenes, he is nothing but a coward that is subservient to every word that Edmond says.

After roles in “Memento” and “L.A. Confidential” made him famous, Pearce turned his back on Hollywood. At age 57, he’s returned in “The Brutalist.”