Anatomy of a Fall (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Anatomy of a Fall' is a gripping 2.5 hour courtroom psychodrama involving a whodunit murder case over a highly suspicious death, with only a blind witness nearby. It is brilliantly directed by Justine Triet, who co-wrote the script with Arthur Harari and, it is 2023's Cannes Film Festival Palm d'Or winner. At the film's start, we meet a successful, but somewhat high strung German author, Sandra Voyter (superb German actress, Sandra Huller), who is currently living with her French husband, a lesser author suffering from writer's block named Samuel (Samuel Theis), their visually-impaired 11 yr. old son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), & their pet Border Collie, Snoop, in a remote mountain chalet in the French Alps {much to her chagrin}.
Samuel is trying & struggling to convert his gorgeous, but unfinished chalet but into an Airbnb, as he noisily hammers away & blasts music on the 3rd floor. The noise irks Sandra, as well as their son Daniel, who leaves the home to take Snoop {a sort of seeing-eye dog} for a walk. When Daniel returns, he finds his father's lifeless body at the base of the chalet lying on the snowy ground with a substantial head wound. The police naturally question the manner of Samuel's suspicious death. Though she maintains innocence & a level head, Sandra becomes the main suspect in this presumed murder. What follows is not just an investigation into Samuel's death, but an unsettling & exhaustive psychological dive into the depths of a complicated marriage.
We learn that Sandra initially blamed Samuel for their son's blindness at age 4 {due to an accident}. Conversely, Samuel resents Sandra for having affairs, and for 'stealing ideas' from him that she used in her own books. The prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz) spares nothing in his evisceration of Sandra. Sandra's defense lawyer/friend, Vincent (Swann Arlaud), uses non-abrasive techniques in dismantling the prosecution's case. But it is Sandra's son, Daniel - and perhaps Snoop, the dog - who offer the most insightful & important testimony which shapes the outcome of the trial. Drama ensues.
Though this film contains a plethora of strengths {pacing, elegant camerawork}, I would say that the quietly thrilling screenplay is the key to the film's success. At 2.5 hours in length, it is paramount that the script be interesting enough to keep things moving and, this verbose movie rings true every single step of the way with integral, revelatory dialogue that the amazing actors must convey. One of the most important scenes highlights an argument btwn. Sandra & Samuel that starts as an innocuous chat over wine, but eventually explodes into a no-holds-barred indictment of their marriage; this fight is a courtroom-based sound recording that morphs into live-action for us viewers to see how it all unfolded in the house. Huller & Theis are exceptional, here.
Sandra Huller is Oscar-caliber extraordinary -- creating a character who, at once, is very sympathetic, yet also distant. Her Sandra is confident, unapologetic about her success, but also humane. She also seems to love her husband very much despite frustrations about him that get under her skin. Huller's Sandra is a bit of an enigma; which creates a fine line as to whether you believe she is innocent ... or not. We have no reason to believe Sandra is an emotionally impulsive or irrational person, and yet, she is cool enough in demeanor to show that murder is a vague possibility. She also handles the constant linguistic shifts superbly; abandoning her native German to speak English, or her less-skilled French when called for.
As Sandra's conflicted son, Milo Machado Graner is the heart of the film. Graner not only learned how to play piano for the role, but also worked with experts in visual impairment to play Daniel. Both his subtle & more overt displays of emotion are incredible for such a young actor. Antoine Reinartz is amusingly loathsome at the prickly, grandstanding prosecutor. Samuel Theis establishes so much about Samuel in just that one volcanic fight scene. And best of all may just be Messi the Border Collie, who plays Snoop. No joke, this dog is called upon to Act with a capital "A" more than once and, he is amazing. In fact, Messi won the Cannes Palm Dog award. Director Triet forces us to play armchair detective in dissecting & recollecting events which force us to come up with our own conclusions as to Sandra's guilt or innocence. 'Anatomy of a Fall' is a long film, but a truly fascinating one, as well.
Samuel is trying & struggling to convert his gorgeous, but unfinished chalet but into an Airbnb, as he noisily hammers away & blasts music on the 3rd floor. The noise irks Sandra, as well as their son Daniel, who leaves the home to take Snoop {a sort of seeing-eye dog} for a walk. When Daniel returns, he finds his father's lifeless body at the base of the chalet lying on the snowy ground with a substantial head wound. The police naturally question the manner of Samuel's suspicious death. Though she maintains innocence & a level head, Sandra becomes the main suspect in this presumed murder. What follows is not just an investigation into Samuel's death, but an unsettling & exhaustive psychological dive into the depths of a complicated marriage.
We learn that Sandra initially blamed Samuel for their son's blindness at age 4 {due to an accident}. Conversely, Samuel resents Sandra for having affairs, and for 'stealing ideas' from him that she used in her own books. The prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz) spares nothing in his evisceration of Sandra. Sandra's defense lawyer/friend, Vincent (Swann Arlaud), uses non-abrasive techniques in dismantling the prosecution's case. But it is Sandra's son, Daniel - and perhaps Snoop, the dog - who offer the most insightful & important testimony which shapes the outcome of the trial. Drama ensues.
Though this film contains a plethora of strengths {pacing, elegant camerawork}, I would say that the quietly thrilling screenplay is the key to the film's success. At 2.5 hours in length, it is paramount that the script be interesting enough to keep things moving and, this verbose movie rings true every single step of the way with integral, revelatory dialogue that the amazing actors must convey. One of the most important scenes highlights an argument btwn. Sandra & Samuel that starts as an innocuous chat over wine, but eventually explodes into a no-holds-barred indictment of their marriage; this fight is a courtroom-based sound recording that morphs into live-action for us viewers to see how it all unfolded in the house. Huller & Theis are exceptional, here.
Sandra Huller is Oscar-caliber extraordinary -- creating a character who, at once, is very sympathetic, yet also distant. Her Sandra is confident, unapologetic about her success, but also humane. She also seems to love her husband very much despite frustrations about him that get under her skin. Huller's Sandra is a bit of an enigma; which creates a fine line as to whether you believe she is innocent ... or not. We have no reason to believe Sandra is an emotionally impulsive or irrational person, and yet, she is cool enough in demeanor to show that murder is a vague possibility. She also handles the constant linguistic shifts superbly; abandoning her native German to speak English, or her less-skilled French when called for.
As Sandra's conflicted son, Milo Machado Graner is the heart of the film. Graner not only learned how to play piano for the role, but also worked with experts in visual impairment to play Daniel. Both his subtle & more overt displays of emotion are incredible for such a young actor. Antoine Reinartz is amusingly loathsome at the prickly, grandstanding prosecutor. Samuel Theis establishes so much about Samuel in just that one volcanic fight scene. And best of all may just be Messi the Border Collie, who plays Snoop. No joke, this dog is called upon to Act with a capital "A" more than once and, he is amazing. In fact, Messi won the Cannes Palm Dog award. Director Triet forces us to play armchair detective in dissecting & recollecting events which force us to come up with our own conclusions as to Sandra's guilt or innocence. 'Anatomy of a Fall' is a long film, but a truly fascinating one, as well.