Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – A woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.

My Take – I haven’t seen many French films in my life, mainly due to less opportunity and lesser awareness. But from whatever I have seen, rarely have they been less than spectacular.

Hence I was certainly hyped for this courtroom drama thriller directed by Justine Triet, which she co-wrote with Arthur Harari, as it been on my radar since it won the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, and then ended up on many critics’ top films of the year list.

Wrapped as a murder mystery in a relationship drama that plays out in a gripping manner inside a courtroom, this one is indeed an excellently acted and well-shot story of a wife on trial for the possible murder of her husband. Indulging in exceptionally heavy drama about family dynamics as it meticulously dissects both the physical fall of one and the subsequent psychological downfall of another, all the while being thoughtful, intricate and emotional.

In a twist, the film refuses to answer the question of guilt or innocence, but rather examines how people construct their own narratives based on partial and biased information. It’s the kind of thought-provoking procedural where the truth is never certain and the power is granted to the audience to determine its true outcome.

Yes, it is not the easiest film to watch, demanding a lot from the viewer, especially until the end of the first act, the way everything unfolds, yet, the paths and destinations of its thematic approach is absolutely fascinating. It’s a low key, almost downbeat drama, but with something invigoratingly cerebral. It doesn’t aim for flashy cinematic spectacle, but it provides plenty to engage your gray matter every time you think about it.

The story follows Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller), a successful German novelist, who along with her husband, Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis), a French-background university lecturer and aspiring novelist, and their 11-year-old son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), lives in a handsome chalet in the French Alps. A place they moved to sometime back as Samuel believed staying at his home community would aid his writing. But since he is going through a creative block, in an effort to salvage the family finances, he has started to turn the chalet into an Airbnb.

Something which has obviously caused a lot of the friction in the household as he grumpily saws and hammers upstairs, with loud music. One such moment even forces Sandra to end an ongoing interview and wearily attempt a nap, as Daniel takes their dog for a walk. But when he returns, he finds his dad’s corpse lying on the snow outside the chalet with a brutal wound on his head.

Though Daniel is considered an unreliable witness due to his partial blindness, the result of an accident which Sandra always blamed on Samuel, who was supposed to be looking after him at the time. But with little clarity whether Samuel jumped or was pushed from the third-floor attic, Sandra is charged her with murder by the cops, soon after she calls Vincent (Swann Arlaud), an old friend and lawyer to provide legal advice.

The film pursues its own forensic style of drama. We see the body itself examined, and the event itself bizarrely reconstructed by the defense, with a dummy dropped from the window, to determine if the corpse’s trajectory and the resulting blood splatters incriminate Sandra or not.

The film does not signpost the traditional twists and turns and dramatic reversals, but keeps a cool distance, letting us wonder if Sandra is guilty or not. Even the French courtroom scenes are quite different from the North American and English courts in the wide-ranging manner of witness interrogation that involves the accused all along the way, and both the prosecutor and defense lawyers taking great liberty to insert argument amid questioning.

During which it digs deep into the intricacies of the marriage. Both the husband and the wife are writers essentially, and that makes their struggles and little victories all the more accessible. The changing dynamics in their relationship is brought to light through superbly shot flashbacks (just as their audio recordings are being played in court), and we as audiences, understand what each half of the couple is going through.

The beauty of the film truly lies in how delicately it’s paced throughout. Even when it takes the shape of a courtroom drama with great attention to detail, it still rests firmly on the emotional bonding between the lead characters. That never takes a backseat, despite the film turning into a murder mystery at several points.

However, I can offer some criticism towards the end, as the runtime extended, and as the conclusion began to take shape, I started to feel fatigued as a viewer. Plus despite exploring all possibilities it doesn’t lead you to a definite conclusion by the end. I’m not sure whether Daniel’s final memory he shares in court is real or if it indicates that he couldn’t accept that his mother was the murderer.

Ultimately, director Justine Triet proves to be in full command of her craft and keeps the proceedings unbearably tense and sharp. It may be a little ponderous as it negotiates its 152 minute run time, but most of what transpires here is largely fascinating as it dissects and eviscerates marriages, compromise and the frailties relationships demand and also destroy.

Of course, it helps that Sandra Hüller and Milo Machado Graner give stunning performances. Hüller‘s turn is fantastic throughout, and the one scene when she delivers a fiery monologue, it holds you in your place. Graner, especially for his age, is exceptional and nails the challenging part.

Samuel Theis also deserves commendation for his role as the husband, which is largely confined to one superb flashback that proves to be a flashpoint. Swann Arlaud, Antoine Reinartz and Camille Rutherford are also highly efficient. On the whole, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is a deep and compelling courtroom drama that is riveting throughout.