Anatomy of a Fall

As an avid reader of detective novels, I always prefer a clear format – crime, victim, investigation, inquiry, preferably with as many twists as possible, and a final explanation, ideally with a last twist and a shocking surprise. I knew that this scheme was not to be expected in Anatomy of a Fall, and that it is not actually about who committed what crime. It is primarily about a thorough analysis of one family that has long struggled with a number of obstacles that some of its members cannot face. This fact is best captured, in my opinion, by the best scene in the whole movie – the escalating marital argument. Justine Triet, based on the two films of his I have seen so far, I would consider to be an original author, not interested in making the usual spectacle. Sandra Hüller delivers a sensational performance, there can be no dispute about that. It is impossible not to mention, and especially not to emphasize the performance of child actor Milo Machado Graner, for whom filming must have been extremely demanding! Some well-deserved Golden Globes. (2024-01-08)

I was quite curious about Anatomy of a Fall due to the positive reviews and its success at all kinds of festivals, and after watching it I can agree that it is definitely a noteworthy film. It skillfully mixes relationship and courtroom drama and thanks to the suspenseful story, in which the pieces of the puzzle are gradually and efficiently put together, it manages to keep the viewer extremely interested for almost the entire duration. Anatomy of a Fall is first and foremost an acting tour-de-force by Sandra Hüller, whose character is incredibly plastic, you don’t really doesn't know which "judgement" (guilty or innocent) to lean towards for most of the time. Among the other performances, the young Daniel and the slick Antoine Reinartz also deserve praise. I would criticise the film for its somewhat tedious conclusion and also the form of the decisive testimony in the case – I guess I was expecting "something more". But if you look at it from a certain point of view, the film can seem ambiguous and open at the end, which can certainly be assessed positively. Either way, Anatomy of a Fall is definitely worth a watch. P. S. (Spoiler alert!) Poor dog! (2024-01-22)

Ordinary, yet chilling. Solid filmmaking but still close to reality. A film that benefits most of all from its "ordinariness" and the fact that it could easily happen, which makes it all the more intense and harrowing. It is Sandra Hüller's brilliant performance and a terrific one-woman show that deserves the most credit for the authenticity of the experience, which rightly earned the film the Palme d'Or. The film goes by like water, for the whole two hours we are practically only in the courtroom and all the scene there are intense. The prosecuting lawyer is a sleazy, pushy thug, the court evidence is nail-biting, the mother-son tension gradually escalates, and the further the plot gets, the more uncertain it makes you and your own theories about the truth. Most of all, I like the impeccable work with the presentation of evidence, the element of the viewer's own interpretation and the conclusion, which each viewer can interpret in his or her own way and which more or less just outlines "what could have happened", but leaves the final picture up to each of us. It's good to see, after a long time, a work that doesn't need excessive CGI and a million-dollar budget to be perfect, but makes do with a clear creative vision and authentic acting. Strong. (2023-10-10)

Sandra Hüller turns in another superb performance in Anatomy of a Fall, one of two films featuring the actress in the competition section at Cannes this year (the other being The Zone of Interest). Though she plays the main character, we remain unaware of whether she is guilty or not throughout the film. Her expression and speech are mostly cold and we sense the murderer in her, but she plays innocent absolutely naturally. Casting her in this role was an excellent move. This long, very dialogue-oriented film also includes a trial with an interesting, procedural investigation of a tragic event. Well directed with ambiguity in the difficult search for the truth. [Cannes FF] (2023-05-27)

So this is a crime drama a little different from what the distributors have taught us to know. It doesn't move forward through plot shocks or emotional flip-flops. It always speaks to the viewer quietly, impersonally, but never insensitively. It follows the storylines of the investigation and trial with pinpoint accuracy and factually questions what we think we know – without ever fully answering what we think we need to know. This approach might seem unentertaining and peculiar, but despite its unjustified length, it became more and more appealing to me. (2023-12-05)