Anatomy Of A Fall review: This courtroom thriller flawlessly illustrates an anatomy of the rise and fall of a pact between man and woman known as marriage
Justine Triet's courtroom mystery thriller 'Anatomy Of A Fall' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay this year, so I was a little concerned about my own high expectations from the film. Surprisingly, though, this courtroom thriller not only meets but even surpasses my high expectations as it flawlessly captures the anatomy of the rise and fall of a man-made pact called marriage in a way very few films have.
The film opens with a novelist Sandra Voyter ( Sandra Hüller) being interviewed by a female student at Sandra's wooden lodge located in an isolated mountain. While the interview is being recorded, her spouse Samuel (Samuel Theis) is playing an instrumental version of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." on repeat. And it keeps getting louder. It seems, he is doing it intentionally to somehow derail this interview. Frustrated with the constant loud music playing in the cottage, Sandra decides to postpone the interview. After the student drives away, Samuel and Sandra's visually handicapped son, Daniel, also goes on a walk outside with his guide dog Snoop, and when they return, Samuel is found dead outside the cottage. At first sight, it appears that his death was caused by a fall from the cottage.
The questions posed concerning the couple's developing bitterness towards each other and the sanctity of the pact between man and woman known as marriage in this film are not new or unusual; we've seen them in a few romantic drama films before, but what makes this one special is how they've been asked and answered. The film's entire narrative revolves around various phases of Sandra and her husband's relationship and how their son's accident slowly starts taking a toll on their personal and professional life and their marital bonding.
Even though the film is quite long—2 hours and 30 minutes—especially for this particular genre, director Justine Truent, who also co-authored the screenplay with Arthur Arari, crafted it so well that you never once feel the need to check your watch. The film begins as a murder mystery after Samuel's death and Sandra is the prime suspect as she is the only one who was present in the lodge at the time of her husband's death. As the court hearing begins it slowly starts to reveal more secrets about Sandra and Samuel's married life and slowly this murder mystery turns into an intense edge of the seat courtroom thriller.
Prosecutors during the trial are certain that Sandra killed her husband on purpose and it wasn't an accident, while Sandra's lawyer is hellbent on proving her innocence. The court battle heats up as the film delves into every facet of Sandra's marital and professional life. Sandra's changing attitude towards her spouse as she achieves success in her professional life is gradually affecting this relationship and her husband's mental health, who is already suffering from mental health issues since his son lost his vision in an accident when he was only four years old. A pivotal scene in the film marks a significant shift in tone, becoming even more intense and thrilling, as an audio recording of a tense dispute between Sandra and her husband is played in the courtroom. This audio recording was made by Samuel the day before he passed away. It provides viewers with a glimpse into Sandra's mental state and that of her husband, as well as the different phases their relationship has gone through and its impact on their mental health, leaving not just us the viewers but also their son Daniel in a moral quandary. Writing such a compelling script that puts the viewers into the moral dilemma is an incredibly difficult task, especially for such a dialogue heavy film and director Justine Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari deserve all the critical praises and all the awards they have received for writing such a captivating screenplay.
Sandra Hùller, delivers a terrific performance as a wife and mother who actively connects us to her character's every honest uncertainty. Initially, she appears to be a sincere wife and mother who had no participation in her husband's death, but as the court hearing develops and some of her lies are uncovered, we progressively lose faith in what she says. There are multiple long single takes, particularly when Sandra is questioned and expresses her opinions, and Sandra delivers a masterclass performance during those long takes. Milo Machado-Graner, who plays Daniel, the visually impaired son, delivers an equally great performance, particularly when he begins to learn some hidden truths about his mother and father's relationship.
Ultimately the court does come up with a verdict about this 'Anatomy Of A Fall', but as a viewer, we do find it difficult to arrive at the decision about this death because the film doesn't offer us a conclusion leaving the viewers to come up with their own conclusion.
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth
Writer: Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
Director: Justine Triet
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