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Anatomy of a Fall
Stylish and intense direction, an Oscar winning screenplay, and some spectacular performances anchor 2023 Best Picture nominee, Anatomy of a Fall, an astonishing murder mystery/courtroom drama that simultaneously provides equal doses of evidence of guilt and reasonable doubt from one scene to the next.
Sandra Voyter is a German writer who lives with her British husband, Samuel in a French chalet with their visually impaired son, Daniel. Shortly after cutting short an interview she is giving, her husband's body is outside in the snow after tumbling out of the third floor window of the attic of their under renovations chalet. Of course, Sandra is immediately suspected of murder which sends young Daniel into an emotional turmoil of wanting to protect his mother but being unsure of whether or not he is able of doing so.
This film is a triumph for director and co-screenwriter Justine Triet, whose Oscar-winning screenplay is perfect melange of murder mystery and courtroom drama that unfolds slowly enough for the viewer to gather evidence even though they don't realize they're doing it, without playing any cinematic cards providing answers for the viewer. This reviewer sensed a sexual tension between Sandra and the woman interviewing her during the opening scene and almost dismissed it until it become relevant during the opening courtroom scene.
A true air of originality simmers to the surface here, thanks to the lack of theatrics associated with murder mysteries and courtroom dramas. The straightforward presentation of the forensics in the case (make sure closed captioning is on for this) and an actual re-enactmant of the crime, a rarity in stories like this, presents the facts in a very clinical manner that only tell the viewer one thing: that Samuel did not go out of that window on his own power but Sandra's DNA is nowhere to be found either. It's also obvious during her first meeting with her attorney that he isn't totally convinced of her innocence either.
The reasonable doubt in the story comes through Sandra's sketchy defense of what happened and its effect on Daniel. The discovery of Samuel's body is given short shrift in order to pique our curiosity when we see absolutely no evidence of Sandra going through any kind of grief regarding what happened to her. On the other hand, Daniel seems to want to do what he can to help his mother, while not being convinced of her innocence either. Triet achieves a startling cinematic dichotomy during the scene where the recording of the fight the day before the murder is played for the court while we are privileged with a live action flashback of the fight, startling but, again, offering nothing concrete in terms of gilt or innocence. I also LOVED the first character to discover the body: Daniel's dog, Snoop, who also remains relevant throughout the story. The court's sensitivity regarding protecting Daniel was admirable, even if some their methods were questionable.
Triet is also to be applauded for a quartet of remarkable performances she elicits from her cast. Sandra Huller's chilling and powerful performance as the central character earned her a richly deserved Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress and she is provided perfect support by Swann Arlaud as her attorney, Antoine Reinartz as the slick and serious prosecutor and wide-eyed Milo Machado-Graner as the tortured Daniel. Just a breathtaking movie and can't wait to see what's next for Justine Triet.
Stylish and intense direction, an Oscar winning screenplay, and some spectacular performances anchor 2023 Best Picture nominee, Anatomy of a Fall, an astonishing murder mystery/courtroom drama that simultaneously provides equal doses of evidence of guilt and reasonable doubt from one scene to the next.
Sandra Voyter is a German writer who lives with her British husband, Samuel in a French chalet with their visually impaired son, Daniel. Shortly after cutting short an interview she is giving, her husband's body is outside in the snow after tumbling out of the third floor window of the attic of their under renovations chalet. Of course, Sandra is immediately suspected of murder which sends young Daniel into an emotional turmoil of wanting to protect his mother but being unsure of whether or not he is able of doing so.
This film is a triumph for director and co-screenwriter Justine Triet, whose Oscar-winning screenplay is perfect melange of murder mystery and courtroom drama that unfolds slowly enough for the viewer to gather evidence even though they don't realize they're doing it, without playing any cinematic cards providing answers for the viewer. This reviewer sensed a sexual tension between Sandra and the woman interviewing her during the opening scene and almost dismissed it until it become relevant during the opening courtroom scene.
A true air of originality simmers to the surface here, thanks to the lack of theatrics associated with murder mysteries and courtroom dramas. The straightforward presentation of the forensics in the case (make sure closed captioning is on for this) and an actual re-enactmant of the crime, a rarity in stories like this, presents the facts in a very clinical manner that only tell the viewer one thing: that Samuel did not go out of that window on his own power but Sandra's DNA is nowhere to be found either. It's also obvious during her first meeting with her attorney that he isn't totally convinced of her innocence either.
The reasonable doubt in the story comes through Sandra's sketchy defense of what happened and its effect on Daniel. The discovery of Samuel's body is given short shrift in order to pique our curiosity when we see absolutely no evidence of Sandra going through any kind of grief regarding what happened to her. On the other hand, Daniel seems to want to do what he can to help his mother, while not being convinced of her innocence either. Triet achieves a startling cinematic dichotomy during the scene where the recording of the fight the day before the murder is played for the court while we are privileged with a live action flashback of the fight, startling but, again, offering nothing concrete in terms of gilt or innocence. I also LOVED the first character to discover the body: Daniel's dog, Snoop, who also remains relevant throughout the story. The court's sensitivity regarding protecting Daniel was admirable, even if some their methods were questionable.
Triet is also to be applauded for a quartet of remarkable performances she elicits from her cast. Sandra Huller's chilling and powerful performance as the central character earned her a richly deserved Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress and she is provided perfect support by Swann Arlaud as her attorney, Antoine Reinartz as the slick and serious prosecutor and wide-eyed Milo Machado-Graner as the tortured Daniel. Just a breathtaking movie and can't wait to see what's next for Justine Triet.