Director: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentalieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, Sophie Fillières
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 152 mins

Anatomy of a Fall is the new film by Justine Triet, which took the Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter, an author who lives with her husband, Samuel (Samuel Theis) and partially-blind son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) at an Alpine chalet near Grenoble. Sandra is trying to conduct an interview when her husband, who is upstairs renovating the loft when he stars blaring a steel drum cover of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. The interview comes to a halt as neither Sandra or the interviewer can concentrate and Daniel heads out for a walk with his guide dog, Snoop. When Daniel returns, he finds Samuel dead in the driveway with a head wound. When an autopsy reveals Samuel’s head wound was inflicted before his body hit the ground, Sandra is the prime suspect and what ensues is a meticulous courtroom drama as she attempts to prove her innocence. 

Anatomy of a Fall is a fascinating character study of a family, the couple at its centre and the legal system that tries to break Sandra and her son apart. It’s a smart film that’s simmering with tension and excellent performances, although I’m confident it would pack an even greater wallop if it was tighter.  

Sandra Hüller is terrific in the lead role and is fully deserving of the praise she has been lauded. Her character is a matter-of-fact, frank individual and Triet’s film delves into the idea that writers use those around them to bolster their image. Swann Arlaud is also brilliant as Sandra’s silver fox lawyer, Vincent Renzi, as is Antoine Reinartz as a particularly nasty prosecutor. He unpicks anything and everything Sandra or other persons called up to the bar say, constantly repurposing words as evidence of Sandra’s guilt. 

Although there isn’t an original score, the use of music is terrific and the recurring use of 50 Cent’ P.I.M.P. and Daniel’s piano recitals are chillingly effective. The film’s also beautifully shot by Simon Beaufils, who evocatively captures the high altitude setting of the chalet and likes to zoom in on certain minutiae, as if you’re a fly-on-the-wall. 

Anatomy of a Fall is an unflinching courtroom drama, Triet diligently chiselling away over the film’s running time at exposing a family, flaws and all. While the performances are excellent all-round, Hüller is thoroughly deserving of Awards recognition. I just wish Triet chopped 15/20 minutes off the lengthy 152 minute running time, and the slightly tighter edit would have given the film even more of a punch. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)