Fresh off receiving the Palm d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Justine Triet’s courtroom thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” follows a writer (Sandra Hüller) who is indicted for her husband’s mysterious death.
Did he fall? Did he jump? Or did she push him?
The truth isn’t simple, however the journey to uncovering it is engrossing in “Anatomy of a Fall.”
Unlike your formulaic “whodunnit,” Treit has meticulously crafted a thought-provoking mystery, filled with some of the most suspenseful and entertaining courtrooms sequences I have seen in ages.
Although it is a successful procedural drama from start to finish, the film’s close examination of the fractured marriage and familial drama at the center of the case is what impressed me the most (besides the inclusion of an instrumental version of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P,” of course.)
We never know what really goes on in one’s family and the way this was gradually revealed throughout the film felt so raw. In the film’s climax, a flashback scene of the couple in an argument, is unafraid to dive into the complexities of ambition, sexual desire, and guilt. It’s five minutes of an acting masterclass — a lot in part to Hüller.
Whether in her quieter moments of maternal guilt to her volcanic explosions of frustration, she is a captivating wonder in cozy sweaters. As I like to say, definitely a contender this awards season!
*MILD SPOILER WARNING AHEAD*
Milo Machado-Graner, who plays Hüller’s son, also gives a memorably strong performance. Even if some of his character’s choices were…well…really awful if you are a dog lover and get easily upset watching animals sick or near death.
Admittedly, this scene kind of took my overall experience down a notch — or half a star on Letterboxd.
However, end of the day, don’t let this triumph pass you by. It’s well worth the watch., especially for Hüller.
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