Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Justine Triet's fantastic new film bagged the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, a decision that I'd imagine no-one is losing sleep over. Sandra Hüller is captivating as Sandra, a Mother who's accused of murdering her husband; a death that occurs in the opening scenes of the film. Huller is no stranger to the upper echelons of film making; her magnificent turn in Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann back in 2019 won her the Silver Bear at the Berlin film festival, and here she equals (arguably betters) that display as she stresses her innocence in the affair of her husband's murder, a claim that we frequently find ourselves changing our mind over. Sandra is an author who is partaking in an interview in her chalet amidst the French Alps at the film's opening, an exchange that is swiftly interrupted by an (incredibly loud) instrumental rendition of 50 Cent's P.I.M.P from upstairs- where she explains her husband is working, and has probably played it to annoy her. This is the first clue to potential tension in the relationship, although when Samuel's body is soon found sprawled in the snow underneath the attic window where he was working, Sandra offers very plausible shock when reacting to the screams of her son, who finds the body. Indeed it's her son Daniel, whose sight has been impaired since a childhood accident (the fallout from which also becomes key later on) who develops into the film's key in some respect. There's no doubt this is Hüller's film, but her powerhouse of a performance (frequently switching her language from French to German to English depending on the situation and her mood) wouldn't be as productive if it wasn't for the sublime display from youngster Milo Machado Graner, whose conflicted Daniel drives the heart of the film. Sandra receives help from an old lawyer friend (a terrific Swann Arlaud) when it becomes clear she's going to be accused of the murder, and their relationship suggests a past that we never fully unpack; but there's enough indication from Sandra that asks the question: is she as innocent as she claims? Anatomy of a Fall wears its influences on its sleeve, quite literally in fact; Triet names Anatomy of a Murder (1959) as a major touch-point, and once the film shifts into its second act it's also easy to conjure similarities with 12 Angry Men (1957), and certainly Marriage Story (2019). Triet's film falls into gripping courtroom drama, with the prosecutor cross examining every inch of Sandra's marriage to Samuel, almost focusing less on the scene of the crime than the two individuals potentially involved. Sandra's frustration boils over to the point where she poignantly points out that if one or two other areas or incidents within her marriage were scrutinised in this much detail, an entirely different portrait of her marriage would be painted. The courtroom prosecution attempts to drive the narrative to become a depiction of a marriage, and it's so enthralling that by this point we're completely wrapped up in the proceedings. The truth balances on a knife edge throughout the entire film, and it's to Hüller's immense credit that you have no idea whether she's guilty or not. Graner also ensures that we're torn about how the film's going to go; his relationship with his Dad was a very good one, and his thoughts and feelings are etched on his face as he slowly comes to terms with the fact that his Mum might well be a murderer. Triet's film is one of 2023's best, deserving winner of the Palme d'Or and yet will almost certainly miss out on a nod for Best Picture at the Oscars next year, because the Academy are idiots. 8.6/10