THE FILM
TITLE: Anatomy of a Fall
RELEASE DATE: 21 May 2023
WATCH DATE: 21 Feb 2024
TYPE: live-action feature film (French, English, German)
ACCESS: available for rent on Amazon Prime
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Justine Triet
PRODUCER: Philippe Martin, David Thion, Marie-Ange Luciani
WRITER: Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
ACTORS: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE STORY
RUNTIME:
STORYLINE: when her husband suddenly dies, a woman, her blind son, and his dog are the only ones present making them the prime suspects, but the evidence for suicide is equally present and nothing is for certain
GENRE/THEMES: drama, murder/suicide, truth, courtroom, mystery
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
The most striking element of this film is the script.
Sandra Hüller takes the script and puts every ounce of passion she has into her character. Her performance is moving and believable. With each scene, she peels back the layers of humanity for all to see. Her portrayal of the character's belief in her own innocence contrasts with the evidence of her husband's death that seemingly condemns her. The surrounding cast plays off of her desperate energy. Her chemistry with Milo Machado-Graner is particularly precious.
Anatomy of a Fall is quite long and could have been done with a shorter script - and possibly better editing - down to a 1h 50m or 2h film. The second half of the film drags on, but the courtroom scenes are shining moments for the screenplay.
I recognize Anatomy of a Fall as a good film, but I don't necessarily like it. The message is prime, but It's not the way I would have chosen to tell that kind of story. It felt boring at times despite the well-written script and stellar acting.
Brilliantly and intricately written, the script is the star of this film. What starts as a murder mystery slowly morphs into a study of humanity as you realize this story isn’t about solving a murder. As each scene leads to the next, I am repeatedly impressed with the writing as it develops the plot and characters. Anatomy of a Fall is a cliffhanger murder mystery with no solid solution. And that is the point. Sometimes, we are faced in life with situations that don't have clear answers or obvious resolutions. Was it murder? Was it suicide? We will never know… you have to decide what you believe for yourself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: thought-provoking
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: scriptwriting
REWATCH: no
RATING: 3.5 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on LETTERBOXD for film reviews, movie lists, and more!
Comentarios