Anatomy of a Fall

 Nominated for: Picture, Lead Actress (Sandra Huller), Director (Justine Triet), Original Screenplay, Editing

IMDB Summary: A woman is suspected of her husband's murder and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. 

I had to sit on this blog entry for a moment. There's a lot to deep dive into to fully digest all the goings on in this film - but this is a "for fun" blog and not a graduate school dissertation, so I'll try and keep this light. Going into this film, I was expecting the French take on a good ole murder mystery courtroom drama. Let me set some surface-level presumptions straight - there's a death and plenty of courtroom drama, but that is not where this movie goes. 

"Anatomy of a Fall" leads you to believe this film is going to dissect how the husband falls to his death and the aftermath of piecing together the actual fall and the events leading up to the fatal tumble to determine if it was a murder or a suicide. While we do get to see a bit of this forensic puzzle, the film is much more focused on the anatomy of a fall of a marriage. My first thought as the story opens minutes before the big plunge was that this relationship between Sandra and Samuel is giving off strong "He Had It Coming" vibes, you know, like the song from the musical "Chicago." But, it's not that simple...

This film is nominated in for best original screenplay and it really does some interesting things with how the story is told. Besides taking a different direction with courtroom drama genre, it incorporates some unique tools to drive the plot and elicit various emotions for the audience. I mentioned in my initial blog that I thought this was a foreign film, which proved to be true. It's technically a French cinema production, but it continuously weaves English and French dialog throughout the film. It's an interesting use of language - the main character, Sandra, is German, her husband, Samuel is French. They live in France, but English is their common ground. For Sandra, English is an equalizer for her as an outsider - her use of the language gives her control over various situations; when she's forced to stick solely to French, she becomes vulnerable and often uncomfortable in her search for words to express herself. It's a really intriguing scheme to demonstrate authority. It's also a mental workout as an English viewer - 2+ hours of constant attention visually and verbally to the dialog to keep up with the nature of the plot. 

The use of music is also a compelling story point - there are 3 songs used throughout the film that calm, provoke, or demonstrate the anxiety of emotion onscreen. It pushes and pulls at the story, enhancing and unraveling the scenes at the same time. The music is a undercurrent to the dialog, but in hindsight, the music does a superb job arousing specific feelings to each song to underscore the scene. The director, Justine Trier, is the only female nominated for best director this year. While other women probably should have been included in this category, her execution of this story intriguing and multilayered. I think one could watch this movie multiple times and discover a new detail that makes you appreciate it's message even more.

Sandra Huller is nominated for best actress for her portrayal of the accused wife, Sandra. She is incredibly compelling onscreen - she's so composed through many highly emotional moments of the film that it kept me guessing as to whether her character was holding it together for the sake of her son, or if she was void of emotion. When she does step outside of her composure, she's relatable with her emotions, particularly in the flashback scene when she's arguing with her husband. That scene is such a realistic portrayal of an argument between two people - it's not linear or plotted in the verbal exchange, but rambles and circles back to past hurts and old wounds. That is her Oscar scene. She's phenomenal in it, but also as the scene transitions to the courtroom, where the recording of the argument plays out to a room filled with onlookers, and she becomes a silent participant in the ensuing action. 

Normally, I try to keep my comments focused on the Oscar nominated categories, but I also have to put a small plug in for the young actor who plays Sandra's son, Daniel. The character is blind and plays an integral role in the outcome of the trial. There is a lot asked of this young actor in this role, and my heavens, he's the heart of the film. Hard to believe he's only 12 and giving off this stellar of a performance that pulls in so many of the dilemmas that children experience when caught in between parental divides. He's not nominated in the best supporting actor category, but there's an argument here that he could have been.  

Ultimately, this film forces the audience to make a decision on what to believe - SPOILER ALERT, there isn't a definitive answer as to what actually happened. The focus is on all of the cracks that come together to break a marriage/relationship. There's an interesting comparison to be made between the end of a relationship and the verdict of a courtroom trial - when you lose, it's the worst day of your life. But if you "win", it's not a traditional winning feeling in the outcome - it's just over. 

Available to rent on Amazon Prime.