In this gripping courtroom drama, a wife finds herself on trial, unraveling the complexities of a strained marriage between two writers living in a chalet with their son at the foot of the French Alps.

Sandra Hüller delivers an extraordinary performance in this exceptional film, showcasing her talent without relying on artifice or contrivance.
The film earned the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes last year, along with several other awards, including the New York Film Critic’s Circle award for Best Foreign Film and the Golden Globe for Best Non-English Language Film. 
It has just received nominations for Best Film, Hüller is nominated for Best Actress, Justine Triet for Best Director and Triet and her husband Arthur Harari, who wrote the film for Hüller, for Best Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards.

There are great performances all round. Samuel Theis plays the dead husband and brings layers and depth to the role. Swann Arlaud is Vincent Renzi, Sandra’s compassionate and gentle friend who is representing her in the court case and Milo Machado Graner who plays the couple’s son, Daniel with a journey that takes him from innocence to a certain maturity and whose visual impairment is a great metaphor for what we see or don’t see.

This is the second courtroom drama I have seen recently, the first being Argentina 1985 and although that one was based on the horrifying events of the military junta perpetrated in Argentina in the late 70s and early 80s and lots of people actually died, I was more gripped and emotionally invested in this film where only one man died and it wasn’t based in fact.

The quote, maybe mis-attributed to Stalin, “the death of one man is a tragedy and the death of millions is a statistic” rings true here.

Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud in Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall isn’t overpowered by melodrama that Argentina 1985 slightly suffered from and was as real as it gets. When there’s an excess of sentimentality, whether it’s conveyed through music, dialogue, or overly explicit direction, it tends to distract me from the intended emotional impact.
Take, for example, the recent and excellent Society of the Snow. Here, we have a brutal real-life tale of survival and human resilience where the dialogue and music is quiet, intimate and consequently much more powerful.

After seeing Hüller’s performance in this I am greatly looking forward to seeing The Zone of Interest (which I was excited about anyways but now am doubly so) in which she also stars.
I had seen her before in Toni Erdmann but I think I saw it on a plane and for some reason wasn’t overly enamoured by the film. The performances were all good but my memory of it is hazy at best.

There is extensive plot driven use of the piece of music P.I.M.P. by The Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band, which is a steel drum version of the 50 Cent hit and this version, as well as being a joyous and playful take on a classic original tune adds an intrusiveness and potential menace in the film. Great use of music. Just a little nod to my friend Nicky Evans who introduced me to that tune in 2008, when it was released.

Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall

I saw this film in December 2023 so it was included on my list of Favourite films of 2023 which you can read HERE. Maybe it’ll make my 2024 list as well…….

This drama about the death of a father and husband that leads to the mother being accused of his murder is a masterclass in acting from all especially from Sandra Hüller, who is magnificent.
The best courtroom film I have seen for years. 
Has anyone seen it yet? What did you think? Does it deserve all the accolades? Leave a comment below.