‘Sometimes a couple is kind of a chaos and everybody is lost…’
Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I pretty much post at least one review every single day. This might seem like quite the commitment and I guess it is but after writing over two thousand of these things (!) I can now knock them out pretty quickly (how many of you thought ‘Yeah, you can tell’ just now?). My normal routine is to formulate the crux of the review while watching the film, do some research after the credits roll (thank you, IMDB) and then get to writing. This is mainly done out of necessity as I do have an actual life to lead so time is at a premium but also because if I leave it too long the film begins to lose its grip on me, like when you wake from a particularly potent dream but by breakfast time it’s all but forgotten. For certain films, however, this process backfires. Sometimes you need a bit of time to sit with what you’ve seen. To mull it over. To furrow your brow. Anatomy of a Fall is one such film…
Samuel Maleski (Samuel Thesis) is found dead after seemingly falling from the balcony of his French chalet. Following a postmortem, however, his wife Sandra (Sandra Hüller) becomes a suspect. Writer-director Justine Triet (working from a script co-written with Arthur Harari) takes us through the ensuing court case. Elsewhere, first-time child actor Milo Graner delivers an emotionally charged performance, Antoine Reinartz steals every scene in which he appears as the prosecutor and a dog called Snoop (or Messi to use his ‘real’ name) demonstrates that he is definitely a very good dog. This is a well-acted film. This is also an authentic film. The relationship between Samuel and Sandra feels lived-in and realistic. There is one scene in which the audio of an argument is played back from the jury in court which Triet juxtaposes with a flashback of the argument itself that features some of the most heartwrenchingly real acting I’ve seen in a long time.
The problem here isn’t the journey, it’s the destination. I haven’t had enough time yet to decide whether the ambiguous conclusion harms the film or helps it. This is where the benefit of time and distance comes in. Alas, dear reader, I have the luxury of neither. And so I must go with my gut. And my gut says that this is high-quality cinema that I found thoroughly riveting throughout.
People love to dunk on the Oscars but the fact is that this film’s five nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing) have ensured that Anatomy of a Fall will reach a much larger audience than it would have done and that is a win for Triet and her talented cast but also for cinema generally.