Anatomy Of A Fall Movie Review (2023)
A subdued drama about a woman accused of her husband’s death, Anatomy Of A Fall is a pensive film where every word feels intentional, anchored by strong performances and spectacular cinematography.
When I watched Project Hail Mary, I was struck by many things – it’s a fantastic film. One of them was Sandra Hüller, the director of the government agency, a strong and quiet woman who analyzes every situation and chooses every word carefully. I knew her name, but other than that film, I had never seen her work. It was time to correct that mistake.
Anatomy Of A Fall is about Sandra Voyter, a novelist who lives in a secluded home with her husband, Samuel, and 11-year-old son, Daniel, in southeastern France. After trying to conduct an interview with a female university student at her home, they decide to reschedule because Samuel cycle-plays a song on high volume, deliberately trying to send an aggressive message to Sandra. Shortly after, Daniel takes his dog out for a walk, and when he returns, she finds his father dead in the snow with blood pooling around his head. Sandra is accused of murder, and a trial is conducted.
This is a drama that interests you from the beginning, but there are no flashy moments or instances that stand out. It is curious, and it plays out in such a way that it feels pleasant to watch. You have questions, and the two and a half hours slip by because you are quietly reeled in.
The cinematography is gorgeous, with amazing views of the French Alps and camera work that moves intimately around all of the actors. But again, it is subtle. It is unbelievably beautiful, and you find yourself quietly amazed at the frames of a dog observing or Daniel playing the piano.
The actors are all incredible, and Sandra Hüller deserved her Academy Awards nod for Best Actress, but it is Milo Machado-Graner, who plays Daniel, that I could not stop watching. Daniel suffered an accident as a child and is mostly blind, so his way of interacting with his mother, his dog, and everything around him is measured. There is a subtle stress in the young man that he almost never expresses, but it builds over the course of the film, whether he is speaking or not. He is magnificent, and I look forward to following his career.
As a resident of the United States, I was also incredibly intrigued by the French court system, and there is a lot of exposure to it here. In the states, one person is on the witness stand and gets questioned for as long as both the prosecution and defendant lawyers have questions. In the French system, at least according to this film, the lawyer asks questions of multiple people while walking around the middle. They get their answer from one person and then move on to ask another, which seems much more helpful for maintaining continuity. I loved being exposed to that.
Anatomy Of A Fall is the epitome of “it’s about the journey, not the destination” in terms of getting questions answered and watching the tale unfold, which I am deliberately not expanding on. You’ll experience that for yourself. But the acting is excellent, and the cinematography is stunning. It’s a very good watch.
Runtime: 151 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English and French with English subtitles
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
