A woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

This year’s Palme d’Or winner comes from France, directed by a Belgian (Justine Triet) and stars a German (Sandra Hüller) in the central role. In its overarching structure, it is essentially a procedural court drama, but that would be a simplistic description of the intelligent and engrossing movie that ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ turns out to be.

It begins in a chalet in Grenoble, near the French Alps, where Sandra (Sandra Hüller) and her partner (Samuel, played by Samuel Theis) live with their young boy Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) and his service dog. Sandra is being interviewed by a journalist about her latest novel, who ends up leaving early on account of Samuel obnoxiously turning his music up to make it impossible for the two women to talk. A short while later, Daniel returns from taking the dog a walk and discovers his father dead just outside the chalet, beneath a window. Did he fall or was he pushed? This is the central argument that ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ will explore over the course of its runtime.

After the initial setup we spend most of the movie in court to witness the trial, and what unfolds is a courtroom drama to rival the very best of the genre. Sandra and Samuel’s entire life is laid bare for all to see, with secret recordings aired, diary entries revealed (does anyone keep a diary these days besides movie characters?!) and their entire relationship pored over in great detail. It amounts to a character assassination of Sandra, as the prosecutor attempts to demonstrate that the problems in their relationship equated to sufficient motivation for her to be responsible for Samuel’s death. Adding to the tension is the presence of their son during the trial, who is both the key witness and an observer of his parents relationship being analysed to a level that no child should have to see.

This is a superbly written movie, with a great central conceit that keeps the audience guessing as to where our sympathies should lie (beyond Daniel and his dog of course!), and terrific dialogue particularly during the courtroom scenes. It builds a story around a case with no clearcut answers, and forces us to consider whether Sandra is a manipulative killer or a victim. It is perhaps a touch too long, but the performances, especially from Hüller, and the writing, ensure that ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is a gripping watch from start to finish.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Justine Triet

Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis and Jehnny Beth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt17009710/