Anatomy of a Fall

"A gripping courtroom drama where the truth is inconsequential as both the jury and the viewer are left to grapple with perception vs reality, assumptions and narratives. It’s a dissection of a marriage as much as it is about truth- reminiscent of Scenes from a Marriage which is a must watch on Max! It was a slow start for me, but the courtroom scenes were v compelling and I was locked in for the last 35 minutes thanks to the fantastic performance by the actor who plays Daniel. Could’ve been way shorter"

"I found ANATOMY OF A FALL gripping, with fantastic, believable performances all around. I don’t mean this to sound flippant, but the story almost felt like an extended episode of Dateline—ONLY in the sense that there’s no clear-cut answer about the defendant’s true innocence or guilt since there was no witness to the "fall," and all the evidence was circumstantial. What really kept me hooked were the reenactments, learning more about the married couple, and the back-and-forth arguments between the prosecution and defense. I also found it interesting to see how the French court system operates compared to the U.S. Their courtroom setup and legal jargon are quite different. In this film, I didn’t hear terms like OBJECTION, SUSTAINED, OVERRULED, SPECULATION, HEARSAY, or IRRELEVANT. Instead, the discussions focused more on whether testimony was "OBJECTIVE" or "SUBJECTIVE." Plus, unlike in the U.S., witnesses and the defendant could respond directly to one another, which was a major difference! Anyhoo, this movie makes me want to rewatch the Amanda Knox true-crime documentary to compare the Italian court system to ours."

"3.5"

"Often scenes of couples arguing are banal and histrionic. This movie portrays 2 smart people seeking a truth between them with a revelation depicted in court after one dies - in an accident, a suicide or a murder? The resulting mystery reveals with intensity the details of lives and this event reveals the cracks in a family’s life. Fascinating and emotionally whole, seeking a middle ground between pathos and comedy."

"It is quite long but it a well written drama that’s incredibly well acted ! "

"A very cleverly structured and well-made French courtroom drama/murder mystery that slowly, thornily reveals itself to be a harrowing depiction of long term relationships as conflicting and crafted subjective narratives filled with lots of unknowable and irresolvable pain. In an arena where minute, manipulated procedure is tasked with understanding complex intricacies and poking at festering wounds, the truth is a lot less important than who can invent the best story and convince themselves they believe it. Way more 50 Cent - P.I.M.P. than I went in expecting to hear. Director and screenwriter Justine Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari were awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and I fully agree with it. Definitely one of the best films from last year (2023). The fact the dog name was Snoop and the song P.I.M.P. was a integral part of the story isn’t lost on me. #Mustwatch #Highlyrecommeded #Oscarwinner"

"A gripping courtroom drama. "

"A fantastic movie! Features a great screenplay that does a remarkable job using exposition in a manner that never feels pandering (was reminded a lot of 12 ANGRY MEN (1957) in terms of how effective the exposition is). I also found the courtroom scenes to be remarkably captivating as well. Stellar direction (by Justine Triet) and performances across the board, particularly from Milo Machado Graner as the son and especially Sandra Hüller as the mom (she absolutely deserves the Best Actress Oscar nomination in my view), and the cinematography was really strong too. The Golden Globe award win for the Screenplay is remarkably well deserved IMO, and I would personally be ecstatic if it ends up winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. A very highly recommended watch."

"Many of my reviews detail my boredom during certain films/shows. Anatomy of a Fall takes place in & around the house of the incident and the courtroom for 2.5 hours. I was fascinated the whole time."

"Anatomy of a Fall was a strong, moving film that took the breath full out of my lungs. It follows one woman’s journey after the suspicious death of her husband and what she goes through to try to prove her innocence. The ending is left on an inconclusive note, which I almost wish it wasn’t, but it was more centered around the emotional journey than the definitive destination. The acting just gets across how each of the characters cope with the whirlwind that we call life and the rawness of feeling deeply. There is a noticeable, painstaking eccentricity to this particular family and some unconventionality that rings through. Each of them have quirks which raise our hackles and make us think they could be the prime perpetrator. It was beautifully shot and the colors more subdued than vibrant to get across the somber nature of the trajectory of the film. Most of all, it was meaningful, representative of different facets of life, and the ripple effect a death can have on a community and family. "