“Anatomy of a Fall” has already been the recipient of numerous ‘Best’ awards from festivals and awards ceremonies around the world. It is nominated in five Oscar categories: Best Editing, Best Original Screen Play, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Picture.
The original screenplay was co-written by Arthur Harari and Justine Triet, who also directs. Set in a remote area of France, the story involves a French man, frustrated with his current situation in life, his German wife, who is a popular novelist and their young son whose sight has been severely damaged.
Returning home from a walk with his guide dog, the boy discovers his father’s body lying in the snow several stories below the attic room where he’d been working. Investigators determine the death is suspicious, which leads to a dramatic trial where a variety of facts come to light that may or may not shift the focus of guilt away from the wife, who is the defendant.
Triet’s first trial film, “In Bed with Victoria” (2016) sparked her interest in developing another which would dissect every aspect of the characters’ lives. She purposefully developed this screenplay in a way that shifted perspectives and perceptions to create confusion as to a definite answer to the mystery. It is a smart, well-crafted story.
Triet wrote “Anatomy of a Fall” specifically for lead actress Sandra Hüller,
making this the second time they’ve collaborated; the first being the 2019 film “Sibyl.” During the process, Triet did not reveal, even to Hüller,
whether her character was guilty or innocent.
Sandra Hüller, who portrays the wife, and gives an amazing performance, has received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actress category. On a side note, Hüller also stars in “The Zone of Interest,” another Best Picture nominee, so it’s been quite a successful year for her.
Her son Daniel is played by 11-year-old Milo Machado-Graner, who is sighted in real life but very convincingly plays the role of a severely visually impaired boy. For all of you Park City dog lovers out there, take note that Messi, a seven-year-old Border Collie, stars as Snoop, and plays a crucial role in the unfolding of clues to the mysterious death. He was awarded ‘The Palm Dog’ award at Cannes Film Festival where the film premiered in May.
I was surprised to learn that “Anatomy of a Fall” is rated R for violence, language and reference to suicide. It runs 2 hours and 30 suspenseful minutes.