Anatomy Of A Fall (2023) Dir: Justine Triet
Instagram post:
Justine Triet's crime thriller and courtroom drama has received heaps of critical acclaim since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year. It was one of a number of Oscar-nominated films that I was interested in seeing sooner than later, and, thankfully, I was able to watch it far sooner than I expected.
I enjoyed the varied camerawork, specifically the use of handheld camera shots, including that of supposed television footage, which increased the realism of the story, and allowed the audience to feel immersed, as if they were watching a real trial. It was also fascinating to see a lot of the evidence, conjecture and terminology used to construct the case on either side - it felt remarkably legitimate at times.
The importance of diagetic sound throughout the film was something I appreciated a lot too, not just in the obvious manner addressed in the film, but from an audience perspective too. I also really enjoyed the fact that the film was in both English and French - while I don't speak French, and required subtitles, it allowed further realism, and forced me, as a viewer, to pay attention more.
The film was paced very steadily, and, although it is a long film, I think the story flowed well enough that I rarely, if ever, felt the time. It was only really in the last five minutes where I started to notice. That aside, I thought the narrative moved forward very effectively.
Speaking of which, I found the narrative to be well composed, riveting and satisfyingly suspenseful. Sure, it may have been a slow burner, but it was the kind of slow burner that simmered along very nicely, and never really dulled. I was very engrossed in the developments, and was incredibly invested in what would transpire next.
The performance of the film's protagonist, Sandra Hüller, was one that felt natural, believable and varied. She felt like a real, complicated individual, which is one of the best compliments I can give her. Never once did I really feel as though I were watching an actor. Everything she did felt routed in reality, from her demeanour, to the way she delivered dialogue.
The young Milo Machado-Gra was a joy to witness in his key role. I found him to be very likable, and a very solid performer. I was particularly impressed with his final few scenes, in which he showed some very commendable and emotive acting, that I was totally tuned into.
Swann Arlaud had some very strong scenes, particularly in the latter half of the film. His facial expressions were, at times, very captivating, and I found him to be a consistent and efficient actor, in a very positive way. I thought he worked very well with Hüller, particularly in the second act.
Antoine Reinartz had a flair and a charisma to him that I found very entertaining from an audience perspective. He gave his character real personality with his performance, and left a very positive impression upon me. There were some scenes in which he blew everyone else a way so casually.
Messi, the dog, gets a special mention for his fine performance as the film's star performer and goodest boy. I'll also quickly mention both Samuel Theis and Jehnny Beth, because, although neither had a tonne of screentime, they both left a significant impact on me, the viewer, with their memorable acting.
Overall, this was a very nicely constructed crime thriller, which portrayed a very intriguing and compelling story, with some complex characters and intriguing narratives. I suspected that this would be a good film, but I was absolutely thrilled by just how good it was.
Comentarios