Anatomy of a Fall: Movie Review

A film that's about micro-aggressions, subtleties and nuance, Justine Triet's tale of a writer who's accused of killing her husband when nobody was around, Anatomy of a Fall is a film that revels in its ambiguity. 

Toni Erdmann's Sandra Hüller plays writer Sandra, a German who moves to the snowy isolation of the Alps, with her husband and son Daniel, who's partially sighted after an accident. When Daniel returns from a walk with the beloved family dog, he finds the body of his father, who's seemingly fallen from the attic where he was working.

Protesting her innocence, and facing trial, Sandra finds every facet of her life pored over.

It may be a little ponderous as it negotiates its 150 minute run time, but most of what transpires in Anatomy of a Fall is largely fascinating as it dissects and eviscerates marriages, compromise and the frailties relationships demand and also destroy.

Hüller works well with the greyer edges of the story, and while a lot becomes about the trial, she's never showy throughout, even when various truth bombs are lobbed her character's way. Samuel Theis also deserves commendation for his role as the husband, which is largely confined to one superb flashback that proves to be a flashpoint. 

Ultimately, it's Hüller's performance in the mire of ambiguity that helps Anatomy of a Fall rise from its courtroom set latter half. Wisely choosing not to make her a victim, but subtly acknowledging that there's very rarely just one side to blame in relationships, Triet builds a film that compels and appalls in equal measure.

Less about the reality and truth, and more about the journey and the consequences thereafter,  the Palme D'Or winning Anatomy of a Fall proves to be a compelling watch and a fascinating study of human interaction.