Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
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A woman's life and marriage are scrutinized in the wake of her husband's mysterious death in a mountain chalet.
The story
In 2018, in an isolated mountain chalet near Grenoble, novelist Sandra Voyter faces a dilemma when her husband, university lecturer Samuel Maleski, is found dead from an apparent fall. While Sandra insists the fall was an accident, the discovery of a recording of a fight between them and the revelation of a previous attempted suicide leads to her being indicted on charges of homicide. One year later, the case goes to trial. As the legal proceedings unfold, the complexities of their relationship, the nuances of their communication across different languages, and the impact on their visually impaired son, Daniel, are laid bare before a court of law.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the death of her husband Samuel in a mountain chalet, novelist Sandra Voyter is indicted for homicide. The trial centers on whether his fall was an accident or a murder. The prosecution highlights a recorded fight where Samuel accused her of infidelity and plagiarism, while Sandra claims the violence was his own self-harm. The case is further complicated by the fact that they communicated primarily in English as a 'third language' because they were from different countries. Their son, Daniel, who is visually impaired, provides a crucial testimony. He recounts his father's thoughts on mortality and his own experiences with the family dog, Snoop. Ultimately, Daniel's testimony regarding his father's state of mind leads to Sandra's acquittal. The film concludes with a quiet moment between mother and son, where they acknowledge their mutual fear and find a sense of peace together.
- Original title
- Anatomy of a Fall
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 152
- Production countries
- France
- Original languages
- French; English
- Directors
- Justine Triet
- Writers
- Justine Triet · writer; Arthur Harari · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sandra Hüller · Sandra Voyter; Swann Arlaud · Vincent Renzi; Milo Machado-Graner · Daniel Maleski; Antoine Reinartz · the prosecutor; Samuel Theis · Samuel Maleski; Jehnny Beth · Marge Berger; Camille Rutherford · Zoé Solidor; Sophie Fillières · Monica
- Genres
- drama; legal drama
- Themes
- marital power dynamics; communication barriers; mother-son relationship; artistic integrity
- Tone and mood
- tense; cerebral; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; mystery; legal thriller
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, with critics praising the performances of Justine Triet and Sandra Hüller. It was noted for its tense atmosphere and sophisticated exploration of marital dynamics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 44; AlloCiné · score: 4.4 · scale: 5 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · win; Palm Dog Award · Cannes Film Festival · win; Best Film · César Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The film was described as a 'Hitchcockian procedural thriller'.; Sandra Hüller learned French in just three or four months for the role.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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