ANATOMY OF A FALL 15

Did he fall accidentally? Was he pushed? Or was it suicide? Anatomy of a Fall deals with the repercussions of a death, and it is both a murder-mystery as well as a gripping courtroom drama. It works so well because of its superb script, which won both a BAFTA and an Oscar for best original screenplay. The film also won the Palme D’Or at Cannes and received rave reviews for the acting; Sandra Huller is superb as the German born author Sandra, and her French husband (an aspiring writer) is played by Samuel Theis.

Anatomy of a Fall also develops into a forensic examination of a marriage, subject to the full glare of a police investigation and court case. The couple’s 11 year old son (played by Milo Machado Graner) becomes a key witness - but what does he really know? And will we, the audience, ever uncover the truth? French director Justine Triet (who wrote the screenplay with her husband!) enjoys playing with the ambiguity.

Peter Bradshaw, in the Guardian, wrote: “Hüller’s calm directness as an actor is what gives the film its texture, substance and emotional force. The film does not signpost the traditional twists and turns and dramatic reversals, but keeps a cool distance, letting us wonder if Sandra is guilty or not, and we are kept guessing until the end. It’s a lowkey, almost downbeat drama, but with something invigoratingly cerebral.”