Advertisement

Review: Sandra Hüller acquits herself brilliantly in the superb ‘Anatomy of a Fall’

A woman sits at her home in the French Alps.
Sandra Hüller in the movie “Anatomy of a Fall.”
(Neon)

One of the many mysteries in “Anatomy of a Fall,” the enthralling new thriller from the director Justine Triet, is just how much we should trust its depiction of the French justice system. Most Americans know to watch their legal dramas with a measure of skepticism and a disdain for courtroom histrionics; those of us who’ve never spent (or done) time in Grenoble, however, may be bewildered by some of the local specifics of this movie’s murder trial, with its unfamiliar rules and anything-goes atmosphere. The accused is given an elevated, arena-style perch from which she can survey, and freely weigh in on, the rhetorical circus unfolding below. The attorneys are almost parodically French in their love of theoretical discourse, although even they have their limits. At one point, one snaps at the other: “Must we enter into a literary debate?”

Mais oui, we must. The defendant, after all, is Sandra Voyter (a stunning Sandra Hüller), a successful fiction writer who stands accused of killing her less-successful fiction-writer husband, Samuel (Samuel Theis). The peevish prosecutor (a swattable Antoine Reinartz), perhaps aware of how circumstantial much of the evidence is, has desperately taken to searching Sandra’s novels for clues. Did she steal her best ideas from Samuel, inflaming the professional jealousy and emotional chaos of their unhappy union? Do her stories, many of them drawn from real-life experience, illuminate the workings of a depraved homicidal mind? “An author is not her characters,” Sandra’s attorney reasonably objects, insisting that they focus on the facts.

Easier said than done. Less a whodunit than a who-spun-it, “Anatomy of a Fall,” which won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, spends two-and-a-half hours demolishing the very idea of empirical, observable truth. From its witty opening image of a ball bouncing down a flight of stairs — one step at a time, a seemingly accidental but carefully engineered tumble — Triet’s movie is a monument to the ambiguous and unknown, a labyrinth of half-glimpsed causes and vague, sinister effects. The early scenes, set in Sandra and Samuel’s cozy-looking chalet in the French Alps, are charged with a tension as undeniable as it is hard to articulate. An interview of sorts seems to be taking place, though it’s not always clear who’s being questioned, Sandra or Zoé (Camille Rutherford), the conspicuously attractive graduate student who’s come to visit. Samuel remains unseen but soon makes himself heard, blasting his music from upstairs at such insufferable peak volume that Sandra and Zoé are forced to cut their meeting short.

Advertisement
A mother and son look at a man's dead body in the snow.
From left, Samuel Theis, Sandra Hüller and Milo Machado Graner in the movie “Anatomy of a Fall.”
(Neon)

The song we hear is an instrumental cover of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.,” and even without the audible refrain of “But a bitch can’t get a dollar out of me,” the aggression behind the choice is unmistakable. Some time later, we finally lay eyes on Samuel himself; he is dead outside in the snow, bleeding heavily from a head wound. His body is discovered by his and Sandra’s 11-year-old son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), who has a severe visual impairment and is thus endowed, in this narrative’s irony-rich scheme, with Tiresian powers of perception. Daniel is aided in his discovery by his faithful border collie, Snoop — a sly reference, perhaps, to Snoop Dogg, who once recorded a remix of “P.I.M.P.”? As with so much in this movie, Triet isn’t saying.

Instead she and her co-writer, Arthur Harari, allow riddles and possibilities to multiply. The best-case explanation is that Samuel fell from one of the chalet’s upper stories, hitting his head on a shed roof on the way down. Or maybe he jumped. Or maybe someone bludgeoned him on an upstairs balcony and then pushed him to his death — and if so, could that someone have been anyone but Sandra? The forensic minutiae are duly intriguing: Blood spatters are closely analyzed, timetables meticulously reconstructed. The suave interplay of Simon Beaufils’ nimble camerawork and Laurent Sénéchal’s jagged editing creates a surface as hypnotic as it is slippery.

Advertisement

But the more significant clues that Triet wants us to ponder are embedded not in the scene of the crime, but in the roiling emotional aftermath of Samuel’s death. What are we to make of not just the intensity but the extreme privacy of Daniel’s grief, from which Sandra tries to extricate him, gently if a bit prematurely? When Sandra breaks down and sobs, “I’m so tired of crying,” should we be suspicious of the fact that is the first time we’ve actually seen her weep — an outpouring of grief that might be calculated for the benefit of her lawyer friend Vincent (Swann Arlaud), who will go on, somewhat reservedly, to defend her in court?

A French woman stands trial.
Sandra Hüller in the movie “Anatomy of a Fall.”
(Cannes Film Festival)

Just because we haven’t seen something, of course, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen — an argument that lawyers use every day, as well as a reminder that all cinematic narrative is an artificial construct. But this line of thinking provokes thornier questions still: Why is it so necessary for us to see Sandra grieve? Why must her relative stoicism in the face of her husband’s death be a sign of her guilt rather than, say, an honestly ambivalent response to the end of a tough, complicated marriage?

Advertisement

Amid all these questions, one undeniable conclusion can be drawn: Sandra Hüller is an extraordinary screen actor. This will hardly come as news to anyone who’s seen her as a hyper-ambitious corporate climber in “Toni Erdmann” or a young woman undergoing a violent exorcism in “搁别辩耻颈别尘”; in these and other performances, Hüller refuses to feed a stereotype of pliant, palatable femininity. Her blood-chilling performance in the upcoming “The Zone of Interest,” in which she plays a Nazi commandant’s wife, represents her most extreme refusal yet of the audience’s sympathy.

The brilliance of her characterization here is the way it turns the very notion of sympathy on its head. Her Sandra can be vivid and elusive, warm and guarded, calculating and oddly guileless. Whether she’s enjoying a much-needed laugh with Vincent or calmly rebuffing a witness’ testimony, Sandra weaponizes our assumptions against us, including those of how a woman is supposed to behave under extreme or everyday circumstances. It only reinforces her outsider status that the German-born Sandra, with her less-than-fluent command of French, must speak English in court — a pointed detail that resonates all the more profoundly later, when “Anatomy of a Fall” gradually morphs into an autopsy of a marriage.

In due course, Sandra is tried not just for murder, but also for the lesser crimes of being a bad wife, a distant mom and, worst of all, a better artist than her husband. These failings come to light during a furiously written and acted flashback to their final argument, one of those knock-down, drag-out fights in which every possible source of tension and resentment — financial burdens, parenting disagreements, past infidelities — gets dragged to the surface. It becomes the movie’s emotional and thematic centerpiece, so trenchant in its understanding of marital pressure points that it doesn’t sink in until later that the whole sequence, which resembles no other sequence in the movie, is premised on an insidious lie. In “Anatomy of a Fall,” even the rawest of emotional truths turn out to be booby-trapped, and the ever-thin boundaries between life and art are repeatedly violated.

A boy explores an attic.
Milo Machado Graner in the movie “Anatomy of a Fall.”
(Le Pacte)

As in her clever 2019 comedy-thriller “厂颈产测濒” (featuring Hüller in a terrific supporting role), Triet is flirting here with questions of literary integrity, artistic theft and the natural compulsion to turn the stuff of personal experience into fiction. To an almost indecently entertaining degree, the movie becomes less grim and more playful as it continues, a family tragedy reverse-engineering itself into a diabolically crafty puzzle. Is it by perverse coincidence or murderous design that Sandra’s ordeal plays like something out of her own fiction? For that matter, is there any significance to the sly meta-flourish of naming Sandra and Samuel after the actors playing them — or the fact that Triet and Harari, the authors of this story, are themselves a real-life couple?

Talk about a literary debate. If there’s anything keeping this infernally twisty story straight, it’s Graner’s haunting performance as young Daniel, a gifted pianist, amateur sleuth and devastated son whose suffering can’t be so easily reduced to a formal device or a red herring. Daniel, with his unseeing yet piercing gaze, turns out to be the conscience of this story, which doesn’t mean that he, his memories or his eventual testimony can be entirely trusted. Innocence, like truth, is an all-too-relative concept in this movie, and one of its lessons is that children carry traces of their parents, including their guilt, in fleeting yet intensely concentrated form.

Advertisement

Certainly, Sandra leaves her own mark on Daniel, for better or worse, by refusing to let either his disability or his grief be the end of his story, and also by imparting to him some unmistakable measure of her own ingenuity and imagination. “Anatomy of a Fall” is a murder mystery, a drama marked by death from its opening scenes, but it is also, in ways both bracing and chilling, about what any of us might do to survive.

'Anatomy of a Fall'

(In French and English with English dialogue)

Rating: R, for some language, sexual references and violent images

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Playing: Starts Oct. 13 at AMC the Grove 14, Los Angeles; AMC Century City 15

VIDEO | 03:11
LA Times Today: Sandra Hüller acquits herself brilliantly in the superb ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (Review)

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

Advertisement
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top