“Anatomy of a Fall” comes to the M.V. Film Center on Friday, Nov. 3, running through the weekend and into next week. Directed by Justine Triet, winner of the 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or, this courtroom suspense drama raises issues about how writer Samuel Maleski, played by Samuel Theis, died mysteriously in a fall from the third floor of his chalet in the French Alps. Samuel is the husband of Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller), and father to Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), blind from an earlier accident.
The film opens with Sandra, a successful German writer, being interviewed while her husband is upstairs blasting P.I.M.P. by rapper 50 Cent. She postpones the interview because of the noise, and goes to her bedroom for a nap. In the meantime, 11-year-old Daniel goes for a walk with his dog Snoop (Cannes Palm Dog Winner) and comes back to discover his father lying dead in the snow.
His mother appears to be the one suspected of killing her husband, and as a result Sandra is arrested. In a thriller similar to Hitchcock’s, the suspicion is supported by the courtroom prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz), but Sandra is released on bail. The prosecutor argues against Sandra, but defense lawyer Vincent Renzi (Swann Arlaud) supports his friend, and argues in favor of her. Daniel is called upon to testify about whether his parents in fact argued before his father’s fall, a sign that things were troubled between them.
Sandra is portrayed as a strong woman, although one involved with several other women, but unwilling to yield to accusations that she is responsible for her husband’s death. She remains firm about her innocence. The prosecutor nevertheless provides strong evidence of Sandra’s guilt, so the viewer is left uncertain as to whether her guilt is valid or not. The courtroom seems to support Sandra’s guilt, and it is supported in flashbacks. The film shows her affection at home with Daniel, and the courtroom goes back and forth about Sandra’s guilt. The result is this drama remains unclear about who is at fault.
Information and tickets for “Anatomy of a Fall” are available at mvfilmsociety.com.
