In an ideal world, Sandra Hüller would have swept numerous awards throughout the cycle of this current season. Not to take away anything from the other great actresses in contention, but Hüller has been a shining star in two incredible films recently, with both this and Zone Of Interest. And it's difficult to pick one performance from the two that would be a clear favourite, although her turn here feels a bit more nuanced and allows her to command the screen a bit more.
Although the title is Anatomy Of A Fall, this really turns into an anatomy of a relationship. Hüller plays Sandra Voyter, a woman who finds her life put under an unflattering microscope after the death of her husband. Did he fall, or was he pushed? Without anything here overtly telling viewers if Voyter is innocent or guilty, the film forces viewers to question themselves as/if they constantly question her integrity and character.
Having been a fan of director Justine Triet for a number of years now, who also once again shares the writing duties with Arthur Harari, this feels like an impressive career high (for now, it would be great to see Triet continue making films at the same height of this magnificent plateau). Part character study, even larger part exploration of the highs and lows of relationships, I envy anyone who can watch this and not feel even the smallest amount of worry about any of their own conversations and arguments being read out in a courtroom without the context of everyday life around it (as is happening to our lead). The need to grasp for specific phrases in specific languages, Voyter speaks English, French, and German, underlines the gaps that can often lie between our inner thoughts and how things are effectively conveyed to others.
It feels redundant to heap more praise upon Hüller at this point, after my first paragraph echoing what so many have already said about her in the past year, and for some time beforehand. Her performance is absolutely perfect throughout, and her screen presence is so riveting that the film often feels like a one-woman play. This is despite a number of excellent supporting players, including both a child actor (Milo Machado-Graner, playing Sandra's son, Daniel) and a very well-trained dog (Snopp, played by a border collie named Messi).
Working on both an emotional and cerebral level, although the poise and calm, for the most part, of the main character, may have people thinking otherwise, Anatomy Of A Fall shows someone being judged by people who can't ever know every nuance and moment of the life being dissected. And, by extension, it reminds us of how little we know about everyone we may judge or view in certain ways without having anywhere close to a full picture of them. The more I think about it, the more I love it. Despite the 151-minute runtime, it's one that I know I could easily rewatch any time.
10/10
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