Anatomy of a Fall

Did he jump or was he pushed? That question haunts Anatomy of a Fall, a gripping procedural that won the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Sandra Hüller stars as Sandra, an aloof writer the police suspect killed her husband, Vincent (Swann Arlaud). The dueling implications of suicide and murder drive Justine Triet’s fascinating mixture of marriage story and courtroom drama. Through flashbacks, the filmmaker (Sibyl) paints Sandra as a mother and wife full of contradictions, seeking the truth of Vincent’s death but, just as doggedly, trying to unravel the complexities that define so many relationships. Here the answers are never clear-cut, but Hüller’s beautifully enigmatic performance suggests that, in love, no one’s entirely innocent.