Rent Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Tedious Wordy Overlong French Courtroom Drama - Anatomy of a Fall review by PV

I am simply stunned this won an Oscar and BAFTA for the screenplay, WHY? I noticed no stunning writing or character development - instead lots of stilted language in a French but sometimes English script.

I strongly suspect this was a #metoo win in the new woke Oscars and BAFTAs. Sad.

This is just tedious beyond belief. Something happens. Then we see the very boring French legal system at work. There is no tension. A married couple argue. A son is upset and there is a dog. And snow. I liked the snow. Not the people.

Was gonna give this 2 stars but relaly, why should I? The praise heaped on this like a snowdrift is baffling. ONE SAD STAR. The most boring film I have watched this year.

Overlong boring stage play - Anatomy of a Fall review by Alphaville

This excruciating theatre-piece alienates from the start, with close-ups of talking heads making inane conversation to an irritating soundtrack. It then continues in the same annoying fashion for 2½ hours. Someone is dead. Accident or murder. The investigation is painstakingly talky and funereally slow, followed after an hour by a court case that is even more painstakingly talky and funereally slow. How this has garnered good reviews is unfathomable. Maybe it could have been interesting given something to watch rather than listen to, but the director can do nothing but shoot talking heads. The trailer adds music and fast cuts to make it look interesting. Don’t be fooled. This is just a filmed play that takes 2½ hours out of your life when you could be more usefully employed watching paint dry.

I didnt fall for it. Crushingly dull french talkathon - Anatomy of a Fall review by cr

The premise here is husband is engaged in high jinx DIY in a chalet on the top floor in grenobe in the french alps. He takes the short way down head first.

Zut alors!

The wife falls under suspicion for various reasons and then i gave up and turned it off.

A long film which is incredibly tedious but loved by the critics and the oscars!

Perhaps i am just not clever enough to understand it but think its more likely that its another example cf the cinema's "emporers new clothes" where entertaining and popular films are ignored and "cerebal" dross like this are over praised.

However is was good to hear P.I.M.P. again by 50 cent.

Avoid.

Intense and Compelling Mystery/Drama - Anatomy of a Fall review by GI

This is a seriously compelling psychothriller and courtroom drama anchored by a superb central performance from Sandra Hüller. It's a most intriguing film with its ambiguous title and equally ambiguous narrative arc. This is obviously a did she/didn't she story but it's so grounded, unhurried and delves deep into issues of patriarchy, family, love, guilt and actually life itself. When Sandra's husband is found dead in the snow outside their chalet home an investigation begins to unravel how he came to die. He has a fatal head wound and the police begin to suspect she killed him but she claims it was more likely suicide and an accident cannot be ruled out either. The only reliable witness is their young son, Daniel, who is partially blind following an accident years before. He didn't see anything but may hold the key to what has been happening in the house. The film has a smooth texture and emotional intensity which makes impossible to not become involved in the narrative as it plays out, mostly in Sandra's trial for murder. The film is beautifully written and directed with a sure hand by Justine Triet. There is a lot going on here from the theme of justice is blind epitomised in the son's handicap to the family pet dog who sees and hears all! A clever and exceptionally focused film.

Intriguing court drama - Anatomy of a Fall review by HM

An apparently straight forward accident becomes a murder enquiry. Slow burning but absorbing, it kept me dangling waiting for revelations that must surely come. Intelligent with the odd twist and turn. It kept me interested despite the slow pace, mainly because the performances are so strong. It worked for me, but in an age of 'fast food movies', it may demand too much of the blockbuster audience.

Watch - but don't expect a neat and tidy ending. Or characters you feel empathy with! - Anatomy of a Fall review by rhilton311

OK it's a bit long. I'm assuming the court scenes were accurate (big assumption I agree).

The Jury, who interestingly you never really saw, reaches a verdict (no spoilers there!) but what I liked is that the film never showed you a flashback to confirm whether the jury was correct. For me, I think their verdict was, on balance, the correct verdict. But it did lead to a debate with the others I watched this with as to whether we thought the Jury was correct.

The biggest disappointment was that none of the adults were sympathetic. I wasn't rooting for any of them. The prosecutor was aggressive . The defendant and the deceased were entitled privileged people who seemed to have no idea of the world the rest of us live in. Appropriately they live in a Ski Chalet in the rarefied air of the alps.

There were some good scenes as the background to their marriage unfolded in court but I never felt that a rabbit was going to be pulled out of a hat to prove the case one way or another.

Less a crime drama and more an analysis of a disintegrating marriage.

Anatomy of a Fall - Anatomy of a Fall review by SJ

One of the best films I have ever seen. Tense, complex and gripping. Very authentic French Court scenes.