“Did she do it?” 

This question lingers throughout “Anatomy of a Fall,” the newest film from French filmmaker Justine Triet, which won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. I recently caught a screening of it at the Bud Frank Theater, and this is one of the most unique legal dramas released in recent years. 

“Anatomy of a Fall” takes place in the French Alps near Grenoble and follows Sandra Voyter, a writer who is indicted in her husband’s suspicious death after he mysteriously falls from the third-floor window of their chalet, with their visually impaired son being the sole witness to the incident. 

Sandra Hüller is genuinely phenomenal in her portrayal of Voyter, a woman who is adamant that she didn’t kill her husband and faces difficulties as a result of being indicted — including being forbidden to speak to her son. Hüller’s performance feels truly authentic — especially considering the scenes where she speaks French as, like her character, she isn’t fluent in the language and was taking lessons after receiving the script. Her performance is highlighted in a stirring monologue that she delivers during an argument with her husband, Samuel, a day before his death.

Regarding the supporting performances, Swann Arlaud gives an excellent performance as Vincent Renzi, Sandra’s defense attorney. 

In his first major role, Milo Machado-Graner is excellent as Daniel, Sandra’s visually impaired son.  A great example of this performance is a sequence in which Daniel testifies to the court during the film’s final act. 

Easily one of the most surprising performances from the whole film is the performance from Messi, who is not a human but a border collie — who portrays Snoop, the guide dog for Daniel. There’s one scene towards the end of the second act that highlights how much training Messi had to go through in order to provide such an authentic performance. 

Justine Triet, the film’s director who also co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur Harari, has crafted an enthralling courtroom drama that examines the absurdity of the French justice system and meditates on the aspects of truth. A fascinating facet of “Anatomy of a Fall” that Triet has accomplished with this recent work is the film’s usage of language. For instance, French is primarily used during the trial. At the same time, English is utilized during the scenes where Sandra speaks to Vincent, during the second half of the trial (specifically when Sandra switches from speaking French to English), and when she talks to her husband. This pattern could be compared to Wim Wenders’ 1977 neo-noir film “The American Friend,” which uses language patterns similarly.

One aspect of “Anatomy of a Fall” that is especially surprising for an arthouse film is a track that is featured prominently in the movie: An instrumental cover of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” performed by the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, which is featured throughout the film and heavily during the opening sequence, along with playing a crucial role within the feature.

With “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet has crafted an enthralling courtroom drama that examines the concept of truth and dissects people’s judgment at face value, with a fantastic performance from Sandra Hüller and an amazing screenplay. As I left the theater, I was left questioning people’s perception of guilt. 

This is a film that truly deserved the Palme d’Or. 

“Anatomy of a Fall” is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and YouTube. It also has an upcoming Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection, which will be on May 28.

(Contributed/jonathanlack.com)