Anatomy of a Fall, a French courtroom drama, has been well-received in the US, and abroad, getting a Palme d’Or at Cannes, and is now nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. I finally saw the film last week, and it’s been running through my head ever since. The film is set in a snow-covered mountain region of France. It opens with the main character Sandra Voyer (played by Sandra Hüller) giving an interview, which suddenly gets interrupted by music being blared from a stereo above them. The song, an instrumental version of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. is so loud that the interview has to be stopped. To escape the racket, Sandra’s son takes his dog out for a walk, and later as he comes back home, he finds his father lying dead in the snow.

Did he fall? Did he commit suicide? Was he murdered? These are the main questions that Anatomy of a Fall tries to uncover for the rest of the film. I think it’s best to go into this film as blindly as possible, but I will say this is an expertly written drama, and thriller. The eventual court case will not only analyze the events that unfolded that day, but also try to dissect Sandra, and her husband’s entire relationship. The French court system shown here can be quite jarring for anyone accustomed to the more protocol-laden US-system.. The opposing lawyers can talk freely, and rather vehemently at that, without having a judge object, or reprimand them. It’s part of what makes the film such a compelling watch. This film is worthy of all the praise it’s getting. I highly recommend seeking it out.

The film is currently still playing in select theaters, and will be released on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection on May 28th.