Anatomy of a Fall

Palme d’Or? More like Palme d’Oh!

No, Anatomy of a Fall isn’t that bad — just the latest in a long line of Cannes champs that make one wonder how good but not great features so often manage to enchant the film festival’s juries.

This time, the fault lies not in the screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, which presents the compelling story of whether famous writer Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann) is responsible for her husband Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) plummeting to his death from their French chalet’s attic.

Though the 2.5-hour narrative is perhaps a touch overlong both in and out of the courtroom, the withholding of definitive evidence from viewers renders Anatomy of a Fall a truly ambiguous case study where any sense of Sandra’s guilt or innocence stems from one’s own prejudices, not the cold hard facts. And the strong ensemble-wide acting — particularly Swann Arlaud (By the Grace of God) and Antoine Reinartz (120 BPM) as opposing trial lawyers — further elevates the numerous dramatic showdowns.

Despite these laudable components, Triet’s direction rarely injects the proceedings with anything resembling noteworthy filmmaking — a shock seeing as her previous feature Sybil (which also concerns a writer who’s arguably overly reliant on those around her for material) specialized in lush cinematography and an active pace.

Aside from a handful of flashbacks that dramatize audio evidence and the potential ways that Samuel met his end, practically everything could have taken place on a stage and perhaps even enhanced the strong writing and acting. But with minimal visual engagement, it’s tough to feel consistently captivated.

Grade: B. Rated R. Now playing at Grail Moviehouse

(Photo: Neon)