Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall – 2023 Cannes Critics’ Panel: Day 5

French filmmaker Justine Triet was born in Cannes and will likely re-engage with the fest well beyond 2023. After Age of Panic (2013) – selected for Cannes’ ACID program, the Critics’ Week selected In Bed With Victoria and her first trip into the competition with Sibyl (2019), Triet re-teamed with Sandra Hüller for a complex, multi-dimensional inside a multiple-genre lead role in Anatomy of a Fall.

Sandra, a German writer, lives with her husband Samuel and their visually impaired son Daniel in a remote mountain chalet in the French Alps. When Samuel falls to his death in mysterious circumstances, the investigation cannot determine whether it’s suicide or foul play. Sandra is ultimately arrested for murder and the trial puts their tumultuous relationship and her ambiguous personality under the microscope. As her young son takes to the stand, doubt starts creeping in between them. This was co-written by Triet and Arthur Harari.

Current temp: Among the French films included in this year’s competition, Triet’s fourth feature became an instant buzz-worthy favorite among our panel. Though currently tied for the third spot, Anatomy of a Fall grabs a 3.3 average from 16 of our 20 critics. This is almost a sure bet for prizing.

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