Anatomy of a Fall achieved an overall appreciation score of 91.7%. Many members found this compelling, excellent and well acted. However, some found it too long and implausible. Some of the comments submitted:
- It really didn’t seem like 2.5 hours the performances were so compelling.
- This was my second viewing of Anatomy of a Fall and well worthwhile. Excellent script, direction and acting. Seeing it again revealed details easily missed the first time which made the narrative even more powerful.
- Excellent rating despite being rather long!
- A brilliant movie…. More of these hidden gems please! Interesting premise – great characters and music and lovely scenery!!
- An outstanding film – the best this year.
- Loved this film. Gripping, intelligent and very well acted. Another very good choice.
- Pleased to get the chance to watch this superb film again and I saw and understood so much more the second time. Sandra Hüller was incredible, as was the young actor who played her son. A terrific script and a fascinating glimpse into the French court system.
- Thought provoking and beautifully filmed. Particularly enjoyed the final 15 minutes which for me held the key to the rest of the story. The happy-ever-after ending of a not guilty verdict was quickly lost with the reality of coping with the wreckage of parenthood, career and reputation along with the loss of a loved spouse. The question of whether she was innocent or guilty appeared less important at the end and I am glad the dog was not interested in judging her.
- It was a long film, probably 30 min too long, not sure if the plot was realistic, was there any evidence to show that she could be responsible?
- Well acted and credible courtroom drama. The somewhat implausible character was the 12 year old son who seemed to be worldly wise beyond his years and yet it was his evidence that proved to be crucial. Snoop was good. In my opinion the film could have been just as effective at 2 hrs long. Nevertheless, it did hold my attention for the full duration.
- A really interesting examination of a complex situation and complex characters. I found some of the court room scenes surprising, not at all what I would have expected.
- Good story although I didn’t warm to any of the characters. Interesting exploration of French legal system.
- Weakened by obvious flaws in the script etc. dilutes the impact of the film. Well acted but excessive directing made the film drag.
- I would have given this a B, but for two reasons. Firstly, I was not convinced an eleven year old would behave in the way the son did- either in testing the theory on his father’s apparent suicide or the way he spoke in court which seemed to reflect the maturity of someone far older and wiser. Also, I was unclear on the French court system, and very uncertain, on the evidence available, that a murder charge would have been brought in the first place.
- Unusually for me, I did not read the film notes before watching the film and from the very beginning I always considered the man’s death to have been suicide. To me, the accusation of murder always seemed confected and my fear throughout was that the defendant wold be wrongly convicted. Whilst entirely unfamiliar with French criminal trial procedure, it occurred to me that there is much to be said for court dress and court procedure in English criminal trials.
- The film was simply a dialogue, like a radio play. There was virtually no visual interest, no sense of the place, the environment, the social context, the great outdoors that had (for some unspecified reason) caused them to live in this (apparently, but unseen) remote place. The main point of a foreign (language) film is to be immersed in a foreign place and culture, primarily a visual experience. We had none ot this.