Finally, I decided to make cinema reviews here, only if the film is good. This one won the «Palme d'or» at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023....and it's bilingual (french and english).
«Sandra, a German writer, is arrested for murder in France following her husband's death in the snow under mysterious circumstances. Having the couple's blind son Daniel as the only witness of her husband's death, Sandra tries to prove her innocence during the trial.» (wikipedia)
It's a drama, a courtroom drama, a specific genre in cinema with masterpieces like 12 Angry men (Lumet 1957). Generally, I like that genre but it can be boring when the screenplay is not good. Justine Triet made it with her partner Arthur Harari. The family is at the center of the plot, not just because of the husband's death. It's a fall, as the title suggests but not only the fall of Sandra, the mother, not only the fall that causes death, but the fall of a couple. The spectator is not a part of a jury but neither is he omniscient.
The story begins just before the husband's death and follows with the judicial process with the police and the trial. If you're not familiar with the French justice system, it's not like the US. The lawyer (here Swan Arlaud) has to prove the innocence of the accused. A different burden of proof. In that movie, the viewer is able to judge but the difficulty lies in the lack of evidence. I won't spoil it ! ...Don't miss the final twist.
The movie may be long but it's not boring. Every minute of the film is very precise and necessary to understand the falls! Sandra Hüller is incandescent and accurate in every word. Swan Arlaud is good two but his role is to be in the shadow. The young Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) is also perfect. The movie doesn't need a wonderful cinematography but the mountains are so beautiful with Simon Beaufils behind the camera. The strength of that movie lies in its remarkable story which turns a hypothetical crime of passion story into a masterpiece. It deserves the Palme d'or this year. It's maybe not the best courtroom drama in the history of cinema but it's a good mix of that genre and sentimental drama.
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