Anatomy of a Fall

Justine Triet made English the couple’s shared language on purpose: Samuel is French, Sandra German, at home speaking a tongue belonging to neither. Triet wanted Sandra judged as a foreigner, with a language problem. In court, where French closes in on her, she switches to English, and that is read against her. The track blaring on repeat from the attic is no accident. Triet first wanted Dolly Parton’s Jolene and wrote courtroom scenes picking over its lyrics; when the rights fell through a month before shooting, Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band’s steel drum version of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. took its place. The lyrics are never heard, yet they are argued at the trial. The awards spread wide: the Palme d’Or from the Cannes jury chaired by Ruben Östlund; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Directing, Actress in a Leading Role, Film Editing and Original Screenplay, winning the last; six Césars from eleven nominations. France’s committee sent Tran Anh Hung’s The Taste of Things to the international feature category instead; it drew no nominations. Messi, the border collie playing Snoop, took the Palm Dog at Cannes. A good fit if you want the verdict’s weight to rest on what the blind son believes he remembers. Not for anyone waiting for a scene showing how the fall happened; there is none.