Anatomy of a Fall

I figured we'd go wintery today since I'm posting from an Atmospheric River.

Movie: Anatomy of a Fall

Running Times: 2:32

Nominated for: Best Picture, Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, Editing

How I watched: AMC A List

When it had me: Possible Murder!

When it lost me: Despite the length, I don't believe it did

What systems does it challenge: Systems of Justice

 

This movie has it all! Mystery, Crime, Darkness, Ambiguous Morals, A Child's Uncertain Future, Parenting Problems, Police Procedural, Courtroom Drama. The only thing missing for me was just a touch of the paranormal! Ok, not really, it didn't need it.

Anatomy of a Fall keeps you so engaged as the facts of the case develop and a family goes deeper into the trauma of criminal justice. The acting is top notch and there is snow so it's very pretty in that exotic way that quiet, wintery landscapes really wow a Southern Californian like myself.

I kept thinking about this movie for weeks after I saw it. That's my number one indicator that something was really quality; it didn't just distract me for the few hours that I sat in front of it, but it made me reflect on deeper issues, ask bigger questions or confront new perspectives.

I've been deep diving on true crime podcasts and TV lately and confronting over and over again how law enforcement often just picks a perp and then refuses to actually investigate, instead building a case in spite of the evidence. I've been forced to face the lie of justice in white society (we tend to be the only ones privileged enough to hold onto our naivete on that front) and see that it's all a sham a good percentage (most?) of the time. This movie was perfectly timed for me to take another look at a simple question: how can you ever know the truth of a situation?