The film is about a blind boy who finds his father dead after falling off from his house where questions arise into whether it was an accident, a suicide, or was he killed by his wife following an argument? It is a film that explores a man’s death with his wife and son trying to understand what happened while the wife gets questioned about the events preceding his death. The film’s screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari does use a simple plot about a man’s death yet it explores a lot more such as a marriage, a man’s mental illness and failures, an accident that would blind their son, and other things leading to a trial where this woman is being questioned into whether she killed her husband. There is also questions about who she is as a writer and her approach to creating her stories as a form of autofiction where a lot of things are unveiled. All these questions about the death of Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) would lead to a trial with his wife Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller) being the main suspect and their son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) also having to testify about what he remembered that day.
Triet’s direction is straightforward in terms of its overall presentation as it is shot on locations near the French Alps with Grenoble being a key location in the film including the courtroom scenes and a few shots in Paris. Much of Triet’s direction is intimate in its overall presentation in its usage of close-ups and medium shots where it opens with Sandra talking to a student in Zoe (Camille Rutherford) for an interview where Sandra is more interested in Zoe while Daniel tends to the family dog Snoop (Messi) as he would later go on a walk with Snoop outside. Sometime after Zoe had left Daniel took Snoop for a walk, is when they returned home to find Samuel dead as did Sandra who had woken up from a nap. The film’s first act is not just about Samuel’s death but also Sandra being a suspect for murder as she confers with her lawyer Vincent Renzi (Swan Arlaud) who asks questions on what to do while she and Daniel must cope with police officers and investigators looking into the house to figure out what happened. Daniel would remember something about that day as it adds more complications for Sandra as she is then indicted for killing her husband.
The film’s second act shifts the film to a year later where the trial happens as a lot of things are unveiled including audio recordings at the home including an argument the day before Samuel’s death. Daniel, accompanied by a court-order monitor in Marge (Jehnny Beth), would listen while also having to imagine what might have happened with the prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz) suggesting motives into Sandra killing Samuel. There are some unique wide and medium shots in the courtroom where Triet puts a lot of diligence in the courtroom of what is happening in the foreground and who is watching in the background. Even in a scene where Daniel testifies as the camera pans back and forth towards Vincent and the prosecutor in a game of dominance between the two attorneys. The film’s third act does not just relate to revelations about Sandra’s work as a writer but also Samuel’s failures where Sandra admits to borrowing one of his ideas for her book, but she gave him credit. It is really about Daniel in his search for answers as it relates to an event that happened months ago where he does an experiment to figure out what happened.
Even though Daniel could not see, he could imagine things with his mind as he is forced to figure out his father’s mental state. It is a moment in the film where a boy must comprehend the chaos of his parents’ marriage as well as the guilt that his father had in playing an indirect role in Daniel becoming blind because of an accident. While the trial would put a strain into Daniel’s relationship with his mother, the third act does give him a sense of purpose to understand the truth but also his own interpretation of what happened on the day his father died. Overall, Triet crafts a somber yet rapturous film about the death of a man with his wife and son trying to make sense of what happened.
Cinematographer Simon Beaufils does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward with its usage of natural lighting for the daytime exterior scenes and the usage of available light for the exterior scenes at night including low-key lighting for the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Laurent Senechal does excellent work with the editing where it has a few montage bits as well as some unique rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Emmanuelle Duplay and set decorator Cecile Deleu do amazing work with the look of the home that Sandra and Daniel live in as well as the courtroom in how big it is. Costume designer Isabelle Pannetier does fantastic work with the costumes as they are casual apart from a suit that Sandra wears during her trial.
Visual effects supervisors Nikolas d’Andrade and Niranjan Sivguruthan do terrific work with the film’s visual effects as it relates to computer re-enactment bits shown at the trial. Sound editors Fanny Martin and Jeanne Delplancq do superb work with the sound in capturing the way music sounds from afar and up-close as well as other sparse moments in the film. Music supervisor Thibault Deboaisne does wonderful work in assembling the film’s soundtrack as it features classical piano pieces by Frederic Chopin as well as an instrumental cover of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band which serves as a key moment in the film.
The casting by Cynthia Arra does marvelous work with the casting as it feature some notable small roles from Sophie Fillieres as Daniel’s godmother Monica, Anne Rotger as the judge in the trial, Saadia Bentaieb as Vincent’s paralegal Noub, Camille Rutherford as the student Zoe that was interviewing Sandra in the film’s first scene, and Messi as Daniel’s pet dog Snoop who would play a key part into Daniel’s investigation about his father. Samuel Theis is superb as Sandra’s husband Samuel Maleski as the man who would be found dead as he is seen through flashbacks as a troubled man that tried to be a writer and failed as he often blames it on Sandra while consumed with guilt in playing an indirect role into Daniel’s blindness. Jehnny Beth is fantastic as Marge Berger as this court-appointed caretaker for Daniel as she helps observe Daniel’s behavior while also trying to understand what he is dealing with in relation to his father’s death.
Antoine Reinartz is excellent as the prosecutor who is convinced that Sandra killed Samuel while also analyzing her work as a writer and providing ideas that Sandra did more than just kill Samuel. Swann Arlaud is brilliant as Sandra’s lawyer Vincent Renzi as a man who is defending Sandra while also trying to figure out legal maneuvers in helping her where he would also find himself coming close to a romantic relationship with her. Milo Machado-Graner is phenomenal as Daniel Maleski as a blind boy who would be the one to find his father’s body as he copes with not just his father’s death but also trying to understand what happened. It is a performance filled with intrigue and heartbreak where a boy is trying to understand as well as gather up memories of his life with his dad. Finally, there’s Sandra Huller in a sensational performance as Sandra Voyter as a writer who is troubled by her husband’s death as well as becoming a suspect as she is forced to reflect on the chaos of her marriage which would lead a strain on her relationship with her son.
Anatomie d’une chute is an outstanding film by Justine Triet that features great performances from Sandra Huller and Milo Machado-Graner. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, vibrant visuals, and a compelling story about death and things people could not understand. It is a suspense-drama that is intricate in its exploration of relationships as well as a woman and her son trying to deal with the chaos over what had happened. In the end, Anatomie d’une chute is a magnificent film by Justine Triet.
Justine Triet Films: Age of Panic - In Bed with Victoria - Sibyl
© thevoid99 2024
The film revolves around a thirty-something lawyer who witnesses a violent incident at a wedding reception where she meets an old friend who is accused of the incident while also meeting a former client who would later become her assistant. It is a film that explore a woman and her tumultuous life where she is a single mother with two young daughters, an ex-husband who has become a blogger that has authored a story based on their marriage and being a lawyer with so much chaos in her life. Justine Triet’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Thomas Levy-Lasne, is straightforward in its narrative yet it is more of a character study for the film’s titular character in Victoria Spick (Virginie Efira) as she attends a wedding where she meets her old friend Vincent (Melvil Poupaud) who is with his wife Eve (Alice Daquet) and their dog. A former client in Sam (Vincent Lacoste) was also at the wedding as he was a former drug addict/dealer who has been clean for years but is in near-debt as he is hoping to go into law where Victoria hires him as an assistant as well as to watch her two young children when she’s at work.
Triet’s script also plays into the many complications in Victoria’s life as her ex-husband David (Laurent Poitrenaux) has published a story on his blog based on their marriage claiming it is fictional, but it had a lot of personal things that Victoria does not want to share. Things get worse when Victoria bumps into the bride at the wedding in Suzanna (Sabrina Seyvecou) who confronts her about Vincent as the unfortunate meeting led to a six-month suspension from practicing law. It all plays into Victoria’s sense of cynicism as well as the need for answers as she would go to her psychiatrist (Pierre Maillet) and a tarot card reader (Elsa Wolliaston) for those things. Even in engaging in sexual one-night stands with weird men would prove to be unfulfilling as she is on the verge of an emotional breakdown with Sam watching and trying to help her.
Triet’s direction does have some style in the visuals while much of it is straightforward in its approach to drama. Shot on location in Paris and areas near the city, Triet uses medium shots and close-ups to play into the interaction between characters as well as some key scenes where the first 10 minutes of the film play into the chaos of Victoria’s life as she would attend this wedding as the reception is filled with some crazy moments including animals and other bits. All of this before the title credits appear where Triet prepares everyone for what is to be this whirlwind of a woman’s life as she is about to go into total chaos. Triet does use some wide shots to establish the locations but also the world of courtrooms as they would become a key proponent for the film’s third act. Triet also knows when to slow things down when Victoria is at home or meeting a few people while much of the dramatic intensity occurs during a scene where she visits a bloggers meeting led by David that proves to be too much for her to manage.
Triet also maintains some visual repetition in the scenes where Victoria meets her psychiatrist and tarot card reader in the film’s first and second acts as the period where she is unable to work for six months highlight the messiness of everything where she would faint and pass out. The third act does have elements of dark humor as it plays into Victoria’s cynical view on love and the law where she reluctantly helps Vincent in his case against his wife who had chosen to divorce him because of a past tryst a long time ago. Vincent’s trial is one filled with a lot of humor involving a dog and a chimpanzee while Victoria’s own court battle against her husband is more serious though it plays into the idea of fiction and what can be used. It all plays into a woman on the verge of a breakdown as these two different legal events force her to confront her cynicism as well as figuring out who is there for her in her life. Overall, Triet crafts a compelling and witty film about a woman’s tumultuous life as she is being pushed to the edge.
Cinematographer Simon Beaufils does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as aiming for a naturalistic look for many of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Laurent Senechal does amazing work with the editing with its stylish approach to montages as well as allowing shots to linger for a bit longer to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Olivier Meidinger does excellent work with the look of Victoria’s apartment in its messy state as well as the look of the courtrooms that Victoria would attend. Costume designer Charlotte Vayasse does fantastic work with the costumes in some of the designer dresses that Victoria and the other women wears as well as the robes the attorney wears.
Makeup artists Charlotte Desnos, Michelle Van Brussel, and Hue Lan Van Duc do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal makeup work in the look of the women as well as the messy state at the wedding reception sequence. Visual effects supervisor Niranjan Siva does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects that are set dressing for a few locations. Sound editor Olivier Touche does superb work with the sound in the way sparse sounds are presented in interior locations as well as the sound of a court room and at parties. Music supervisor Thibault Deboaisne does nice work with the film’s music soundtrack that features an array of music ranging from classical to pop music with contributions from Metronomy, Harry Nilsson, Chilly Gonzales, Mel Torme, and Sarah Lancman.
The casting by Cynthia Arra and Youna de Peretti is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from co-writer Thomas Levy-Lasne as the groom, Sabrina Seyvecou as the bride, Arthur Harari as a chimpanzee trainer, Claire Burger as a former lover of Vincent who accused him of rape, Julie Moulier as a judge in Vincent & Eve’s case, Liv Harari and Jeanne Arra-Bellanger as David and Victoria’s daughters, Elsa Wolliaston as the tarot card reader, Pierre Maillet as Victoria’s psychiatrist, and Sophie Fillieres as a friend of Victoria who helps her out early on while also dealing with the chaos that is happening around Victoria. Laure Calamy is fantastic as Victoria’s lawyer Christelle who defends her against David where she tries to help Victoria in the case. Alice Daquet is superb as Vincent’s wife Eve who claims that he stabbed her while later suing him for divorce with claims over what he has done in their marriage though Victoria feels sympathetic towards her despite defending Vincent.
Laurent Poitrenaux is excellent as Victoria’s ex-husband David as this blogger that authored a story based on their marriage that is filled with salacious details that Victoria does not want to reveal publicly as he tries to manipulate the courts about what is fiction and reality. Melvil Poupaud is brilliant as Vincent as an old friend of Victoria that she meets at a wedding where he is accused of stabbing his wife where he asks for her help only to later help him when Eve sues him for divorce following a brief reconciliation that becomes even more toxic. Vincent Lacoste is amazing as Sam as a former client of Victoria who attends the wedding as he asks for a job in being Victoria’s assistant while falling for her as he deals with her troubled lifestyle and emotional breakdown. Finally, there’s Virginie Efira in a tremendous performance as Victoria Spick as a thirty-something lawyer who is raising two young daughters where Efira brings in some humor to her role as a woman that is being pushed to the edge while also yearning for some companion and stability despite her cynicism as it is one of Efira’s finest performances.
In Bed with Victoria is a sensational film from Justine Triet that features a great leading performance from Virginie Efira. Along with its supporting cast, compelling character study of a woman with a chaotic lifestyle, wondrous visuals, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is an unconventional comedy-drama that plays into a woman navigating the messiness of her professional and personal life in her search for stability. In the end, In Bed with Victoria is a phenomenal film by Justine Triet.
Justine Triet Films: Age of Panic - Sibyl (2019 film) – Anatomy of a Fall
© thevoid99 2024
