 |  |
Anatomy of a Fall
To me personally, the absolute hardest genre of film to write would be that of the mystery. More specifically, a possible murder mystery. I’ve always held a great admiration for writers and filmmakers who can essentially create an elaborate crime and pack a cinematic landscape full of red herrings, grim foreshadowing, and suspense galore. One of the better surprises in 2024 has been the French film “Anatomy of a Fall,” which is the best murder mystery film to come along in some time. Not only did the film capture the coveted Palme d’Or of the Cannes Film Festival, it also took home the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Screenplay against a bevy of nominations for its actors and production.
The film stars actress Sandra Müller as Sandra Voyter, a devoted wife and novelist who lives in the snowy region of Grenoble, France. She lives there with her academic husband Samuel and blind son Daniel in a seemingly normal capacity until tragedy strikes early. Young Daniel somehow locates the body of his deceased father, dead from a fall, atop the snow. Thus begins the great investigation and scrutiny that Sandra must experience at the hands of law enforcement and the courts as the prime suspect in her husband’s untimely death. It’s the conviction of the performance from Müller here that really puts the mystery material here over the top. My first exposure to her immense acting talent came earlier in the year as Rüdolf Hess’s wife Hedwig in the Holocaust film, “Zone of Interest.” It was only a matter of time before someone with the directing and writing talent such as Justine Triet was able to churn out riveting material to be humanized with Müller’s performance into a compelling mystery film. Layered with complexity and depth, “Anatomy of a Fall” doesn’t offer quick answers, but instead plays to the standard of what all mystery films should be.
Late Night with the Devil
Perhaps no other horror film has had a bigger viral campaign over the course of the last year than “Late Night with the Devil.” From the brotherly writing and directing duo of Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the hype has been unbelievable and true to the form of good horror, it’s quite the visual ride. The film stars actor David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, a popular ’70s late night talk show host of the show “Night Owls.” While the show suffers from a low ratings period, Jack looks to bounce back with a haughty ratings grab by casting a special edition of his yearly Halloween episode with magicians, psychics, and possessed people. The film is shot in borderline documentary-style cut with that of a normally acted film to surprising effectiveness. Because the entire Halloween episode is meant to document the night that everything went dreadfully wrong on “Night Owls,” it’s presented as material that’s not to be viewed due to its controversial material. Dastmalchian’s increasingly paranoid behavior on his show, as the macabre evening wears on, helps to keep the live television pacing, which adds realism to the entire film. Original and terrifyingly offbeat at times, “Late Night with the Devil” is that early summer horror film that hits all the right screams.
To me personally, the absolute hardest genre of film to write would be that of the mystery. More specifically, a possible murder mystery. I’ve always held a great admiration for writers and filmmakers who can essentially create an elaborate crime and pack a cinematic landscape full of red herrings, grim foreshadowing, and suspense galore. One of the better surprises in 2024 has been the French film “Anatomy of a Fall,” which is the best murder mystery film to come along in some time. Not only did the film capture the coveted Palme d’Or of the Cannes Film Festival, it also took home the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Screenplay against a bevy of nominations for its actors and production.
The film stars actress Sandra Müller as Sandra Voyter, a devoted wife and novelist who lives in the snowy region of Grenoble, France. She lives there with her academic husband Samuel and blind son Daniel in a seemingly normal capacity until tragedy strikes early. Young Daniel somehow locates the body of his deceased father, dead from a fall, atop the snow. Thus begins the great investigation and scrutiny that Sandra must experience at the hands of law enforcement and the courts as the prime suspect in her husband’s untimely death. It’s the conviction of the performance from Müller here that really puts the mystery material here over the top. My first exposure to her immense acting talent came earlier in the year as Rüdolf Hess’s wife Hedwig in the Holocaust film, “Zone of Interest.” It was only a matter of time before someone with the directing and writing talent such as Justine Triet was able to churn out riveting material to be humanized with Müller’s performance into a compelling mystery film. Layered with complexity and depth, “Anatomy of a Fall” doesn’t offer quick answers, but instead plays to the standard of what all mystery films should be.
Late Night with the Devil
Perhaps no other horror film has had a bigger viral campaign over the course of the last year than “Late Night with the Devil.” From the brotherly writing and directing duo of Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the hype has been unbelievable and true to the form of good horror, it’s quite the visual ride. The film stars actor David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, a popular ’70s late night talk show host of the show “Night Owls.” While the show suffers from a low ratings period, Jack looks to bounce back with a haughty ratings grab by casting a special edition of his yearly Halloween episode with magicians, psychics, and possessed people. The film is shot in borderline documentary-style cut with that of a normally acted film to surprising effectiveness. Because the entire Halloween episode is meant to document the night that everything went dreadfully wrong on “Night Owls,” it’s presented as material that’s not to be viewed due to its controversial material. Dastmalchian’s increasingly paranoid behavior on his show, as the macabre evening wears on, helps to keep the live television pacing, which adds realism to the entire film. Original and terrifyingly offbeat at times, “Late Night with the Devil” is that early summer horror film that hits all the right screams.
RSS Feed