Golden Globes awards for French film Anatomy of a Fall

The French film Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d’une chute) won two awards at the 2024 Golden Globes last night (December 7).

The film, directed by Justine Triet, won Best screenplay and Best foreign-language film.

For Best screenplay, writers Justine Triet and Arthur Harari won out against major heavyweights Barbie (by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), Poor Things (Tony McNamara), Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan), Killers of the Flower Moon (Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese) and Past Lives (Celine Song).

For Best foreign-language film, it won against Fallen Leaves, Io Capitano, Past Lives, Society of the Snow, and The Zone of Interest.

German actress Sandra Hüller (who plays the lead) was also nominated for Best actress - drama.

Tense, multilingual courtroom drama

The film tells the story of a volatile French-German couple (the wife played by Ms Hüller, and the husband played by French actor Samuel Theis) who live in a rundown, remote mountain cabin in France.

One day, the wife is taking part in an interview with a journalist, when the husband - who is renovating the attic - starts playing very loud music, forcing the journalist to leave. Hours later, the husband is found dead outside the house, appearing to have fallen from a top-floor window.

The film then follows the ensuing court case, which rakes over the couple’s relationship, their work, their resentments and arguments, their son’s blindness (as a result of an optic nerve accident some years ago), and the debated circumstances of the husband’s death.

The son is played by Milo Machado Graner. The film also stars Swann Arlaud as Sandra’s lawyer friend, Antoine Reinartz as the prosecution lawyer, and Anne Rotger as the judge.

At the time of writing, the film, which features dialogue in both English and French, has been viewed by 1.3 million people in France, and 1.6 million abroad.

“It's one of the best-selling films in cinemas all over the world,” Fionnuala Jamison, managing director of production company MK2 films, told FranceInfo.

“It's sold everywhere, even in Mongolia. We've never done that before,” she said, adding that the film has been bought for 155 territories, including Sri Lanka, Kuwait and Belize, which is “rare” for her company.

Anatomy of a Fall has also been included on the 2024 longlist for the UK BAFTAs, under consideration for awards for the Best Film Not in the English Language, Director, Original Screenplay, Editing, and Casting.

Ms Huller is also longlisted for the Leading Actress BAFTA.

The success of Anatomy of a Fall crowns an excellent year for French cinema in which three of the 10 most-popular films were French.

In particular, Astérix et Obélix: l’Empire du milieu came fourth in ticket sales in France (4.45 million) only behind the Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.15 million tickets sold), Barbie (5.8 million) and Avatar: The Way of Water (5.18 million).

Big hitters

Other big film winners at the 2024 Golden Globes were:

• Oppenheimer (starring Cillian Murphy), which won Best fIlm - drama, Best director, Best actor - drama for Mr Murphy, Best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr and Best original score for Ludwig Göransson

• Barbie (starring Margot Robbie), which won Best original song for What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell, and Cinematic and box office achievement

• Poor Things (starring Emma Stone), which won Best film - musical or comedy, and Best actress - musical or comedy for Ms Stone

• The Holdovers (starring Paul Giamatti), which won Best actor - musical or comedy for Mr Giamatti, and Best supporting actress for Da'Vine Joy Randolph

• And Killers of the Flower Moon, for which Lily Gladstone won Best actress - drama.

The Golden Globes also recognise TV success. This year’s winners in these categories included Succession, The Bear, The Crown, and Beef.

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