This film compels you to question what you don’t see as well as what you do. You will be hanging on to every detail of superbly delivered performances of an enormous amount of complicated dialogue trying to determine murder vs. suicide.
Co-written by Justine Triet with Arthur Harari, Director Triet presents all sides of the marital relationship of a couple who are writers living remotely near Grenoble in the French Alps with their son Daniel, (Milo Machado Graner). 11-year-old Daniel is visually impaired due to a childhood mishap. His mother, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), is German and a well-known writer being interviewed by a young woman in the chalet. But the interview is cut short because of the extremely loud music (50 Cent’s P.I.M.P) French husband Samuel (Samuel Theis), is blasting from the attic. The couple frequently converse in English as a compromise to their native languages.
Daniel, returning from a walk with his guide dog, Snoop, sees his father lying motionless in the snow with blood pooling from his head. Did he fall from the attic, or was he pushed? From that moment on, Triet and Harari slowly unveil a detailed investigation culminating in intense courtroom drama. That’s where there is troubling conjecture regarding the couple’s marriage trying to determine what could have caused this family tragedy.
Sandra becomes the person of interest and then suspect. The rest of the film takes place mainly in court with testimony and audio and video flashbacks tracing what may have led up to Samuel’s death. Even when conflicting evidence is presented before the Judge (Anne Rotger), you don’t know what, or who to believe.
Sandra enlists the help of lawyer Vincent Renzi (Swann Artaud), a friend and former paramour. Questioning by the prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz) leads to long explanations and sometimes emotional speeches from Hüller about her relationship with her husband. She talks about their work-life conflicts and the events of the day he was found dead.Triet and Harari provide an avalanche of incredible dialogue which Hüller masterfully delivers with such detail. Cinematographer Simon Beaufils hangs tight on the testimony, and captures reenactments so you really can’t be sure what has happened. The revelation of an audio tape presented in court lets us hear unvarnished interaction between Sandra and Samuel.
It gets even more involved when son Daniel is set to testify. So he won’t be influenced by his mother or anyone, the judge orders Daniel to be watched over for the weekend, staying with Snoop and court-appointed caretaker, Marge, (Jehnny Beth). That’s when Daniel decides to do a little investigating on his own.
It’s Daniel who steals your attention in court during the last act. Milo Machado Graner shows exceptional talent and maturity delivering his testimony in the spotlight. He is so earnest in his presentation that you can’t take your eyes off him. Will he present what the court needs to solve this family mystery?
Suicide or Homicide? Triet and Harari present a long but compelling film with commanding performances by Hüller and Milo. You may find the dénouement confusing, but fall for this intriguing mystery that keeps you guessing.
NEON 2 hours 30 minutes R
