A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to our powerful screening of Seven Winters in Tehran on April 5 at The Cube. Stay tuned for more events. This month, we finish off the Oscar films, I add an Oscar-nominated doc, and for icing, I give you a great new TV series. Enjoy all.

Anatomy of a Fall 

We have a case of extraordinary writing, directing, and acting with this brilliant film from writer/director Justine Triet. This is a rare gem that is so well-written that we don’t realize until long afterward that we just watched a two-hour film primarily focused on dialogue. There isn’t a lot of flash in the technical aspects—although the editing is quite good—but the ticket price here is for the sizzling writing and acting. Sandra Hüller is brilliant, again, as she was in The Zone of Interest, and the film is well worth the emotional investment it takes from you.

Anatomy of a Fall

The story concerns a woman (Hüller) whose husband dies from an apparent fall outside their house. But is there more to it? As the investigation unfolds and we delve further into the couple’s relationship, the story gets murkier and darker. Their son Daniel (the shining Milo Machado-Graner) is then dragged into the investigation/court case, and while heartbreaking, his testimony is jaw-dropping and devastatingly insightful. The title of the film refers to the inciting incident of the film, but it can also refer to many relationships.

The film was not available for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars because it was not submitted for consideration by (its home country) France. Instead, France submitted The Taste of Things, which didn’t make the final cut.  Anatomy of a Fall would have been a formidable contender in that category (The Zone of Interest won), but it was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay anyway. It won in the latter category, and deservedly so.

Available on Hulu and for rent on streaming outlets.

Four Daughters

This is an interesting and intense film. It is the true story of a Tunisian family—a mother and her four daughters—that is cleverly rendered by filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The story concerns the older two daughters who become radicalized into ISIL as young women, leaving their mother and sisters behind. The film itself, however, blends reenactments of the mother and daughters in a strange mix of reality and fiction that is perhaps more emotional than just a straight retelling of the story might have been. We start there.

The mother of the family, Olfa Hamrouni, speaks directly about her experience during the course of the film, but she is also played by an actress at times (Hend Sabri). Olfa explains early on in the film that some moments were just too difficult to re-enact and so the actress was employed. The two older daughters are also played by actresses: Nour Karoui as Rahma and Ichraq Matar as Ghofrane. The moment when (the real) Olfa meets the actresses playing her eldest daughters is severely emotional. On top of that, Olfa’s youngest daughters, Eya and Tayssir, “play themselves” during the reenactments in addition to being interviewed throughout the course of the film. It’s a lot to take in, it is extremely emotional, at times it is very uncomfortable, and the result is quite striking.

Recent documentaries have played with structure and format to tell the stories innovatively and creatively. It doesn’t always work, but it does here. We laugh with the family, we cry with the family, and we hurt with the family. It is raw at times, it is obviously affected at times, and other times, it is just plain heartbreaking. The story itself could be just another tale of teen rebellion, but it takes a dark turn here without holding back accusations and blame. Was it the strict mother’s fault that the girls were radicalized? Was it the fault of society? Government and politics? Or was it just another case of how girls and women around the world don’t have a room of their own? Your turn to ask.

Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, as well as for rent.

Manhunt (2024)

This striking seven-episode historical drama on Apple TV+ tells the story of Lincoln’s assassination and the subsequent manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. While I knew the outline of the story, I did not know the depth and breadth of the plot, which plunged our country into sorrow, despair, and­—unbeknownst to many—the edge of chaos (once again). Showrunner Monica Beletsky based it on the book Manhunt: The 12-day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson, and while it is not a documentary—it takes liberties with the characters, events, and actions—it follows the broad parameters of the events. In other words, this is not pure history. Still, the show delivers for entertainment and relevance.

Manhunt

Tobias Menzies stars as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who, as Lincoln’s friend and confidante, directs the search for Booth (Anthony Boyle). Both are formidable actors and supported by an excellent cast and a wonderful period-production that immerses us in the world of 1865. The writing is particularly sharp, and the actors rise to it at every turn.

Apple TV+ is fast becoming the home of excellent, top-tier productions with first-rate execution in every category: Severance, Lessons in Chemistry, Silo, Sugar, Masters of the Air are examples, and now, Manhunt joins the fray. Get lost in this one.

Vincent Piturro, PhD, is a Professor of Film and Media Studies at MSU Denver. Contact him directly at vpiturro@msudenver.com or follow him on Twitter. For more reviews, search The Indie Prof at FrontPorchNE.com.