Always Good Movies

Direction: Cédric Kahn
Country: France

The Goldman Case is an insightful, raw, and nervy courtroom drama set in the mid-‘70s that fascinates as much for its portrayal of an era as for its exploration of justice. Directed by Cédric Kahn (Red Lights, 2004; The Prayer, 2018), it’s a semi-autobiographical work based on the second trial of Pierre Goldman (masterfully portrayed by Arieh Worthalter), a far-left militant accused of four armed robberies and the murder of two women. Facing life imprisonment, Goldman is defended by a passionate young lawyer, Georges Kiejman (Arthur Harari), who, like him, is a Polish Jew born in France to a modest background. The accused concedes to the label of “gangster” but vehemently denies being a murderer, asserting his innocence in the ambiguous killings.

The film begins discreetly, almost academically, but gradually imposes its rigor and style. Goldman’s case hinges on a shaky alibi, conflicting witnesses, and affecting testimonies from his girlfriend and father. Justice is explored in its very human giddiness when no scientific proof comes to its rescue, and aspects such as racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobic police, and more, emerge in its complex societal forms.

Kahn collaborated with Nathalie Hertzberg in the screenplay, choosing to fictionalize elements by blending Goldman’s two trials and drawing from his book. Yet, the film is so well directed and intensely acted that it's hard not to take it. It values speech without grandiloquence and avoids dramatic flourishes while exposing the fragility of truth and the difficulty of judging. It's a pleasure to get wrapped up in such a thoughtfully conceived and stirringly executed reconstruction, one delivered with gripping rhythm, fervent passion, and a clear form. With The Goldman Case, Kahn signs his most memorable film to date.

Direction: Justine Triet
Country: France

Cannes Film Festival’s Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, is a dense courtroom drama filled with intriguing and revelatory developments. The film, brilliantly directed by Justine Triet (Age of Panic, 2013; Sybil, 2019) and co-written with close collaborator Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 in the Jungle, 2021), stars Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter, a German writer living in a secluded chalet in the mountains of France. She becomes the prime suspect in her writer husband’s mysterious death, despite persisting doubts about whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder. To complicate matters, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), the couple's visually impaired 11-year-old son and the sole witness to the case, changes his testimony.

With a fine-tuned script that materializes in an impeccable staging, this cooly absorbing, nonchalantly cynical family drama presents three-dimensional characters who hold our attention throughout. Its real masterstroke is the shroud of ambiguity that erupts as the narrative dissects the fragile marital relationship between the couple. Many details and discrepancies must be considered during the investigation: a past accident involving their son caused guilt and resentment; the literary couple has disparate professional successes; and Sandra, being bisexual, had a few flings with women that motivated jealousy.

Hüller, who first gained notoriety in Mare Ade’s Toni Erdmann (2016), exudes dazzling charisma and oozes class with her performance, while Triet is at the top of her game, creating a precise, intelligent portrait of a free woman whose confidence and composure never seem shaken. The close-ups are penetratingly sharp, and the dialogues are absorbing, allowing the film to breeze through its two-hour-and-thirty-minute running time despite the weightiness of a psychological drama woven with incredible richness. Anatomy of a Fall is easily the most attractive and entertaining courtroom drama in recent years and represents Triet’s best work.