Saint Omer (2022)
This did something similar to Anatomy of a Fall where being the accused in a courtroom serves as a gradual and thorough deconstruction of a character, with a black woman being on the stand for the murder of her 15 month old child. That is not questioned, but the film wants us to think about guilt in a broader sense that goes beyond personal actions. It is all done through competent directing where long takes gives room for subtle body language to register, and how it leaves nothing resolved or concluded. All performances are uniformly impressive.
Despite the heavy subject matter and an ending that really tries to dig deep in the feelings, I did found the film to be very emotionally cold and distanced. I can see great emotions on display, but it is was abstract for me. There are very overt themes of motherhood in general through the eyes of African woman in modern day France, but I don’t think it entirely succeeds in saying much about that. It is clearly a film where one has to bring a lot of oneself into it, to give it meaning, which didn’t surface for me, but I greatly appreciate the acting and directing.
Criterion Challenge 2026 - 4. 2020s or an upcoming release
Rating: 3.5