The Goldman Case review – compelling real-life French courtroom drama

The real-life 1976 appeal case of the Jewish far-left activist and armed robber Pierre Goldman (Arieh Worthalter) is recreated in this intense French-language courtroom drama directed by Cédric Kahn. A portrait of a complex, volatile figure who would rather risk the death penalty than compromise his own principles, it’s also a snapshot of the inflamed French political passions of the era. Goldman, who was vocal in his criticisms of the police and of anyone he deemed to be part of the establishment, became a cause celebre for the student movement and a thorn in the side of his longsuffering legal team, led by Maître Kiejman (Arthur Harari).

Comparisons with Anatomy of a Fall are inevitable, not least because Goldman Case cast member Harari co-wrote the screenplay for that film with his wife, Justine Triet. The Goldman Case lacks the serpentine intrigue of Anatomy of a Fall, and its emphasis on courtroom showboating and ostentatious arm-waving can be rather wearing. Still, as an account of a notable moment in French legal history, it’s undeniably compelling stuff.

• In UK and Irish cinemas