Reversal of Fortune (1990)

Sunny von Bülow (Glenn Close) lies brain dead and in a coma. She would narrate much of the movie. She is a rich socialite in Newport, Rhode Island. Her husband Claus (Jeremy Irons) is suspected by his step-kids and the maid of attempted murder. He stands to inherit $14 million of her fortune. They recruit a former D.A. to investigate. In 1982, the government uses the privately uncovered evidences to convict Claus. Claus hires Professor Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) to be his attorney on the advice of his girlfriend Andrea Reynolds (Christine Baranski) to get a Jew. Dershowitz is uncertain of his innocence but he needs money for the defense of two black kids about to be executed in Alabama. He also rejects what is essentially a privatized prosecution. He gathers a team of former colleges and students. Sarah (Annabella Sciorra) is a former girlfriend. Student Minnie (Felicity Huffman) almost walks out refusing to defend a rich guilty guy. David Marriott (Fisher Stevens) is a sleazy witness with damning testimony.

Both Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver are terrific. Irons never lets on his guilt or innocence. The investigation is compelling. There is clarity in the writing. This is based on Dershowitz's book and therefore the opposition doesn't have much screen time. There is real tension about Claus's trial and his guilt. It's a solid trial movie.

Fmovies: That is Sonny von Bulow's narrative as she describes the marriage between her and Claus, an infamous fortune seeker, who had made his way in the world the old fashioned way- he inherited it, by marriage.

This is an intriguing story because it is based on truth, and both Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons give stellar performances. It is trite but true; money has not brought happiness to either of these people. Sonny has apparently led a life of depression, eating disorders, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse. Claus was probably no stranger to similar vices, as well as episodic infidelity. It may have been even more interesting had the screenplay delved into their earlier years, lifestyles in Europe and world travel, living a hedonistic life.

In this case, murder is a nebulous concept. Claus von Bulow insists he is innocent, yet his many assertions to attorney Alan Dershowitz indicate otherwise. von Bulow is calculating, mysterious, and cold. Does this indicate guilt? The audience is never completely informed. That is what makes the story so real. As in real life, when murderers are set free, one may never know the truth. There is also a good side-story where Dershowitz is attempting to save two young black males from a death sentence. He does their case "pro bono", for the sake of justice, whereas von Bulow's case, as Dershowitz proclaims, is paying for their defense.

Overall, this is a tragic story which leaves many grey areas, one wonders how the children, Alex and Alah have survived this debacle. Another viewpoint would be an interesting screenplay. 10/10.

Dershowitz is portrayed by Ron Silver, who projects a realistic image.

Claus von Bulow was accused and convicted of twice attempting to kill his wife, Sunny von Bulow. The film is about the appeal

Nicholas Kazan takes a huge risk, and has Sunny von Bulow (Glenn Close, who is marvelous) narrate the story, while in a coma. It pays off beautifully. We learn the lifestyle in which they inhabit, there daily arguments about Claus' "extra-curricular" activities, work, etc. In comes Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver), who is hired by Claus to do the appeal.

Fascinating and provocative, we see the way Ron Silver tries to find out if his client is guilty or innocent. The cast is a treat to watch, down to even the smallest roles. But it's Jeremy Irons who dominates with his chilling performance.

By the end of the movie, we don't really care whether or not Claus is guilty, a testament to Barbet Schroeder, and Nicholas Kazan.

Reversal of Fortune fmovies. The spooky yet amusing performance turned in by Jeremy Irons is worth watching all by itself. As an added bonus, the film is quite good as well. "Reversal of Fortune" thrives on its deft pacing, which keeps its relatively action-free plot interesting until the end. To the film's credit, the mystery is never fully solved; the viewer must ultimately decide the truth for himself. A treat for any thoughtful filmgoer.

Ron Silver is Alan Dershowitz, the brilliant attorney who takes on Claus von Bulow's murder conviction on appeal in "Reversal of Fortune," a 1990 film starring Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons, beautifully directed by Barbet Schroeder. The film, of course, is based on the notorious von Bulow case. Sunny von Bulow was a socialite who became brain dead, and her husband, Claus, was accused of injecting her with insulin in an attempt to kill her. Sunny lived in a coma for nearly 28 years.

Sunny (Close) herself narrates the story, beginning when Claus (Irons) calls Dershowitz and asks him to take his appeal. Dershowitz takes the case and involves his law students (including a very young Felicity Huffman) in it.

It's all left pretty ambiguous - Sunny tells us that this is all we can know for now. Though von Bulow was found guilty of attempted murder at the first trial, Dershowitz won his appeal, and von Bulow was found not guilty at a second trial. After that, von Bulow moved to England. Since his daughter Cosima had taken his side in the case, Cosima's maternal grandmother disinherited her. In order to get her back in the will, von Bulow gave up any claim to Sunny's money.

Glenn Close is excellent as the unhappy Sunny - a woman beset by health and weight problems as well as drug addiction and her husband's infidelity. But the backbone of the story is the character of Claus, and here Jeremy Irons does a fantastic job and deservedly received an Oscar for it. He is cold, unemotional, snobbish, and really makes you wonder if he did it or not.

There are other good performances in the film, including that of Fisher Stevens as a supposed witness, the great Uta Hagen as Sunny's devoted maid, Christine Baranski as Claus' new girlfriend ("I told him, get the Jew," she tells Dershowitz), and Julie Hagerty as Alexandra Isles.

After the first trial, I transcribed an interview with one of the jurors, and boy, did he think Claus did it. Despite the second verdict, "did he or didn't he" is a shadow that will always hang over Claus von Bulow.

This one is a big winner! Based on the true story of the trial of Claus von Buelow and conviction of murdering his socialite wife and rich heiress, and famed attorney Alan Dershowitz's handling of his appeal.

This movie takes a fascinating topic, a fine book and terrific acting, mixes them all together and bakes a winner. But it is the acting that is supreme.

Another wonderful performance by Glenn Close (is there nothing she can't play) but an absolute smasher by Jeremy Irons as von Buelow. I've seen this movie several times (and read the book) and I still can't make a judgment on whether von Buelow did it. Irons' portrayal of von Buelow is that good.