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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Suspense worthy of Hitchcock even though you know the ending, March 18, 2003
This film is far more than just the salacious filmed version of the tabloid scandal documenting Claus von Bulow's conviction and appeal on charges of twice attempting to murder his fabulously wealthy wife Sunny by injecting her with insulin. Von Bulow was wholly unsympathetic character, idle so-called `Eurotrash,' widely assumed to be slam-dunk guilty, even by the legal team representing him on appeal. The team's audacious strategy to directly attack the public presumption of guilt-to actually convince the appellate court that this evil man was innocent all along-bears a captivating symmetry to the way Jeremy Irons (playing von Bulow) takes the completely unlikable character and endows him with an almost charming ambiguity. He makes the same transformation take place within the viewer that took place among his attorneys. You begin the filming completely convinced von Bulow is evil incarnate, yet Irons somehow gets under your skin and makes you wonder....just maybe....could he be innocent....no, certainly not.....but maybe? This transformation can be credited not only to Iron's Oscar-winning performance, but to Barbet Schroeder's magnificent and sensitive direction and the many other outstanding performances in the film. I loved the way the Schroeder visually contrasted the shadowy, languid, dark settings in the von Bulows' Newport mansion to the aggressive, skittish, vigorous young lawyers finding legal inspiration over games of pickup basketball played with cutthroat intensity. Glenn Close, playing Sunny von Bulow, manages not to be overshadowed by Iron's performance even though her character spends most of the film in a coma. (Imagine, stunning acting without even moving your pinkie!) In sum, even though we know the outcome from the start, the movie is a top-flight suspense movie, the best made in years. Somehow I imagine that Alfred Hitchcock himself would have been proud to call it his.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
That Damn Encrusted Needle, July 14, 2005
I do not remember the Von Buelow case as I hadn't been born yet. However, the psychologist who worked with the Dershowitz team (T.S.) is a family friend and I have heard him talk about the case several times. Many people close to the investigation believe Von Buelow was framed for a crime a he probaly did commit. Thus, because of the tampering with evidence by a special prosecuter hired by the state, Von Buelow was likely over-charged, or undercharged, and was found not guilty because of the tampering. For example; if two guys get into a fight in a bar, and one gets hurt a little more than the other, should the lucky one be charged with Battery, Assault, or Attempted Murder? In this state, Battery is 0 - 1 year, Assault is 2-10 years, and Attempted Murder is 20-life. Quite a difference. From that perspective, who could not receive a fair trial no matter what. When the defense learned that the needle apparently used to deliver the insulin was encrusted with evaporated water this was seen as a huge flaw in the governments case as the victims skin would have removed the water when the needle was withdrawn. That is, the skin would tighten around the needle, and wipe the needle point clean. As portrayed by Jeremy Irons (Best Actor) in his role as Von Buelow, the most striking evidence against Von Buelow, was Von Buelow himself. Many of Dershowitz's students expressed personal outrage Dershowitz would even consider championing the appeal. Von Buelow made up funny jokes about his wife's condition making it harder and harder to represent him. But this film sure does have class. Jeremy Irons, as Von Buelow, delivers a performance so good, that it's worth the price of admission just to see the master actor at work. Ron Silver fills the role of the complicated Dershowitz with equal care. Best Picture of'89 (?), Reversal of Fortune keeps viewers even unfamiliar with the case glued to the story until it's inlikely end. Direction is also outstanding. A true classic.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irons and Schroeder sparkle., November 6, 2000
This is one of my favorite films of all time! I first saw it on television when I was twelve and was immediately captivated by Irons. The way he acted was so unusual, but delightful. Now eighteen, the film is even better than I remember. The film is quite artless. The only thing that could key one in that you're watching a movie was the scene where the door opens as the camera comes into Sunny's hospital room. Otherwise, the film never calls attention to itself. Irons is superb. Equal kudos go to the acting of Ron Silver (of whom I've only seen in the Kathryn Bigelow film 'Blue Steel') who isn't as peculiar as Irons, but Silver delivers an edge that never comes across as sanctimonious. This movie has a lot of details that I could mention, but I digress. The director of this film is Barbet Schroeder. Yeah, I was surprised that the guy who did "Single White Female" did this film, too. But he delivers the goods. This film is a docudrama, but it could exist as a film on its own without the real events. In any case, this film has a perfect balance of everything and I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves the director or Irons or docudramas or smart films or legal films. Put down whatever book you're reading and treat yourself to "Reversal of Fortune".
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