Reversal of Fortune 1990

     This film is based on a book by Alan J. Dershowitz and is based on a true story. Claus von Bulow has two convictions for the attempted murder of Sunny von Bulow.  He is believed to be guilty by his own lawyers.  His wife is extremely wealthy and she is now in a coma.  Alan Dershowitz is a law professor and he is hired to by Claus to overturn the convictions.  Alan assembles his law students and they go over every aspect of the trial plus they conduct many interviews with von Bulow.  The case presented by the prosecution is very solid but the Supreme Court of New Jersey will hear the case this time.

     I remember seeing the news reports of this case in the papers.  All sides of the case are presented clearly.  What is still not clear what really happened?  Did Sunny over indulge her own drugs and eating?  Did Claus delay in calling doctors?  Did he find her unresponsive and help her further along to a coma?  It’s clear he was tired of the marriage but not willing to say goodbye to the money.  Sunny was already once divorced and she didn't want to be twice divorced.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

111 min, Bio directed by Barbet Schroeder with Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver, Anabella Sciorra, Uta Hagen, Fisher Stevens, Jack Gilpin, Christine Baranski, Stephen Mailer, Christine Dunford, Felicity Huffman.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 94% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 112 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Montclair, New Jersey; Lyndhurst Estate, Tarrytown, New York; Newport, Rhode Island.  Jeremy Irons met Claus von Bulow in person three years after the release of this film.  Glenn Close was paid a large salary for three weeks of work.  Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver were well paid but not as much as Glenn.  The supporting players were paid scale plus 10.  Eliot Spitzer was one of the law students in real life but not in the film.  He later became governor of New York and was involved in a scandal concerning an elite escort service.  He was forced to leave office.  Sunny von Bulow lived in a coma for 28 years.  She died December 6, 2008 at the age of 76.