Reversal of Fortune

Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal here of millionaire Claus von Bulow, who was found guilty of the attempted murder of his wife Sunny (Glenn Close), but acquitted on appeal. Even though there's no surprise about the outcome, this is a thoroughly absorbing and beautifully scripted drama, with events leading to the trial told in flashback and Close's comatose character bringing us up to date by a clever narration. Director Barbet Schroeder shoots The Great Gatsby-style setting with a documentary eye and gives the picture a deep sense of irony - a quality enhanced by Irons's superb performance as the haughty, European aristocrat defended by a Jewish lawyer. This real-life tale marked the start of TV trials as soap opera: von Bulow's case obsessed America for months and made a star of his attorney, Alan Dershowitz, who's played in the film with scene-stealing bravura by Ron Silver.