In 1980s Rhode Island, socialite Sunny Von Bulow (Glenn Close) falls into an irreversible coma, seemingly brought on by insulin. Suspicion falls on husband Claus (Jeremy Irons), a Danish gadabout seeming to have the means (recreational drugs) and motive (a pretty mistress). After he's convicted, Claus hires ace attorney Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) to appeal the verdict. Dershowitz initially believes Claus is guilty, accepting only to fund another case. But Dershowitz finds the case and his client more complicated than they appear, reframing his argument from legal technicality to innocence.
Reversal of Fortune can't be praised enough for its tactful presentation. One could easily paint this as the story of a rich bastard who got away with attempted murder. But Sunny's family is far richer than Claus, launching their own semi-legal investigation with a private attorney. This last provides Dershowitz a legal principle to justify his involvement: by challenging the prosecution's unethical tactics, he hopes to plug a loophole in the system. Then, of course, Claus may be innocent: a key piece of evidence proves fabricated, and Sunny's demons gradually surface.
This portrait of high society isn't exactly flattering. Schroeder shows Rhode Island's hoi polloi as backbiting sybarites, with drugs, extramarital affairs and self-destruction a daily occurrence. Sunny started seeing Claus when married to a European noble; her children from that marriage (Jad Mager and Sarah Fearon) and maid (Uta Hagen) seem to resent Claus, providing a motive for suspicion. Claus's new squeeze (Christine Baranski) lets slip an anti-Semitic slur upon meeting Dershowitz. Then there's the unavoidable fact that, for all Dershowitz's liberal posturing, only a millionaire could afford such an appeal.
Schroeder and writer Nicholas Kazan avoid courtroom dramatics, focusing instead on Dershowitz's exhaustive preparations. He's helped by a team of perky grad students, who eat Chinese food and play basketball between research sessions. Dershowitz easily pokes holes in the prosecution's case, finding their investigation bungled or worse. But his case is nearly derailed by pusher David Marriott (Fisher Stevens), a shady witness unable to keep his story straight. Never mind the trial: just getting to court is difficult enough.
Comatose Sunny weighs in with sardonic narration, sketching in her background and feelings on marriage. But Claus takes center stage. Initially seeming an arrogant bastard, he slowly reveals a more complex personality: he's genuinely chummy towards Dershowitz, complains that Sunny wouldn't let him hold a useful job, and seems hurt when accused of callousness. Yet what conclusion can be drawn from his shooing away the maid while Sunny lay unconscious in bed? Is Claus a murderer or simply a bad husband? There's no easy answer forthcoming.
Jeremy Irons won a well-deserved Oscar for his performance. He makes Claus a seemingly impassive figure with decadent taste and a ghoulish sense of humor ("What do you get the wife who has everything? Insulin"). His hauteur is initially off-putting but Irons, with his wry smile and velvet purr of a voice, generates a mysterious charm. Irons does a remarkable job suggesting a man who alternately appealing and repugnant, frustratingly inscrutable.
Glenn Close makes a strong impression with minimal screen time. She plays Sunny as a neurotic wreck, unhappy in marriage and increasingly absorbed by drugs and self-loathing. Ron Silver matches Irons' reserve with extroversion: Dershowitz is borderline manic but formidably smart and principled. Uta Hagen, Jack Gilpin and Fisher Stevens handle key supporting roles. Among Silver's research assistants are Annabella Sciorra and a young Felicity Huffman.
Reversal of Fortune is a top-flight movie. Reserved, mature and cerebral, it's an excellent thriller.
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