Made-for-television entry, well-directed by Anthony Page, concerns Polish couple who have immigrated to the States, only to have their marriage come to an impasse; the wife hopes to leave her violently uncontrolled husband, who plays upon her fears that he will eventually kill her. Psychological stories of marital warfare don't always work on film, yet this fact-based case study is given a serious, sometimes chilling treatment, rendering it more than just another issue-of-the-week melodrama. As the unhappy Berwids, Candice Bergen and Jürgen Prochnow do Emmy-worthy work; Bergen, in particular, is a revelation. Very fine, very involving film which, although it gives us a typically incompetent justice system, makes few compromises towards a tidy, TV-movie formula.
Review of Murder: By Reason of Insanity
Murder: By Reason of Insanity
(1985 TV Movie)
Fabulous Bergen performance elevates tragic true-life saga...
26 September 2009