Best movie ever!

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blistering performances.

This isn't a real review of this movie, but I wanted to respond to the reviewer who wanted to know what actually happened after the movie ended. Einhorn eventually got extradited back to the U.S., had another trial in PA in like 2001, represented himself, got convicted again, and was sentenced and is currently serving a life in prison term. For some reason, I thought he had since died, but according to Wikipedia, he is still alive. Wikipedia does have an interesting article on Einhorn and mentions this film. It's a fascinating story, to me, both as a Philadelphian who was here during his legal wrangling to fight extradition and as a lawyer.

I thought the movie a good one, allowing one to imagine the angst the family of a murder victim goes through.What happened after the movie left off: Ira was returned to stand another trial due to a special law passed in Pennsylvania allowing persons convicted in absentia to petition for another trial. In Ira's second trial with him presenting his story of the CIA trying to embarrass him, etc. it took the jury all of two hours to return a guilty verdict. Ira is serving a life sentence at Hautzville prison in PA. It is an interesting study how madmen can hypnotize persons into believing them. Think of, besides the Unicorn, Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler, Jim Jones and, unfortunately, many others with this ability.

This excellent true life drama has just been aired on British TV - over two weeks. It was a fascinating story that sent a chill up the spine. However, I would be intrigued to know what happened to Ira Einhorn in the end. The film was made in 1999 and a note at the end of the film said he was appealing against his extradition from France, having once been successful. What has happened in the four years since? Was he finally brought to justice? If there are any Philadelphians out there who could tell me, I would love to know. Having said that, full marks to an excellent cast!

A beautiful, intelligent, 21 year old woman meets a philandering activist charmer with a Jekyl and Hyde personality. 75% of the movie is about his powers of seduction -- of women, of students, of wealthy supporters -- through the strength of his IQ and his devotion to "peace" and liberal causes. It is never clear why the woman stays with him through all the abuse. He refuses to marry her, forces her to have an abortion, forces her to dance as a stripper to support him, keeps her from her family and friends, reads and marks up her journal (diary), insults her in public, etc. while he continues to play around. Some time after she disappears, his apartment is finally searched, and the woman's body is found there in a trunk. The film portrays the torment of her family, his eventual trial, and regrettably, his escape from justice where the movie ends unsatisfactorily.I normally wouldn't sit through a movie like this, especially for three hours, but because of the title, and his overt identification as "the unicorn" from the very first scenes, I kept hoping that he would be the one who was going to be killed, since he was such a jerk! Unless you are a fan of the male lead, or you enjoy character studies of "nice guy" psychopaths, skip this. Tom Skerit's role as the father who incidentally has a Nazi flag in his den, is disappointing (since we knew he could have solved the case in half the time if this were 'Picket Fences'). No other character portrayals are worthy of mention. Hope my review saves you from the same disappointment and waste of time.