Cause célèbre

When the ailing husband of an adulterous wife is found bludgeoned to death and suspicions fall on the young lover of the older woman, the newly widowed woman claims sole responsibility for the killing, despite evidence suggesting otherwise, in this dramatic account of the true-life 1935 trial that shocked England. Although notable evidence and strong suspicion indicate the murder may have been a crime of passion committed by the jealous lover, who is only half her age, Alma Rattenbury (Helen Mirren) confesses to the murder of her husband and is soon put on trial. Despite the public's tendency to view her as guilty due to her infidelity alone, her lawyer, prominent attorney T.J. O'Connor (David Suchet), remains convinced that his client will ultimately be cleared of all charges.