Movie Review for Sleuth (2007)

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Review #556 of 365
Movie Review of Sleuth (2007) [R] 86 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $14.25
Where Viewed: Landmark Mayan, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 30 October 2007
Time: 7:30 pm
DVD Release Date: 11 March 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer

Soundtrack: Download now from - or - order the CD below

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh (The Magic Flute)
Screenplay by: Harold Pinter (The French Lieutenant's Woman) adapted from the play by Anthony Shaffer

Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Michael Caine (Children of Men) • Jude Law (Breaking and Entering) • Harold Pinter (The Tailor of Panama) • Alec Cawthorne (Sleuth) • Eve Channing (Sleuth)

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Already an Academy Award®-nominated film for Best Acting in 1973 and starring Michael Caine, how deliciously intriguing to update and remake the film, this time from a Harold Pinter script, Mr. Caine in the elder role, and Jude Law in Caine's former role. Adapted from the play by Anthony Shaffer about a jealous older English gentleman who confronts his wife's lover directly ensnaring him in a clever game of cat and mouse, Mr. Pinter has crafted a delectable mind play that affords the two main actors the rare opportunity to do stage on screen.

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" Law and Caine…together make for an electrifying and dashing duo of wit, charm, and the element of surprise."

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Fitting deftly into the three acts each with its own dramatic climax, and rich with dialogue that rolls off the tongue just as it would with the same echoing cadence of a stage show, Sleuth (2007) showcases the incomparable talents of both Michael Caine and Jude Law. This is, to be sure, and actor's film, though the dark hand of director Kenneth Branagh can be seen above as he sets the stage for them so well.

The story begins with the arrival of Milo Tindle (Jude Law), Andrew Wyke's wife's lover at the estate mansion of noted English crime novelist and millionaire, Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine). After much witty banter and showing off of his entirely gizmo controlled home designed on the interior by his wife, Marguerite (Eve Channing), Andrew invites Milo to join him in committing a perfect crime. Andrew will show Milo how to steal jewels from his safe worth £800,000 tax-free to him after fencing the goods; and, in exchange, Milo and his wife will be out of Andrew's life forever. All he wanted was for Andrew to agree to a proper and speedy divorce, so Milo was all the more pleased to be coming out of this with sufficient money to keep his new wife in the manner to which she's grown so accustomed. After all, he's but a starving actor looking for his next gig. But, as the plan proceeds, Milo begins to doubt Andrew's sincerity. It isn't until he'd actually got the jewels in his pocket with the receipt from BVLGARI that he begins to absorb, with giddy satisfaction, the delightful situation that has unfolded. And that is when things fall apart, and the perfect murder ensues. Andrew reveals that all has been his master plan to set Milo up. He shall now shoot the intruder, and the police will, for all intents and purposes, arrest an intended jewel thief caught red-handed in the middle of the act by the community's legendary author. He then shoots Milo in the gut and observes as he flies across the room and lands at the base of the wall with a thud. Try as he might to get away with this ingenious crime, though, Inspector Doppler (Alec Cawthorne, reprising his legendary role from the original film) of the venerable Scotland Yard will arrive within three days, and in Columbo or Ms Marple fashion, begin to sleuth out the truth and turn the tables on the near-perfect crime.

As much as there are few reasons to remake a great film, this is surely one most fans of the original will forgive for it is clever to return Michael Caine and allow him to take over the role once played by Sir Laurence Olivier and watch as his 'protégé' in Jude Law takes over for him. With dashing good looks and a remarkable gift for over and under playing his characters, Jude Law is at the top of his game. Meanwhile, while usually a gentle figure, Michael Caine still has the uncanny ability to portray a truly wicked man with ferocious, English bulldog tenacity.

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"Not since A Few Good Men has a play been so well adapted to the screen."

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Together they make for an electrifying and dashing duo of wit, charm, and the element of surprise. No one should be surprised to see their names on the lists for consideration for best acting honors this year, though the competition will be a bit more contested this year than last, for the men anyway. These roles are notably more complex entailing a high degree of difficult. Moreover, the two are the principle actors and must carry 99% of the film alone. Kenneth Branagh deserves notice as the artistic presentation that surrounds the actors and the pace of the film are spot on. Meanwhile, few screenwriters have Harold Pinter's command of the English language; he seems to get every word just absolutely perfect. While the twists may seem a tad outdated given the context of thrillers of the 2000s, nonetheless, the overall effect of the film make it resonate well with the past bringing back, so to speak, the impact of the stage to the screen. Not since A Few Good Men has a play been so well adapted to the screen.

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Other Projects Featuring Sleuth (2007)
Cast Members
Michael Caine • Jude Law • Harold Pinter
Alec Cawthorne • Eve Channing
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Writer
Harold Pinter

CD Soundtrack
Original Film DVD	Original Film VHS	Original Film Poster

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Review-lite Sleuth (2007) [max of 150 words]

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Undoubtedly, there will be criticism of Kenneth Branagh and Harold Pinter for messing around with the original Sleuth (1973). Yet, how fun it must have been for them to recreate the film, bringing a great stage play back to the screen, only this time with Michael Caine in Sir Laurence Olivier's role and Jude Law in Michael Caine's role. With surprising twists and complicated roles, the story is truly and actor's dream. Both Law and Caine seem perfectly cast as if the roles were made for them. The story is potent, pungent, and practically irresistible, though the ending is definitely tragic. Certainly a great film and well worth the re-visit.

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