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Spoiler Points for Sleuth (2007) [R] 86 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $14.25
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
Click to read the non-spoiler review
Act I:
Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) shoots Milo Tindle (Jude Law).
Act II:
Thinking he's gotten away with the perfect crime, or does he? Sitting, reading, minding his own business, the nosey Inspector Doppler (Alec Cawthorne) arrives from Scotland Yard to interrogate him regarding the disappearance of Milo Tindle. But how can this be? Wyke has never even heard of the man. As the interrogation proceeds, and the Inspector keeps having more beer, he gets irritated and angry with Wyke for not just admitting that he killed Milo Tindle and hid the body. But, as Wyke finally confesses, he didn't actually kill Milo. The third shot was a blank. Milo was so afraid he fainted. When he came to, he told him it was just a came to scare and humiliate him out of anger and jealously from losing his wife. Not so claims the Inspector as he forces Wyke to the bedroom where he points out the blood stains on the carpet and the bloody clothes in the closet. How can this be, Wyke knows he actually didn't kill Tindle, but all of the evidence suggests that the did, until all of the sudden, Inspector Doppler peels off his hair and makeup and fake teeth and reveals the living, breathing Milo Tindle. Wyke realizes the brilliant nature of the trick that Milo has just played back at him, and while he'd prefer this to mean they are even, Milo suggests that Wyke literally scared him to death, therefore, there's got to be much more to come. This second round then comes as Milo takes on a new role as a real time thief. Wielding a gun, he threatens Wyke to open the safe and give him the jewels destroying as much property in the process as possible. And, after finally scaring the life out of Wyke, he does declare them even. But, that leaves them at one set a piece in a three set match.
Act III:
Wyke intends to win the match, so his play is to lure Milo into believing he's offering him the ultimate life of becoming his live-in mate. The sexual tension between them is palpable as he coaxes the younger man into accepting a proposal to live in his spare room, enjoy all his comforts, travel to exotic locales as his friend. With them both on Wyke's bed and Milo rambling about this being the spot where Andrew was deflowered by his wife, Andrew approaches him and rubs his hair. Milo screams obscenities at him, tells him he's not interested in this proposal, leaps up and grabs a £5,000 leather coat from the closet. He's taking it as a prize since the cell phone call earlier was from his lover who says she's returning to Andrew, or so he tells Andrew. But just as he's about to flee, Wyke shoots him in cold blood and he falls over the railing to his death below in the elevator shaft.
Other Details:
• Alec Cawthorne is a fictional actor made up for the original film so as not to spoil the plot by indicating that both roles are being played by either Michael Caine in the 1973 version or Jude Law in the 2007 version. Part of the 'fun' of the film is seeing Jude Law play this other character so convincingly. There are many, many clues to the fact that this is Jude Law and that he is not playing a real Inspector—the drinking of many beers, it would seem would be clue number one, but still, Wyke doesn’t figure it out.
• The story is clever in that it leads you to believe that Wyke did kill Tindle. You don't know that Tindle isn't dead and that Wyke's story of releasing him is true, so you wouldn't expect Milo to be playing the Inspector. In this sense, the film is as tricky for the audience as it is for poor Wyke.
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