Sleuth



A short, yet elegant film that has one of the wittiest scripts in film history

Who would’ve thought that the best movie of 2007 would contain no special effects, no “Harry Potter” or wizards, or surprisingly, no more then two actors? Slueth is a minimalist film in every sense of the word. With only two actors in the movie and the setting never straying further then an eclectic mansion, Sleuth grabs us by the throat and doesn’t let go. Based on the 1972 film of the same name, this new movie, released 25 years later, is a refreshing and satisfying remake.

he most fascinating part of the movie is that there are no supporting actors whatsoever. The story is simply about the two main characters, and how their jealousy comes to destroy their lives.

Milo Tindle (Jude Law) is an actor who visits acclaimed crime novelist Andrew Wyke’s (Michael Caine) house in order to convince him to divorce his wife. Wyke’s wife ran off with Tindle and fell in love with him and wants to cut off all of her ties with Wyke. She sends Milo over to do the convincing.

A simple enough premise for a movie plot, but instead of taking all of the usual steps in creating a romantic drama film, director Kenneth Branagh keeps us on our toes as he allows both Tindle and Wyke to toy with each other, playing a dangerous game that’s fueled by jealousy and wit. To tell any more about the movie would be to give away key plot elements, and one of the greatest pleasures of watching this film is the twists that seem to arrive out of nowhere.

The movie’s greatest strength derives from its script, which seems to flow theatrically. It combines the wit of Shakespeare and the coldness of screenwriter Harold Pinter’s previous scripts in order to grab our attention and never let go.

The movie’s been criticized since its release last year as being too involved in the main characters. Seeing as the movie focuses only on Michael Caine and Jude Law, it seems as if it’d be difficult to keep the movie compelling and interesting. However, Caine is a superb actor who has an incredible range of acting. The ruthlessness and paranoia of his character is realistic, and only someone of Caine’s stature could pull off the role. And I was pleasantly surprised at how well Law handled his role. His character, whose demeanor switched between fearful and psychotic, is just as compelling as Caine’s, and I find myself looking at Jude Law as one of this generations more talented actors.

Sleuth was a pleasant surprise for me. I went into the movie with absolutely no idea as to what the movie could be about, and ended up finding a real gem. While some say the script is too witty for its own good, I wanted the movie to go on for five hours, so I could continue to watch these two characters play their cat and mouse game with each other. Sleuth is a very compelling and underrated movie that everyone deserves to see.

Grade: A