Sleuth (2007)

On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Anthony Shaffer (adapted from the play by), Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Caine, Jude Law, Harold Pinter

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael Caine	...	Andrew
Jude Law	...	Milo
Harold Pinter	...	Man on T.V.

Storyline

Two extremely clever British men are in a game of trickery and deceit. Andrew Wyke, an aging famous author who lives alone in a high-tech mansion, after his wife Maggie has left him for a younger man; and Milo Tindle, an aspiring actor, equipped with charm and wit, who demonstrates both qualities once again. When Wyke invites Tindle to his mansion, Tindle seeks to convince the former into letting his wife go by signing the divorce paper. However, Wyke seems far more interested in playing mind games with his wife's new lover, and lures him into a series of actions he thoroughly planned in seeking revenge on his unfaithful spouse.

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Plot Keywords:

unfaithfulness | watching tv | deception | standing on a bed | actor | 

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Taglines:

Obey the rules.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this movie, Andrew often mistakes Milo for a hairdresser. In the first adaptation, Sleuth (1972), Milo was a hairdresser, not an actor.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 6 mins) The jewels that Milo puts onto Andrew disappear after Milo tells Andrew that it is just a game.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Andrew Wyke: Yes?
Milo Tindle: Andrew Wyke?
Andrew Wyke: That's right.
Milo Tindle: I'm Milo Tindle.

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Connections

Featured in Sleuth: Inspector Black - Make-up Secrets Revealed (2008)

User Reviews

Don't Expect Too Much

The most important thing when you watch this film is to avoid any comparison with the 1972 classic. Not easy I grant you but essential if you want to enjoy this film on any level. Any comparison will not be favourable to this version.

There is an obvious attempt to give this film an ultra modern feel by employing huge amounts of high-tech gadgets and having sleek metal and chrome surfaces on display throughout the house. Kenneth Branagh has made use of various techniques such as showing the action through security cameras and filming from different angles to give this film a unique look. However, none of these things are a problem. There is a slightly excessive use of swear words which does give the impression that the writer was trying desperately to engage a younger audience through any means necessary.

The first half of this film is engaging enough and follows the plot of the original pretty closely. However, the second half is a bit of a mess. Jude Law's performance is laughable and there is a homosexual undercurrent that has no place in the plot and is in fact very damaging to the credibility of the film. The ending is abrupt and totally devoid of tension.

This film is worth a look but don't expect too much. Michael Caine takes on the role of the rich and bitter Andrew Wyke and plays it very well with no attempt to copy Olivier in any way. Jude Law is adequate but not outstanding. This film might be better suited to people who have not seen the original but in its own right this film is still not a classic of our time.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States] Paramount Pictures [UK]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Sleuth

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$50,100, 14 October 2007

Gross USA:

$342,895

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,889,751

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Classics, Castle Rock Entertainment, Riff Raff Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1