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

1 win & 5 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 | actor | divorce | 

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Taglines:

Obey the rules.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States] Paramount Pictures [UK]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Juegos siniestros

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,265, 14 October 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$342,835, 20 January 2008

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the basic situations in this film and the original are frequently very similar, all of the dialogue has been completely changed (from both the 1972 film, and the original play).

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Goofs

(at around 1h 19 mins) When Andrew and Milo are in the guest bedroom and Maggie calls, the phone is not picked up and the illuminated blue display fades once the call ends. In the next shot, the display is illuminated again.

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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 A Game of Cat and Mouse: Behind the Scenes of Sleuth (2008)

User Reviews

A Nasty Remake

None of the innocence of the original survive this dark and nasty remake. Harold Pinter's world overtakes Anthony Shaffer's and destroys it. The result is an entertaining, short, showcase for two actors from different generations. Michael Caine who's old enough to have been in the original and Jude Law who's young enough not to have seen it. But, he's clearly seen it and saw it as a major showcase for himself. He was right. The two actors go for it. They fight, they insult and humiliate each other as well as forgive, promise, lie and almost become lovers. Pinter is not a laugh a minute guy, he never was and the odds are he'll never be. But the strange combination of Caine, Law, Pinter and Branagh provide a brief, divertimento, concocted originally and with enormous success by a light weight thriller writer, turned upside down not nearly as successfully, by a heavy weight intellectual. An oddity worth part of your afternoon.