Blu-ray Review: Sleuth

A remake of the 1972 film finds two generations of actors coming together as they did in the original. This redo does follow the original and manages to improve some aspects. However, the final act makes me think that somebody mistook Ira Levin’s Deathtrap for Anthony Schaffer’s Sleuth.

Milo Tindle (Jude Law) has been invited to Andrew Wyke’s (Michael Caine) English country estate. Milo has come to see Wyke because he’s having an affair with Wyke’s wife Maggie and he is coming to tell Andrew that she wants a divorce. However, Andrew has other plans for Milo and convinces him that he has the perfect plan so that Milo can treat Maggie to the lifestyle that she has grown accustomed to.

He convinces Milo to “rob” him and steal some jewels, worth 1 million pounds, that have been heavily insured – so everyone will come out a winner right? Andrew has other plans for Milo and uses his charm and intelligence to turn the tables on the young lad, but are things what they appear or does the lad have some other plans in store for Andrew? Sleuth is basically a two-man play that was written by clever scribe Anthony Schaffer. It was adapted by legendary director Joseph L. Mankiewicz and would turn out to be the last time the director stepped behind the camera before his death in 1993. The original would be known not only for its clever twists but because it was a meeting of two generations of actors – Laurence Olivier representing the old guard and Michael Caine representing the young turks. This remake also is similar in that Caine, playing Olivier’s part this time around, could be representative of the old school type of actor and Law the younger generation. Law holds his own against Caine and both actors are superb. This new version drops some of the maniacal whimsy of the original and jettisons Wyke’s enjoyment of puzzles and cartoonish props (including that life-size, eerie laughing sailor) and makes his mansion a modern affair with sparse furnishings and modern art. However, don’t count the old boy out because he too, as Olivier’s character did, has ulterior motives for having the lad out to the estate and is up to some games himself. He doesn’t stoop to the level of having Milo stage the robbery in clown shoes, as in the original, but it’s pretty obvious that he’s more than willing to humiliate and degrade his opponent. I had some better hopes for the second act “surprise” but its rather obvious what is going on (don’t expect me to spoil it for you). What is new is that screenwriter Harold Pinter (look for him in a cameo on a television adaptation of one of Wyke’s books in act two) seems to have wanted to charge up the third act with another twist or two.

However, this comes across as a bit of Deathtrap (adapted from the play by Ira Levin and starring Caine, Christopher Reeve, and Dyan Cannon). I’m not sure what I thought of this change. I thought it odd at first but I keep reflecting on it and wonder what is real and what is part of the game so maybe it was effective after all. Lovers of the original film might think this third act a bit much but others might think it a novel twist. The acting is top notch all around and that might make you forget about any reservations you may have. Sleuth is presented in 1080p high definition widescreen (2.35:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The detail is breathtaking and you can count the age spots on Caine’s hand or the hairs on Law’s head. Special features include two commentaries. The first from director Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine and the second a solo track from Jude Law (who also produced the film). What’s a shame is that the two bonus featurettes are in standard definition. Since the pickings are a bit thin, but still interesting, you’d think that they’d have been able to put them on in high def. The first is the 15-minute “A Game of Cat and Mouse” which interviews Law, Pinter, Caine, and Branagh. Next is the 2-minute “Inspector Black” and is a bit of a spoiler but interviews makeup artist Eileen Kastner-Delago. Sleuth starts off well and even improves on the original, but the third act will either delight you or be disappointing or feel tacked on. Caine and Law make up for any disappoint in their razor sharp performances as well as the razor sharp quality of Blu-ray.