Review of Sleuth (1972) by Mikael K — 17 Apr 2009

Michael Caine has made a full circle by acting in another adaptation of Anthony Shaffer's play. This time not in the role of Milo, though. I haven't read the play or seen the earlier adaptation from the 70's, so I really don't know what Nobelist Harold Pinter has done for the story this time around.

Kenneth Branagh directs with style, and the gimmicky cinematography works well with the very odd set design. Odd is what this movie is all about, having a very Samuel Beckett like absurdity to the story and character interaction. It's all very enchanting with its surreal storytelling, reminding me also of Pinter's earlier works. The very powerful ending to "The Servant" was foremost in my mind.

What's different here is that I really have no idea what this one was trying to be about. The characters interact in a too unrealistic way for a direct drama, yet I cannot find much allegorial or symbolic value either, making this a story that would be very difficult to approach again. Also, I felt that the dialogue wasn't quite up to the challenging task of carrying the picture. Caine is really amazing, and Law isn't bad either, but still their roles are left too vague and difficult to get a grip of.