Review of Sleuth (1972) by Erin A — 18 Jan 2009

Sleuth boggles the mind in many ways. It?s a goofy, mess-with-somebody?s-mind kinda movie in which the two unlikable main characters taunt and trick one another in the midst of a fascinating techno-castle in the British countryside. I haven?t seen the original the film was based on, but the pedigree of everyone involved stands out. Not only do Jude Law and Michael Kane bring a solid tradition of acting (and a shared history of playing Alfie), but Kenneth Branaugh?the consummate actor?s director?directs the Harold Pinter script. That said, Sleuth feels like a movie you can understand should be recongized for being edgy and amazing, but mostly comes across as pretentious. The twisty twisty plot gets moldy fast, and if you?re supposed to be confused or bewildered by the shifts in dominance between the two characters, you haven?t seen this kind of play/movie before. A few other thoughts:

* Branaugh finds a variety of startling and stunning camera angles from which to view the action. It?s hard not to see these as a way to make visually interesting a script that?s essentially a two man play with hardly any need for scenery.

* There?s a theme, in the house, of careful and complex surveillance equipment. I don?t divine what the theme has to do with the play.

* The title makes no sense and I scorn it.

All in all, I didn?t like it very much, and would recommend that any interested folks go back and check out Deathtrap, a similar film with better execution. And Christopher Reeve instead of Jude Law. At the same time, Kane and Law do a creditable job with the acting, so there is something redeemable about it.