35 years ago, Michael Caine and Lawrence Olivier performed a dangerous game inside a mystery mansion. Caine was the young hairdresser who wanted to marry the wife of a rich and older mystery writer, while the great Olivier was the eccentric writer who enticed him to rob his own house. Fast forward to present day, Michael Caine is now the aging writer, and Jude Law is taking his place as the crafty hairdresser. The role reversal is doubly funny if you consider how Law previously remade Michael Caine’s Alfie.
In my press kit for the remake, there is a note asking us to refrain from disclosing the plot of the film, for the audience’s enjoyment. Now, if you’ve seen the original, you already know what happens. The plot points and the main twist of the film are still the same. However, for the benefit of those who’ve never seen the great Olivier-Caine duel, I’ll comply with keeping it a secret. Still, even if you know, it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment because it’s not the same film by any means.
Sleuth, originally a play by Anthony Shaffer, which he rewrote as a screenplay for the 1972 film adaptation, pits young Milo Tindle against the cunning Andrew Wyke as they try to trick each other into submission. It’s already a great screenplay and a great film. It’s a film that relies entirely on the banter and the performances, with no action to improve or visual quality to rework. So this remake is not just a lame re-do, since that would be pointless. To recreate it faithfully would be something that should be left to the stage.
The new Sleuth takes the premise and the important beats, and then heads towards a completely different direction. The great (and Nobel-winning) Harold Pinter rewrote the screenplay without having seen or read the play or the film. A legendary writer like him, who’s been credited as the 20th century’s leading representative in British drama, wouldn’t do anything less than to make the story his own—and he did, like a tasty classic dish but with a new spicy flavor. Pinter’s dialogue is razor-sharp, witty and often humorous, yet hurtful. The words wind against each other and hide a certain peril behind them. You never know when the two men would argue and when they would seduce, and sometimes they’re one and the same.
The original Sleuth is a very fun film. Clocking in at almost 2.5 hours, it’s a breeze to watch because of the Clue-like game that Caine and Olivier play on each other. It’s never truly malicious even though the game involves a murder. The two engage in a game that really feels like a game—with gadgets, costumes, secret compartments and riddles serving as clues—straight out of a dime paperback novel. In contrast, this new Sleuth is less creative and a lot more menacing. It’s still a game between two people, but the level of hatred between them is ramped up. It’s a lean, mean 86 minutes; though some scenes are so uncomfortable that the film feels longer. While there are moments in the original where they seem like innocent boys playing with their detective fantasies, it’s obvious from the get-go in the remake that something bad is going to happen, and things will only get worse from there on.
Director Kenneth Branagh does something magnificent with Andrew’s unique deco house, creating visually exciting scenes even though it’s just two guys in a house. As the queerly rich, Andrew’s house has different colored lights and shifting walls, all smoothly switching in accordance to the mood of the scene.
The Andrew Wyke and Milo Tindle from the two movies have little in common with their counterparts. Caine’s Andrew is not the theatrical old coot Olivier portrayed, but a hateful egomaniac with a touch for the sadistic. The way Caine easily takes Andrew from leisurely to diabolical is evidence of why he’s one of the best actors of his time. Similarly, Jude Law’s Milo is not a dapper gentleman like Caine’s was three decades ago. Almost tailored for Law’s pretty boy looks, his Milo is a suave deceiver who’s almost femme-like in his attempt to manipulate Andrew. It’s a brave and mesmerizing performance, arguably Jude Law’s best yet.
This darker Sleuth feels like a modern, more realistic, adult version of the original. It’s no longer about playing games and dabbling wits. Rather, it’s about male egos and sexual prowess. It’s two men competing to be the alpha male. Sleuth shows you how, when faced with humiliation, men will do just about anything to start a fight. Why that is, I can’t answer, and the film doesn’t provide the answer either. But the fight itself… it’s a riveting watch, if not so nasty to the point of guilty pleasure.
"Sleuth" opens October 12, 2007 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Written by Harold Pinter, Anthony Shaffer (play). Starring Jude Law, Michael Caine.
