MartinHafer
"Sleuth" has an incredibly high rating of 8.1 at the present time. This would make it one of the best, or at least one of the most enjoyed films of the 1970s. So, imagine my surprise when I found I disliked the movie!The story is essentially a two person play put on film. A famous writer (Laurence Olivier) invites his wife's young lover (Michael Caine) to his manor and they two talk and talk and talk and talk. Ultimately, the older man convinces his rival that he wants to help him. To do so, he'll help the younger man arrange a fake robbery. And, the young guy will be able to take a box filled with jewels as a goodbye present. The older man, then, will declare the loss with his insurer and everyone will be happy (aside from the insurance company). There are many twists and turns...many.So why didn't I like this film? I already mentioned that it's VERY talky. But it also fails for me because of the incredible over- acting by both leading men--particularly Olivier. I know he has a golden reputation, but here he just seemed unrestrained and occasionally really overdid it. Not an enjoyable experience overall for me.
John Brooks
As you'll find out very quickly during the film, there are basically two characters in this whole entire 2:20 runtime. Needless to say considering the sort of very intricate dialog required for this film's atmosphere, the closer attention to cinematography, and just overall the very highly ambitious construction around such a basic plot...there is an enormous amount of work on display in this piece, and about half the film relies on both lead actors Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier who produce masterful performances, and whether too theatrical for the tastes of some, there's no denying the excellence manifested throughout this eerie comedy. So there's no questioning the cumulative quality of all those elements, from the acting to the cinematography, the fine structure, and the very well done job for such a limited setting. But the problem here is the film is arguably 30 minutes too long, not that the film even stretches its scenes but rather adds just too much in the end. There's just too much "Sleuth" in 'Sleuth'. The film feels like it's about a couple of mystery-thrillers in one, there are just too many elements in the story, too many full acts put together, it's just too heavy for one single motion picture and the whole point of it could've been delivered without some of its extra weight. As we're through a good 1hr30, there comes another full act to the play with its own tensions, events... it's a little bit of overkill really. But this doesn't take away the great cinema work besides that aspect. It's just that when past that point of smooth rhythm and a few good twists already, the viewer is left with the ending as a final impression as the conclusion of the whole piece; and one could very well feel the last chapter here is on the side of excess spoiling an otherwise grand coup of cinema.
SnoopyStyle
Crime fiction writer Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) invites hairdresser Milo Tindle (Michael Caine). He surprises Milo with questioning if he wanted to marry his wife Marguerite. Marguerite is high maintenance and he suggests a scheme to Milo to steal his jewelery while he claims the insurance. After guiding Milo all around the house in a fake break-in, he shoots Milo. Inspector Doppler comes to investigate Milo's disappearance but it's only the start of the continuing twists.What's the motivation for Milo to go see Andrew in the first place? What's in the note? That kind of bothered me. It starts like an Agatha Christie murder mystery in that it feels fake. It's highly questionable why Milo would trust anything that Andrew comes up with. The whole fake break-in feels fake. Luckily it's a little comical. It's fun to have Olivier and Caine play around but I never bought into the whole premise. I'm not thrilled by all the twists and turns. It felt like manufactured story constructions but Olivier and Caine are wonderful.
petra_ste
Sleuth is a screen writing master class. Rich writer Andrew (Olivier, rarely better) invites Milo (Caine, a worthy sparring partner) to his country mansion with an offer. What starts as a heist movie becomes a psychological thriller about vengeful men trying to outplay each other.Now, how do you keep a story about few characters stuck in a single location interesting? First, conflict. The movie is drenched in it. Milo - young, handsome - is the lover of Andrew's wife. Andrew claims not to care but, from the way he glances at her portrait or casually trashes her stuff, we know better. Class antagonism sizzles. To Andrew, Milo is an upstart, a social climber - and a son of immigrants, to boot. To Milo, Andrew is a pathetic relic, obsessed with games and murder mystery novels. Two men who dislike each other and yet have to interact and cooperate - this is inherently compelling to watch.Second, variety. Sleuth continuously challenges the viewer's allegiance. We are never sure whom we are rooting for - both characters are, at their core, unpleasant, reptilian sickos, but they are smart and unpredictable. Situation is fluid, always evolving; they're constantly turning the tables on each other.Third, dialogue. Each of the two leads has his own peculiar voice. Erudite Andrew asks Milo to trash the room, as to create believable signs of struggle, and adds: "Convincing, not Carthaginian". A bitter undertone of class resentment often slips into Milo's words: "We come from different worlds, you and me... the only game we played was to survive... if you didn't win, you just didn't finish. Loser, lose all. You probably don't understand that".As the plot unfolds, games become the main theme of the movie. Sex as a game ("And marriage is the penalty!", comments Andrew); a criminal plan temporarily becoming a playful bonding moment for the two; class-conflict as a zero-sum game; the constant attempt to show one's superiority over the other. Then games take a darker turn - somewhere between Darwin and Freud. The sadistic pleasure of knowing you've got the best hand against a hated adversary becomes the whole purpose of the game itself.9/10
AD
