Reviews

Sleuth

Michael Caine remaking Michael Caine

By MARK BAZER | October 17, 2007

2.5 Stars

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Sleuth.

Is there a more amusing pop-culture trend than Michael Caine acting in remakes of his old movies? The 1972 Sleuth was nominated for four Oscars, including one for Caine. This new one, updated for a high-tech, sarcastic age by director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Harold Pinter, is an all-around witty, mischievous bit of filmmaking — for an hour or so. Caine, in the role previously played by Laurence Olivier, is Andrew Wyke, a successful mystery novelist; Jude Law, in the role previously played by Caine, is Milo Tindle, a struggling actor sleeping with Wyke’s estranged wife. Tindle visits Wyke at his estate to ask him, politely, to grant his wife a divorce, but it’s clear from the outset that the novelist is intent on bringing his fiction to life. What ensues is a series of a sadistic “games” and verbal sparrings between the two, kept fresh for as long as a glimmer of enjoyment and mutual respect shines through. Think Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson.

Related: Flawless, Review: Harry Brown, The Baseball Project, More

Topics: Reviews , Entertainment, Media, Movies, More

| More

view all

[ 05/29 ] Brad Hooper @ Andy's Old Port Pub

[ 05/29 ] karaoke with DJ Ponyfarm @ Slainte

ARTICLES BY MARK BAZER

REVIEW: EXTRACT | September 02, 2009
I'm hard-pressed to say, though, whether Extract is a significant leap forward for Judge in terms of story or just not as funny as his earlier work.

SOUL MEN | November 05, 2008
Mac especially is a joy to watch, and a counterpoint to the humor elsewhere, as he breaks out Temptations-style moves with just the right mix of sly fun and respect for the music.

FILTH AND WISDOM | October 27, 2008
As the lead character narrates his “filthy” story, and those of his London flatmates/neighbors, we hit upon boredom long before wisdom can arrive.

CITY OF EMBER | October 15, 2008
Kids who see the truth when adults cannot is a central idea in children’s stories, but today’s kids would hardly recognize the grown-ups in Ember’s totalitarian society.