Sleuth [Blu-ray]

I thought I'd like this movie alot more because ofvthe great actors in it, but it was a bit corny. I wouldn't watch again or buy it like I do others.

I saw the original "Sleuth" back in the early '70s and have never forgotten it. I was out to purchase the original version, but chose this later version after reading several reviews. It's perfect. The updated script differs somewhat from the original, but in spirit it's the same whodunit mystery that keeps you on pins and needles until the very end, and desiring more. Michael Caine, who starred in the original as Milo Tindle, this time plays the role of Andrew Wyke (which was performed by Sir Lawrence Olivier in the original). This time the role of Tindle is played by Jude Law. The director is Kenneth Branagh.Make no mistake, this is every inch as compelling as the original. Michael Caine, as Andrew Wyke, is equally as mesmerizing as he was as Milo Tindle, and versatile Jude Law is a revelation. Five Big Stars.

Kenneth Branagh said that in Law and Caine, he was working with two Rolls Royces. And it's true. Caine is always good and he has the subtler role here. But Jude delivers an astonishing performance. He is chilling, breathtaking, beautiful, seductive, and dissembling. Forget the tabloid stories, pretty boy looks and rom-coms like "Holiday". This is a great actor. There is one scene towards the end where Law is viciously seductive, playing Caine's character, teasing him along with the promise of homoerotic play, and with his badly dyed blond hair and dazzling beauty, it was like watching a malignant Marilyn Monroe. Earlier in the film, he does a turn as another character, and he is unrecognizable. He's just brilliant. BUT--and it's a big BUT--this is not really a movie. It's a two-person play and it has that stagey, slow-moving theatrical feel to it. If you watch it as a play, and imagine yourself in a theater watching two acting giants go at it, you'll be enthralled. If intellectual and dialogue-driven plays are not your speed, then you will likely be bored. I just re-watched it years after it was filmed, and it did not deserve the tepid reviews. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. But it's worth watching for Law's magnificent performance alone.

An amazing film, written by Harold Pinter, score by Patrick Doyle and acted by Michael Caine and Jude Law.Everyone misses the point, this is less a remake of "Sleuth," and more a reworking of Harold Pinter's "The Dumbwaiter." From this vantage point, the viewer can well understand the tension in the film, the sparse dialogue, the disjointed cinematography, the intriguing music, and finally, the abrupt ending. From this vantage point, the viewer can also begin to appreciate the struggle between the two main characters, as well as the omnipresent (yet completely absent) third party (the wife/lover). It is the omnipresent (yet completely absent) wife/lover that is most intriguing. She is omnipresent in the home's bizarre interior design, the dialogue, the ring of the telephone, and, ultimately, the ending..In my opinion, this omnipresent (yet completely absent) wife/lover is the key character in the film, She is none other than Harold Pinter's "dumbwaiter" portrayed here as a ruthless wife/lover.sitting back, watching, listening, judging and ultimately deciding.

Watching Sleuth, with Jude Law and Michael Caine is a totally stunning experience. I felt I did not breath through the whole film. There are several plot twists that caught me off guard even though I had read many of the reviews. The surprises make for an exciting roller-coaster ride. The camera work and the set was sleek and clean in a way I had never seen before. Often the focus was on objects in the room or parts of actor's bodies or faces during dialog. These altered perspectives cause the viewer to hear the words more clearly. It is hard to describe the relationship that develops between the two men except to say it is the ultimate pissing contest. It is a relatively short film that packs a big punch. Check it out.

Saw the original play on Broadway. At the end of act one I said it was okay. At the end of act 2 my head was spinning. Not a bad version but the Laurence Olivier version is much better Wish they would put the original on blue ray

Loved the play, original and remake. Witty writing with play on words. Both of these actors are evenly matched. Enjoyable verbal jousting. Reading the play first, you may have different image of who ought to play these roles, but after a while you get passed the famous faces and just hear the excellent clever writing.

Not the theatrical equal to the Olivier/Caine original film, yet edgier in some respects, particularly with regard to the character and behavior of his wife's lover, Milo (played by Jude Law). Harold Pinter's screenplay is loaded with anticipatory moments, but some fall flat. For example, there are too many scenes (close-ups, actually) of Michael Caine staring but saying nothing. It worked once or twice, when you wanted to 'hear' the wheels of his imagination turning, and try to puzzle out his next change of plan in dealing with Milo. But it became rather tiresome.Playful and ultimately deadly. All in all, a very entertaining adaptation that I recommend for your viewing.

I had to buy and watch this film because I enjoyed the original with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. In this version Michael Caine's roll is taken by Jude Law and, obviously, the Laurence Olivier roll has been taken by Michael Caine. Although I enjoyed it the original is superior, in my humble opinion.

Bloody awful.The Laurence Olivier/Michael Caine original had charm and wit, and was extremely well written by Anthony Shaffer. This - parody? - was one of the dreariest, vulgar and totally meaningless pieces of cinema that it has ever been my misfortune to experience. Give it a miss and watch the original version instead.

The fact that they only have the original with Lawrence Oliver in VHS. Surely they could convert and sell in DVD. The Original was far superior

I don't want to be an old stuffy bore here. I like some remakes, but not this one. I did not expect Caine to go in for 'just another remake'. If anything that was the downfall: the need to be so different from the original meant, to me, that they ended up in something worse. Yes it was different to look at but yes also it was different because something was lost between the two characters. Somehow the pompous grandiosity and superiority of Olivier against the upstart lower class lad was not replaced with the same interest.It lost my attention. It failed to grip. In contrast, the original which merits more than one viewing, I will not watch this again.

Superb acting in this battle of wits, one might see it as a film of 3 acts. The first 2 acts are spot on and well paced and moody; they stay close to the original story too though there are no flashes of the whimsy or light heartedness the original provided. The final act however deviates from the original story and tries to change what it's about, rather unsuccessfully in my opinion. If you like taught thrillers then this is worth a look, but if you're a big fan of the original with Olivier and Caine then you may be disappointed as was I.