Amazon.com essential video: Wicked, nasty, delicious fun. Laurence Olivier is a wealthy, veddy English mystery writer. He invites Michael Caine to his elaborate country house, in order to settle some rather unpleasant business between them: Caine is having an affair with Olivier's wife, and she is about to divorce the older man. Olivier, smooth as brandy, suggests that there might be a way the two men can help each other, but what appears to be an intriguing proposition escalates into a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Sleuth boasts a twisty script by Anthony Shaffer, calculated to drive an audience to distraction; and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve) shows a keen eye for the telling detail. But the real fun is watching Olivier and Caine go at each other hammer and tongs, a virtuoso wrestling match between two splendid actors (both were Oscar-nominated, but lost to Marlon Brando in The Godfather). Alec Cawthorne is also quite good as the inquisitive inspector on the case. --Robert Horton
"Touche" I could not wait to see these two superb acting icons go at it on the big screen. What a wonderful movie it is. Great writing, screenplay, and oh what great spins they each put on their roles. No two other actors could have played it better. Wickedly amusing entertainment.
Cat and Mousetrap This brilliant play can't be faulted for not holding up on repeated viewings once the tricks are known, but the all too faithful film doesn't help things. Surely some text could have been set aside for the sake of brevity. Olivier devours the set with enthusiasm. He throws in every manner in his storied arsenel save credible menace. He's fascinating to watch but tiring. An almost visibly bemused Caine bests him at each step. The best part of the DVD is the interview with the play's author that provides a witty history of the stage and screen versions.
Sleuth (1972) Movie Review One of the most imaginatively scripted films ever made, Sleuth pits the wickedly clever Laurence Olivier against the seemingly vengeful Michael Caine in a game of murder, mystery, intrigue, deception and good old-fashioned sleuthing. Outstanding acting from its two main players, each earning an Academy Award nomination for their efforts, the film is careful to build an intricate story that unfolds in a uniquely unpredictable manner.
Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) is invited to Andrew Wyke's (Laurence Olivier) secluded mansion to discuss Milo's desire to marry Andrew's wife Marguerite. Andrew is a detective fiction novelist who prides himself on solving dastardly crimes with his main character Sinjon Lord Merrydew, while Tindle owns a local salon. Well aware of his wife's frivolous activities and her infatuation with riches and exquisite possessions, Andrew offers Milo an opportunity to burglarize some expensive jewels (170,000 pounds worth) so that Milo can live happily with Marguerite, and Andrew can collect the insurance money and live happily with his mistress Teia. But not everything is as it seems, especially when the game-obsessed Andrew convinces Milo to use a clown costume and dynamite to stage the robbery; and add to that a tumultuous recreation of a downstairs fight with a fireplace poker and a pistol. A riveting contest of deadly one-upmanship ensues with unforgettable twists and an unparalleled conclusion.
Expertly directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and based on the play by Anthony Schaffer, the film opens with delightfully circus-tinged music that lends itself throughout the entire film to mix up the tone as each of the characters transition from serious to comical. Tindle starts with a serious demeanor and is instantly weary of Andrew's proposition, but with his whimsical and carefree manner, Milo soon dons a surprising mask of laughable lightheartedness, joining in with dancing about and playful mockery. The interactions between the two constantly change from the serious tone of adultery to the nonchalant air of jocose buddies.
The film is essentially only two people in a single location, and yet it never slows and never misses a beat, staying relentlessly engrossing. The mansion is filled with toys, odd décor and games - games being the focal point of the film. The design of the rooms is fantastic, with creepy dolls, mystifying puzzles, and electronic puppets, including Jolly Jack Tar the sailor, a particularly eerie life-size monstrosity that laughs and claps his hands at the touch of a button. These complex games emphasize the seriousness of the game played by Andrew, one easily crossing the line of a harmless practical joke. But even when the initial game concludes, another is started and the film is careful to never let you know when a game is over and who is about to win. Initially, more than winning and losing, it is the excitement of playing the game that thrills Andrew, and the audience is spellbound watching it unfold.
With flawless performances by both Caine and Olivier and unbelievably intelligently scripted Shakespearean dialogue, Sleuth redefines audience immersion into a film in which the plot keeps thickening. Perhaps the most astoundingly coincidental moment of the film is early on when Olivier mentions that in years to come their roles might be reversed, and Milo will be the one fending off admirers of his trophy wife. 2007 marks the release of the remake of this 1972 classic, and Michael Caine ironically returns to play the role Olivier unquestionably perfected.
- Mike Massie, www.MoviePulse.net
Delicious, literate fun! Too bad it's temporarily out of print. . . SLEUTH is, yes, temporarily out of print. Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to spend an exorbitant amount of money to get a copy of this wonderful, wicked movie: it's been issued on DVD twice by Anchor Bay, the last time in 2002, and now that Anchor Bay is partnered with the Starz cable channel (owned by Universal), we will no doubt see SLEUTH again soon. The first time Anchor Bay issued the film, in 1999, it was in a truly horrible form in which the film was split to two sides of a DVD; the 2002 edition is much, much improved, with letterboxing, a vastly superior video transfer and crisp sound, and also includes an Anthony Shaffer interview filmed shortly before his death and a few other goodies. Perhaps the next time around, we'll be treated to filmic insights from Michael Caine himself! (We can only hope. . .) Anchor Bay reissues their small library of titles over and over again, and I doubt that they'll let SLEUTH go unless another company picks up the rights and releases it on their own label. So be patient, and don't pay those high prices! Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier (and Inspector Doppler) shall once again grace our video players with wicked wit and diabolical twists and turns!
Somebody slap the Studio I wish I could say I hated this movie. Then I could easily endure the ridiculous price the individual people are trying to get for this DVD. I check this title regular in the hope the studio has re-released it so I can buy it for a decent price. Although this movie has been one of my all time favorites since I first saw it at the theater, there is no way I would ever pay over twenty-five dollars for a DVD. Quite honestly anyone that charges more than that is just greedy.
The movie starring Michael Caine and Lawrence Olivier centers around them in Olivier's house for most the movie. The lies, tricks, and traps they do on one another are amazing and will keep you guessing when they are being truthful and when they are not. Two men, mano a mano, using their wits and anything else not tacked down to dispose of the other. If you enjoyed "Deathtrap" you should love "Sleuth".
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