Sleuth

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In the 1972 version of "Sleuth," Michael Caine played the unsuspecting Milo Tindle, a man invited to the estate of mystery writer Andrew Wyke (Sir Laurence Olivier) for a reason he couldn't imagine. It turned out that Wyke, a theater buff and avid gamer, wanted to meet the man who was sleeping with his wife, as well as engage in a big of theatrics and gamesmanship. He was willing to give up his wife, he declared, only if she'll stay gone and not bounce back to him like a bad check. And because this woman was used to living the high life and the nervous fellow standing before him was a man of little means, Wyke posed a little solution: why doesn't he steal the Wyke jewels and pawn them? It's a win-win situation, Wyke argued, because Tindle would be able to support the former Mrs. W. and he, meanwhile, could collect the insurance money. Despite appearances, he's having a bit of a cash-flow problem. Let the game--or should I say head games--begin.

What made this little film a gem in its own right were the performances--particularly Olivier's. No one can convey a sense of the sinister with a touch of silliness or eccentricity like Sir Laurence. He's so erratic and unpredictable and watching him is so compelling that the viewer feels drawn into his games as well. In other words, he's a tough act to follow.

How strange it must have seemed to Caine to switch roles. With Jude Law handling the part of Tindle and Caine playing crime novelist Wyke in this 2007 version, the film's success or failure largely rested on the performance of Sir Michael (he was knighted in 2000). Though Caine's charcter seems more sincere than sinister and far less eccentric, a strong script by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter still has him playing a wide range of moods and emotions, and stylish cinematography enhances the competition between the cuckold and the cheater. And as this version plays out, it feels very much like an alpha male battle. Interestingly enough, it also feels a bit like an "act-off" between two talents representing their generations. Who wins? That's a tough call, because both men turn in some amazing performances. Put them together in this essentially two-person film (there's really just one other character who appears, an inspector) and you get the sense that each man fed off of the other, trying to out-do each other in every imaginable way.

In the 2007 version, all of the musty props from the old British estate have been replaced by high-tech gadgets and an ultra-modern interior we're told was designed by Mrs. W. In reality, it was Tim Harvey, whose set functions well as an arena for this cold and calculating battle of wits between two men, one of whom has been wronged, and the other who may be wronged. The camera work by Haris Zambarloukos is equally stylish and supportive of the slightly surreal atmosphere that begins when we first see someone watching surveillance cameras from an aerial viewpoint and then an arm reaching out past the front doorway to welcome the visitor.

Pinter wastes no time giving us tension amid politeness.

When Wyke learns that Tindle is an actor, and not the hair-dresser he thought, he says, "Why have I never heard of you?"
"You will before long."
"Really?"
"In spaces."
"That sounds threatening."
"Does it?"
"Doesn't it?"

Then, moments later, Wyke blurts, "I understand you're fucking my wife."
"Yes, I am."
When Wyke remarks that he's surprised the young man has admitted it and says, "There, we've gotten that out of the way," you know you're in for a different experience than with the original Anthony Shaffer play/screenplay. The 2007 version of "Sleuth" is almost a brand-new game, with twists that will surprise even those familiar with the Olivier/Caine film.

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