Put two gifted actors from two different generations in a two-character film, and it's like watching two bull elks battle for the herd.
Is it as strong? No, and it's partly because there was a dangerous unpredictability to the eccentric and erratic Wyke as played by Olivier that we don't see in Caine-though it's not his fault. This is the direction that Pinter and director Kenneth Branagh ("Mary Shelley's Frankenstein") decided to go. Is it as intense? Almost. What Branagh loses with the Wyke character he gains by filming entirely in sequence, so the actors truly build upon each scene and the tension (and various emotions) mount. Branagh also opts to use music sparingly, so that a silence unfamiliar to moviegoers these days also contributes to the tension. Same with symbolic shots, as when we see the two men riding an open (but enclosed) elevator to the second level, or shot behind blinds suggestive of prison bars as they strike their deal.
To say more is to give away too much, especially for those who haven't seen the 1972 version, but suffice it to say that "Sleuth" is as much a two-character exercise for the actors as "Interview" was for Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller. The difference, as I said, is the alpha male factor. Put two gifted actors from two different generations in a two-character film, and it's like watching two bull elks battle for the herd.
Video:
This ultra-modern setting seems cavernous at times, with difficult shots including one that shows a gas-lit fireplace and the two men reflected so that we see multiple receding images. The scene takes place in a low-light situation, and yet this 1080p Blu-ray really pulls out the detail. Shadows pose no problem. Textures--even in this almost industrial-looking setting, with all the implied coldness that comes with it--are exceptionally detailed and 3-dimensional. Two-shots especially are vividly detailed. Colors look natural, too, with "Sleuth" presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The featured audio is an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, with additional options in Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 and subtitles in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. It's on the same level as the video--crisp, clean, and richly textured, though it's mostly just two voices talking. The TrueHD (48kHz/16-bit) would seem like overkill for an all-dialogue film, but it's really not. It provides a tonal richness that you immediately notice.
Extras:
ALL bonus features from the DVD are included here, and they look as great as the film because they're all in HD. As for the quality, that's another story. There are two commentaries, one with Branagh and Caine and another with Law alone. Apparently the alpha male battle extended? Branagh and Caine talk about differences between the '72 and '07 films, and seem surprisingly convinced that the most recent version is superior. More comparisons on the track with Law, whose comments overlap and really could (should?) have been combined with the first commentary. It's not as if he's saying anything so inflammatory that you couldn't put these actors on the same track together.
Aside from the two commentary tracks, the only feature besides a trailer and a two-to-three minute make-up "secrets revealed," the only true bonus feature is "A Game of Cat and Mouse," which is a pretty standard making-of feature that runs under 20 minutes and covers more of the same ground: how the characters change from version to version, etc.
Bottom Line:
When two actors try to outdo each other as much as their characters do, you know you're in for an interesting 89 minutes of cinema. If you've seen the 1972 version of "Sleuth" this one may not surprise you as much, but you'll find the differences fascinating. Is it as good as the first? No. But it's nowhere near as bad as other critics would have you believe.
To say more is to give away too much, especially for those who haven't seen the 1972 version, but suffice it to say that "Sleuth" is as much a two-character exercise for the actors as "Interview" was for Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller. The difference, as I said, is the alpha male factor. Put two gifted actors from two different generations in a two-character film, and it's like watching two bull elks battle for the herd.
Video:
This ultra-modern setting seems cavernous at times, with difficult shots including one that shows a gas-lit fireplace and the two men reflected so that we see multiple receding images. The scene takes place in a low-light situation, and yet this 1080p Blu-ray really pulls out the detail. Shadows pose no problem. Textures--even in this almost industrial-looking setting, with all the implied coldness that comes with it--are exceptionally detailed and 3-dimensional. Two-shots especially are vividly detailed. Colors look natural, too, with "Sleuth" presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The featured audio is an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, with additional options in Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 and subtitles in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. It's on the same level as the video--crisp, clean, and richly textured, though it's mostly just two voices talking. The TrueHD (48kHz/16-bit) would seem like overkill for an all-dialogue film, but it's really not. It provides a tonal richness that you immediately notice.
Extras:
ALL bonus features from the DVD are included here, and they look as great as the film because they're all in HD. As for the quality, that's another story. There are two commentaries, one with Branagh and Caine and another with Law alone. Apparently the alpha male battle extended? Branagh and Caine talk about differences between the '72 and '07 films, and seem surprisingly convinced that the most recent version is superior. More comparisons on the track with Law, whose comments overlap and really could (should?) have been combined with the first commentary. It's not as if he's saying anything so inflammatory that you couldn't put these actors on the same track together.
Aside from the two commentary tracks, the only feature besides a trailer and a two-to-three minute make-up "secrets revealed," the only true bonus feature is "A Game of Cat and Mouse," which is a pretty standard making-of feature that runs under 20 minutes and covers more of the same ground: how the characters change from version to version, etc.
Bottom Line:
When two actors try to outdo each other as much as their characters do, you know you're in for an interesting 89 minutes of cinema. If you've seen the 1972 version of "Sleuth" this one may not surprise you as much, but you'll find the differences fascinating. Is it as good as the first? No. But it's nowhere near as bad as other critics would have you believe.
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[release]22947[/release]