 |
|
|
Star Ratings
 | Amazing |
 | Well good |
 | Fun |
 | Meh |
 | Rubbish |
Login
iFlicks on Twitter
| Sleuth * * * * |
 |
 |
| Written by Ivan Radford |
| Friday, 23 November 2007 00:00 |
 Director: Kenneth BranaghWhen Tim Burton’s remake of Planet of the Apes changed the classic ending, there was uproar in the film world. Dubbed a ‘re-imagination’, people were furious at the concept that someone could remake a movie without producing something completely identical. Branagh’s take on Sleuth, then, will upset people further: Pinter’s rewrite is a real remake - not a single syllable of Schaffer’s script remains. The premise is recognisable, as young hairdresser Milo Tindle (Law) visits his lover’s husband, successful author Wyke (Caine). Invited by the latter, the lukewarm confrontation quickly heats up as Wyke makes a proposal: steal his jewels, and he can have his wife. A role-playing game develops, as Wyke and Tindle switch places, battling for control. Brandishing a knife, then a gun, Caine’s impotent cuckold pushes Law’s intimidated youngster over the edge. The jewels having changed hands, things take a turn towards the dangerous. Interspersed by silence, the endless exchange of enquiries exhibits Pinter’s unnerving pen. Acted out by two competent leads, the struggle for power evolves into a tussle of identities. As sexual tensions rise, the waters are muddied to the point of bewilderment; a barrage of uncertainty. Uncomfortable to witness, this showdown of wits is darkened by the claustrophobic set, the film’s stage origins heightening the importance of the actors’ every movement. Behind the camera, Branagh’s visual trickery warps the minimalist set into a twisted tomb; full of gadgets and tight angles, Wyke’s mansion is defined by its coffin- like elevator. Enclosed in an environment of hostility, the antagonists are deconstructed to the point of no existence. The final gunshot leaves Sleuth’s unanswered mysteries resounding within the whitewashed walls. VERDICT A convoluted construct of masked identity, Sleuth is an elaborate and elusive game. Slow and disconcerting, this is pure Pinter distilled onto the screen. |
Add your comment
|
