The background on this film for me was that I spent ages trying to get hold of this film and then because of the remake it got aired (without fanfare) on ITV4 in the middle of the night. Well, it was worth the wait.
Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier feed off each other in these visceral performances, it was hard to judge who was better! It made me think of 'The Deer Hunter' where Chris Walken and Robert De Niro are so brilliantly cast against each other, or even Glengarry Glen Ross where the ensemble cast is truly peerless.
Caine's performance as Tindle is seminal, you can feel his hunger for a victory, to pull one over Olivier's snobby gentry. Similarly, the film is crackling with tension, down to Olivier's portrayal of Andrew Wyke - seething with arrogance, classism and as a symbol of the ever-declining bourgeoisie. What really impressed, however, was how funny the script managed to be without losing the drama, something that isn't easy to achieve.
The two performances, however, are not enough - it is Anthony Shaffer's subliminal screenplay, from his stage play, that is the glue that binds this together. The dialogue is fantastic throughout and doesn't falter, whilst Caine and Olivier deliver their lines and interactions completely naturally.
Cinematographically the film is excellently shot, with the insinuation of Wyke's plainly freaky marionettes and clutter as watching over the charade between Caine and Olivier. There is also a great score to accompany, adding to the thriller aspect of this piece.
I won't go over the plot because the only way to enjoy this film is to see it, all you need to know is it is a tale of jealous, competitiveness and revenge.
'Sleuth' is a master piece, it is witty and sharp and makes the viewer think, whilst Olivier and Caine chuck out performances that easily rank along the best they have done, before or after. So, to reiterate, it was completely worth the wait.
Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier feed off each other in these visceral performances, it was hard to judge who was better! It made me think of 'The Deer Hunter' where Chris Walken and Robert De Niro are so brilliantly cast against each other, or even Glengarry Glen Ross where the ensemble cast is truly peerless.
Caine's performance as Tindle is seminal, you can feel his hunger for a victory, to pull one over Olivier's snobby gentry. Similarly, the film is crackling with tension, down to Olivier's portrayal of Andrew Wyke - seething with arrogance, classism and as a symbol of the ever-declining bourgeoisie. What really impressed, however, was how funny the script managed to be without losing the drama, something that isn't easy to achieve.
The two performances, however, are not enough - it is Anthony Shaffer's subliminal screenplay, from his stage play, that is the glue that binds this together. The dialogue is fantastic throughout and doesn't falter, whilst Caine and Olivier deliver their lines and interactions completely naturally.
Cinematographically the film is excellently shot, with the insinuation of Wyke's plainly freaky marionettes and clutter as watching over the charade between Caine and Olivier. There is also a great score to accompany, adding to the thriller aspect of this piece.
I won't go over the plot because the only way to enjoy this film is to see it, all you need to know is it is a tale of jealous, competitiveness and revenge.
'Sleuth' is a master piece, it is witty and sharp and makes the viewer think, whilst Olivier and Caine chuck out performances that easily rank along the best they have done, before or after. So, to reiterate, it was completely worth the wait.