Highest rated reviews for Sleuth

Creaky

A customer from Liverpool , 27/07/2008

It worked better on the stage.

Olden Golden

Marconi from N. Yorkshire , 11/11/2003

Sleuth is an old movie, but when it comes to mystery, tension, twists and turns, there are very few that even come close to this one. It's one of those movies that you finish watching, then rewind to watch again, as you can't believe what you've just seen.

Its a clash of minds, a war of class, and a tortuous battle of plot and counterplot, that bewilders and bothers before reaching an incredible climax.

Michael Caine at the time the film was made wasn't seen on a par with Lawrence Olivier, but this movie took the critics by the neck, made them sit up and acknowledge that Caine was the equal, if not the superior actor.

If you haven't seen this classic, then you really have missed something.

They don't get much better than this

Andy Smith from Herts, England , 30/04/2004

Unbeatable drama. Two great actors at their very best in this twisting plot. No need for modern special effects, the storyline and performances will hold your attention throughout.

A Real Gem

newmarket from Cardiff , 28/06/2005

Both Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine earned well-deserved Oscar nominations for their performances in this superb film. Both are in top form, a task made easier by an exceptional script that sparkles with wit and intelligence. There are plenty of shocking plot twists amid the non-stop verbal jousting. The award-winning score is witty too, and works brilliantly. One of those rare movies where all the elements (acting, score, casting, script) are perfect, with predictable results. Very highly recommended.

Am I the only person who found this terribly mannered?

Darth Egregious from London , 31/10/2005

Clearly I am. Well, I wanted to put a review out there that wasn't all blind adoration. Basically this film is an intellectuallised penis measuring contest, and while it starts out well, I felt the whole bit with the clown costume and the the 40 minutes following was exceptionally tedious. Perks up at the end, but not sufficiently for me to care about either character.

Superb stage play turned movie

Yorkipoo from Hertfordshire , 17/06/2005

This ISN'T a bumbling detective story, it is the movie realisation of a stage play by, I think, Schaeffer, which features Michael Caine and Lawrence Olivier at the top of their game. The film is about humiliation games and it comes to a shuddering and shocking climax. The dialogue, direction and performances are flawless. Highly recommended...

Strewth!

Mike from Spondon, Derby , 22/01/2005

Was this review helpful to you? Well, it will certainly be more helpful than the synopsis provided by the renter, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the film! (Of course, by the time you read this they will have changed it - I hope.)

I envy anyone seeing this for the first time - it's even worth seeing again, though obviously for different reasons. Olivier is simply brilliant, and Caine tries very hard to keep up, and very nearly makes it.

If you like twisty mysteries, you'll love this. I can't say too much more without giving the game away.

An intelligent, witty film of the kind you hardly ever see any more.

A fine detective movie

Nick from England , 24/09/2004

Sleuth is, without doubt, one of the finest thrillers ever made. It continually keeps you on the edge of your seat and you never truly know where you are. This is an excellent thing for a thriller to do as it ensures that you will keep watching for that all important next plot development. The plot itself follows a man named Andrew (played by Lawrence Olivier) who is a big fan of playing games. He invites the man that has run off with his wife; Milo (Michael Caine) to his house, and while there, he entices him into a plot to steal his wife's jewels so that he can avoid the taxman, and so that Caine can accommodate his new found girlfriend's overly expensive tastes. To give anything else of the plot away would be running the risk of spoiling what is a fascinating piece of cinema, so I will leave the plot details at that. The plot meanders in a way that is hard to pin down; the film remains ambiguous all the way through; nothing is ever what it seems, and that is what makes Sleuth a cut above many detective mysteries.

This movie stars two super-heavyweights of the British movie industry; Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine. The film requires the two to be on screen for nearly the full duration of the movie, so it is obviously essential that they perform to a high standard; and I can confirm they most certainly do just that. The chemistry between the two is outstanding. The way that the sublime dialogue bounds back and fourth between the two is simply a pleasure to watch; and is more entertaining than a lot of movies that are made simply for entertainment purposes. The two do have a tendency to get a bit dramatic at times, there's is a particular sequence in the cellar that springs to mind immediately on that front; but the over-dramatics add to the atmosphere of the film. The film is very different and over the top in it's style anyway; it plays out almost like a moving detective novel, and the fact that both actors have a tendency to camp it up gives the movie something that it would not have had otherwise. The film is based on a stage play by Anthony Shaffer, and this is evident throughout the movie as it plays out just like a stage play on the big screen. The only film that I can think of that is similar to Sleuth in this way is Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rope'. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also made the classic All About Eve, very astutely directs this film. I would even go as far as to say that the direction here is better than it was in All About Eve; Joseph L. Mankiewicz's use of the camera is amazing and you can tell throughout the film that this is an auteur at the absolute top of his game. Overall, Sleuth is one of the best films ever made. It is amazing just how brilliant a film can be with a miniscule cast and a brilliant script, and if only for that fact alone; Sleuth is a film that you need to see.

HD from West Midlands , 23/07/2004

A fascinating movie with unexpected plot twists and dialogue that is never seen on-screen anymore. Olivier and Caine give Oscar worthy performances and have great natural chemistry. With only a few actors during the entire movie and filmed in one house adds to the brilliance of this film. An excellent nights viewing.