Sleuth is an indie film starring Michael Caine and Jude Law directed by Kenneth Branagh. And now you’ve just read the credits. Only the crew remains. Surprisingly Branagh is able to captivate the audience for 90 minutes as these two actors spar against one another trying to outdo the other and ultimately win the affection of a lady married to Caine’s character and sleeping with Law’s character.

The movie is put together in three parts. Act 1 shows Caine’s character getting the upper hand while act 2 allows Law’s character to strike back. Act 3 shows the audience who will win this game of cat and mouse not only concerning the characters but also the actors. Branagh uses interesting angles (yet sometimes annoying) to capture his scenes and uses a minimalist technique to provide simple sets and simple staging where this could easily instead be scene on a stage, in fact, the actors (especially Law) use the platform as if they are on stage, not film, but I believe this works for this type of film.

An interesting note is that Sleuth was based on a 1970 stage play which was made into a film in 1972, and now remade in 2007. Michael Caine played Law’s character on the 1972 film. The 1972 version was critically and commercially successful. For whatever reason, the 2007 film was in very limited release at theaters and made only $205,000. Also, critics don’t agree with me as rottentomatoes.com shows a 35% fresh rating. This is why you read a critic like me who can be critical, but is more of a movie fan and forgets these old guys who try and compare remakes to their originals.

Most audiences would probably not be a fan of this type of filmmaking just like a character study such as About Schmidt, however, this simple type of filmmaking where the script, the director, and actors must be using their ‘A’ game to make the movie is a breath of fresh air compared to the Michael Bay action explosions of nothingness. Branagh does labor a little too long in some of his unusual angles, but Caine and Law keep the script interesting allowing the viewer to root for one or the other while wondering who will win in the end. The original score also moves the action in a dark yet simple sort of way.

A similar movie based on script and acting would be Before Sunset and Before Sunrise. If you like those movies, you’ll like this one; however, if you’re looking for a movie with action, overacting and heart pounding drama, you will probably go for a movie like Fracture. If you appreciate film and enjoy movies, Sleuth should be added to your must watch list.

Similar recommended titles: Fracture, Closer, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset