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Sleuth (1972)

Mystery | 138 minutes
3,74 316 votes

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Duration: 138 minuten

Country: United States / United Kingdom

Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Stars: Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine and Alec Cawthorne

IMDb score: 7,9 (51.396)

Releasedate: 10 December 1972

US
UK

This movie is not available on US streaming services.

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Sleuth plot

"Think of the perfect crime... Then go one step further."

Milo Tindle and Andrew Wyke have something in common, which is Andrew's wife. In order not to lose a fortune on the divorce, Andrew has devised a plan. Milo is supposed to rob Andrew's house and so Andrew can claim the insurance money.

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Full Cast & Crew

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Milo Tindle

Inspector Doppler

Detective Sergeant Tarrant

Marguerite Wyke

Police Constable Higgs

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avatar van Onderhond

Onderhond

  • 87451 messages
  • 12499 votes

heh.

Will someone put me out of my misery and confirm that this is actually a comedy? A bit dark perhaps, but mystery/thriller I absolutely do not see in this.

I really didn't expect the clownish atmosphere (and I don't use that word just because of the suit) in this film. Certainly not after a very dull intro. But gradually it becomes more and more comical. You can see the plot twists coming from miles away (that disguise also of Caine, it's just not yet Samson and Gert), so there is never any tension.

Furthermore, only moderately acted by both gentlemen. Caine in particular sometimes falls through the cracks (that reaction when he is threatened with death ). Visually a lot of seventies ugliness, especially in the use of color. To be honest, I didn't really notice and/or remember the soundtrack. And that playing time ... well. Might be responsible for people who didn't see the twists coming.

But I could laugh about it every now and then. No idea if it was all the intention, but luckily a little less dull than I had feared beforehand. Although it all still looks very clumsy.

1.5*

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van Roger Thornhill

Roger Thornhill

  • 5832 messages
  • 2337 votes

Long searched for this DVD, found by chance on an Anchor Bay release with no subtitles but with an excellent transfer and a nice documentary (mainly an interview with Anthony Shaffer), and the experience is still as intense as when I first saw the film. saw more than 40 years ago. Olivier is delightfully jerky (his overacting that bothers some users here seems to me to be just part of his arrogant character), Caine tries to keep his cool as he slowly gets spun in, and during the last half hour the tension builds. sublimely screwed up. "The shortest way to a man's heart is through humiliation" : Olivier dominates the first half of the film, Caine the second. Admittedly, now that I know I recognize the voice of Michael Caine in the "inspector" , but when I first saw the film I absolutely did not realize it, nor did the undercurrent of the very British class system that I do recognize now. Top notch entertainment thanks to a great script and two – well, three – brilliant performances. Watching the remake again tomorrow, I have pretty good memories of that too.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van Woland

Woland

  • 4517 messages
  • 3650 votes

I had a great time with Sleuth. What is striking is the minimal cast, in which there are really only two real roles. It's a film that's made in a kind of whodunit style, but also different: it's not so much that a murder has to be unraveled, it's more that two people are constantly outsmarting each other. trying to stand out through an increasingly complex game of double and triple and quadruple bluff. Far too complicated to be true, but still entertainingly told with lots of manipulations and twists. Good actors too, with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine as the two competing men. As befits a good whodunit, it also has a slightly corny atmosphere, with a classic setting in a large mansion with an aristocratic character, which in turn makes fun of the film itself. Very nice done.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original