Movie: Sleuth (2007)

Yesterday I took a bag of DVDs to Half Price Books, stuff I bought over the past couple years because they were famous movies I'd never actually seen. Well, having watched them once I realized I'd never want to see them again, so might as well trade them in for something new. Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Taxi Driver, Reservoir Dogs, Vicky Christina Barcelona and a dozen others.

What I found to spend my trade-in on, was "Sleuth" with Michael Caine.

Except as I discovered this is not the 1972 movie I thought I was getting. This was a 2007 remake I'd never heard of, with Caine in the Sir Lawrence Olivier role and Jude Law in the Caine role. And Harold Pinter completely rewrote the script, keeping the bare bones of the story but changing everything else.

It had very imaginative cinematography. Lots of scenes were played behind something in the foreground that partially obscured the actors -- railings, blinds, curtains. The camera was sometimes focused on the actor's bodies, with their faces offscreen. Some scenes took place entirely offscreen, sound only, while the camera was locked down to where the actors had been a minute ago.

Even knowing that this would be a twisty mystery, like the 1972 movie (which I barely remember) or "Deathtrap" which stars Caine with Christopher Reeves, the movie was full of surprises. You never knew where the story would lurch sideways and completely overturn everything that had happened before.

And the ending -- well, it seemed like just another plateau in the ongoing escalation of the battle of wits, except the camera remained motionless for a long time, and then suddenly the credits rolled. COMPLETELY unexpected.

Incidentally I found the original 1972 film at Amazon, but most copies were in the neighborhood of $250. I ordered a $20 "acceptable quality" copy.

$250? What were you trying to buy, an original 35mm print?

I looked and saw new DVDs for less than $50. The highest price I saw was $129.

While scrounging around, I ran across an ad for "Léon: The Professional."
If you haven't seen this one, I suggest you consider it.

Que es? Not familiar.

It's an unusual movie.
Can't really say why I like it, but have watched it several times in the last twenty years. I guess maybe because it's just different. The hero is a hired killer, and he's the nicest guy in the flick.

I shall search for it on Amazon immediately.

My 1972 Sleuth arrived last night and is busy delighting me this very moment. I haven't seen it in 30 years but am fondly reliving my juvenile infatuation.

Done. $0.01 plus $3.99 shipping, I fully expect you'll reimburse me if I'm not delighted?

_Howard wrote:

have watched it several times in the last twenty years.

Movies I come back to repeatedly:

• Blow-Up
  
• Morgan
  
• Romeo and Juliet
  
• 8-1/2
  
• American Beauty
  
• Office Space
  
• Demolition Man
  
• Groundhog Day
  
• Bladerunner
  
• High Fidelity
  
• When Harry Met Sally
  
• Spring Forward
  

NoCoPilot wrote:

Done.  $0.01 plus $3.99 shipping, I fully expect you'll reimburse me if I'm not delighted?

Of course I will reimburse you (except for shipping costs, naturally).

The only one  on your list that I watch repeatedly is Blade Runner. Truly excellent.

Have you seen "The Usual Suspects" or "Reservoir Dogs"? Very good flicks.
While I'm making suggestions:
Kill Bill (both episodes)
Pulp Fiction
Sin City
The Fifth Element

All are pretty much what might be called "pulp" films, but very enjoyable.

Yes.

They didn't make my list.  I maybe should add Casablanca though.  And Mirage.

* Kill Bill - have 'em both 'cause the wife likes them. I'm not much of a revenge movie fan.
* Pulp Fiction - see above
* Sin City - don't believe I've seen it
* Fifth Element - name sounds familiar but no recollection

I have a couple dozen old films, including several of Hitchcock's best, but I probably only watch one or two of them a year. Excellent films, but as much as I admire them, I'm seldom in the proper mood for watching them. I used to watch them much more often.

I'm more likely to re-watch "Alien" than "Cat People" (the original).

Are you much of a David Lynch fan? Ever seen "Eraser Head"?

"Cat People" (as well as Zabriskie Point, Electra-Glide in Blue, Easy Rider, others) did not age well. I remembered them much more fondly than they appeared to deserve, on more recent viewings.

"The King of Marvin Gardens," OTOH, just gets better every time I see it. "Five Easy Pieces" is pretty damn good too. "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

Have (and love) Eraserhead. I even have the soundtrack album (which you have to buy directly from David Lynch).

It's not something you can watch casually though

Apocalypse Now is masterfully done, but my desire for war movies is limited.  The scenes with the heads on sticks makes me physically ill.

NoCoPilot wrote:

"Cat People" (as well as Zabriskie Point, Electra-Glide in Blue, Easy Rider, others) did not age well.  I remembered them much more fondly than they appeared to deserve, on more recent viewings.

I was referring the the 1942 version of "Cat People" which doesn't belong in the list of films you have there.

Love "Cuckoo's Nest" and "Marvin Gardens." "Five Easy Pieces"? Meh.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Apocalypse Now is masterfully done, but my desire for war movies is limited.  The scenes with the heads on sticks makes me physically ill.

I have trouble watching films about that particular war (I was not even able to sit through "Good Morning, Viet Nam"). For some reason, "Apocalypse Now" doesn't bother me and I quite enjoy it. Possibly because it contains so many unrealistic scenes and relies on artistic value rather than just simple atrocity.

Forget my "Meh" to Five Easy Pieces. It was a really good movie Especially for those who like toast). Somehow I was confusing it with some Clint Eastwood movie.

Sally Struthers, Karen White, playing piano on the back of a flatbed truck, "you want me to hold the chicken?" -- what's not to like? Parts of it were filmed up in my neck of the woods too.

We've had a few movies filmed here in my neck of the woods.
Here's a set from one of them: "The Ten Commandments" (1923).



When the filming was finished the producer/director Cecil B. DeMille had all the sets buried in the sand. The set pictured here is 700 feet long and 120 feet high.

Watching the fire made a big impression on you as a teenager I'll bet.

We roasted hot dogs.