Reeve is, of course, best known for his role in the Superman movies. When Superman Returns was released people wondered if new comer Brandon Routh could match Reeve's turn as the iconic Man of Steel / bumbling Clark Kent. To be honest I couldn't figure out what they were talking about as far as I was concerned Reeves was pure wood. His turns in The Great Escape II, Somewhere In Time and Remains Of The Day also failed to convince but Deathtrap just shows that given the right script this man could be dynamite.

...obviously I don't want to spoil the film but I think it is fair to say that Reeves easily outshines Caine playing a role that demands absolute conviction in order to keep the audience onside. The film passes the time but Reeves makes it a pleasure and in this regard, for me, Deathtrap captures one of the pure joys of cinema - genuine surprise.

Sure, we could ask Topps, or do some Spring Training game-jersey research, but it's more fun to hear all the possibilities before boring reality is brought to the surface.

They are from slightly different angles and moments, but are these two photos, (allegedly) of Braves pitchers Mike Gonzalez and Jo-Jo Reyes, in fact, the exact same person?

Could be, the background seems to be the same, from the man in the dark blue shirt and hat near their left elbows, to the white "thing" (trash?) next to their right elbows. The glove is the exact same. Their sideburns are the same, so are their shoes, and their left sleeves. The shadows are very close to the same. So, if they are not the same, when did teammates ever wear different uniforms in the same game (based on the crowd/background), even in Spring Training?

What do you think?

*For a slightly larger image, click here or on the picture itself, then in the bottom right corner*

Cast & Credits

Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Harold Pinter; based on the play by Anthony Shaffer. MPAA: Rated R for strong language. Runtime: 86 min.

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Kenneth Branagh usually comes up with some interesting directorial strategies. The trouble is, they usually don't work, and neither do the films. He's inventive, ambitious, and courageous, but I somehow never feel he's a natural film-maker.

Nevertheless, some critics were perhaps too nasty about SLEUTH. The film unites an interesting bunch of people, looks very handsome, and is easy enough to watch. There are good bits. Harold Pinter's reworking of Anthony Shaffer's play is often amusing.

JL: "Maggie never told me you were... such a manipulator. She told me you were no good in bed, but she never told me you were such a manipulator."
MC: "She told you I was no good in bed?"
JL: "Oh, yes."
MC: "She was joking. I'm wonderful in bed."
JL: "I must tell her."

As in the original, a successful thriller writer confronts the much younger man who has made off with his wife, and a variety of vicious mind-games are played. Pinter dispenses with Shaffer's critique of the English mystery novel tradition, leaving the piece as simply another Pinter power-play of pauses. Even the title becomes irrelevant.

One can't escape the fact that the gimmick casting -- Michael Caine returns from the original Joe Mankiewicz version, but playing the other part, Jude Law, who's already played a Caine role in the ALFIE remake, plays Caine's part from the original --  is a titillating concept, but not necessarily the best way to fill the parts. Olivier, in the original film, stood boldly for the English establishment, and Caine was the working-class upstart -- it was almost too perfect. With cockney Caine as the rich author and the vaguely classless Law as his romantic rival, the distinction is lost. But more important is what Branagh can get out of these actors in the way of acting.

Caine starts off like he's trying for poshness, perhaps imitating Alan Bates (a fine interpreter of Pinter), which is a bit queasy. The it starts to feel like he doesn't know his lines well enough -- little hesitations and bodging of the difficult bits are either methody additions or genuine screw-ups, and either way they're harmful to Pinter's rhythms. But gradually Caine's undiminished charm and inexplicable authority work their spell, and he becomes enjoyable.

Law is fine when he underplays, and rather embarassing when he tries too hard. He's a star when he just holds the camera's gaze. Some insecurity forces him to spoil it by doing stuff, and the effort shows. He's probably most useful when he's being tormented by Caine, since some evil part of this viewer derives some pleasure from seeing Law having a hard time. Later, he will do foolish things with a loaded pistol, much like the detective in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE.

Nobody would call this prime Pinter. Although the Great Man has written screen thrillers successfully in the past (THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM, under-valued) here there are odd, damaging implausibilities. Why does Caine have an automated rope ladder in his stately home? Why does Law take his gun from his holster for no reason, lay it on the bed for no reason, thus allowing Caine to grab it at the climax? That's quite bad playwriting, or direction.

What makes the film watchable? The set, designed by Branagh's regular collaborator Tim Harvey, is very nice, all shiny surfaces and disco lighting, and the photography of Haris Zambarloukos serves up innumerable great widescreen close-ups. But the James Bond lair doesn't make much sense, and is part of the overall watering-down of Shaffer's original concept, the conflict between tradition and progress. The Bond vibe is both apt and ironic, since original Bond designer Ken Adam created the look of the original SLEUTH,

The stylised environment is doubtless meant to provide a comfortable setting for the stylised talk, but Pinter's verbal gymnastics are defiantly archaic, and sound more so amid these glossy surfaces and pointless hi-tech appurtenances. I'm reminded of the grand staircase in FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S KENNETH BRANAGH'S MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN (I think that's the full title), which has no bannister and makes you nervous to look at it. It's quite an interesting effect, but you can't help wonder WHY would anybody have a stair like that in their house?

This next is a bit spoilerific -- if you've read the above and still plan on seeing SLEUTH, skip this last stuff.

Full disclosure -- Stephen Murphy, prosthetic makeup artist for Jude Law, did the make-up on my clown film and is a good friend. He's been working on HARRY POTTERS and stuff, turning ex-porn dwarfs into goblins, working his way up, and this is is his biggest job yet. Oddly, the transformation reminds me of another make-up creation, even though Stephen didn't design the Law job.

It's the Ringo Starr/Mexican bandit look Stephen created for Alice Bicknell in my film CLARIMONDE using mainly liquid latex and wet tissue paper. I'm also reminded of another makeup creation, Reece Shearsmith as Geoff Tipps in THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN:

Even the voice is the same! The transformation works OK until Law starts overdoing it again, which makes him more recognisable. Stephen reports that Law was a very nice chap to work with, which is about what I'd expect, actually. Hitting the odd paparazzo doesn't make him a bad guy, in fact I give him points for it, even though I'm anti-violence.

In the original SLEUTH, make-up artist Tom Smith, required to transform Michael Caine completely, executed a self-portrait, changing Caine into a Smith clone. I asked Stephen if he'd been tempted to do the same, but alas, he hadn't known. What might have been REALLY interesting would have been if the remake's make-up DESIGNER, Eileen Kastner-Delago, had given Law a sex change and made him over in her own image.

Sexual ambiguity does enter the picture in the last act, with both Caine and Law suggesting bisexual sides, a motif borrowed from Sidney Lumet and Ira levin's DEATHTRAP, the low-rent version of SLEUTH -- Caine, having kissed Christopher "Superman" Reeve, now kisses "Sky Captain". But this additional twist leads to no new dramatic suspense, and certainly doesn't carry the mild shock value it did in 1982 ("But it's so juicy," Lumet pleaded, when Reeve objected to the kiss). As with the despised DIABOLIQUE, the re-makers try to preserve the twist surprise by adding a further wrinkle to the already-creased story, but it does nothing but drag the film long past its emotional climax... which is about half an hour in.

For all that, the film is diverting, short, and at least it has a different set of flaws from the ones we're used to seeing all the time. Any bets on what the next Michael Caine remake will be?

Pick of the Week: Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant's dreamy existentialist piece concerning a skater and an accidental death. It's slow, considered and utterly beguiling.

Also Out:
The Golden Compass - A shocking disappointment from promising source material.
Lust, Caution - Ang Lee's exploration of sex and hate which I am yet to see.
We Own The Night - Another only-okay gangster-ish movie from James Gray which, again, stars Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix.
Waitress - Terrific final film from the late Adrienne Shelly featuring charming performances from Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.
Sleuth - Jude Law... I hate him. You may love him. Go from there.
Out of the Blue - Yet to see this but apparently a thoughtful reflection on a tragic incident in New Zealand history. Will be checking it out.

Region 1:
27 Dresses - It doesn't look like much but with James Marsden on board, I could rent it.

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is a critically acclaimed, Palme d'Or winning Romanian drama about illegal abortions during the Ceausescu regime - which sounds about as much fun as actually being there and yet the reviews seem to be universally great as the film apparently works as a piece of pure cinema and not just the 'issues' movie that it could have been in less confident hands.

To lighten the mood a bit we have Waitress and I'm a Cyborg; two very different but equally quirky love stories.  Now I realise that the word 'quirky' can be a turn off but these two films prove that it can work wonders when done right.  The former is the story of pie obsessed waitress (the cooking not eating variety) who gets pregnant whilst having an affair with her doctor.  It is an odd film but well worth checking out for the excellent cast (incl. Firefly's Nathan Fillion) and upbeat philosophy.  I'm A Cyborg is the latest barrel of weirdness from Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and centres on a girl who believes herself to be a cyborg (hence the title) and the schizophrenic who befriends her.  Like the director's previous titles this is stuff that you are either into or not and if you are into it, as I am, then you are in for a treat.

Linking this week's new releases to re-releases is Sleuth, a film about which it is polite to say as little as possible so as not to ruin it for those that have not yet had the pleasure.  I haven't yet seen the new Michael Caine / Jude Law version (released this week) but I can tell you that the Laurence Olivier / Michael Caine version (re-released this week) is a cracking piece of work and so I am half intrigued to see what screenwriter Harold Pinter and director Kenneth Branagh have done with it and half dreading the presence of Jude Law (a great British actor cursed with never having made a truly classic film - also see Richard Burton).

This week's other re-releases include the beautiful Lancelot du Lac and a special edition of the very special Assault On Precinct 13, but the best one surely has to be the Sergei Eisenstein: Vol 2 - Historical Epics boxset.  This collection of the soviet director's best works (i.e Alexander Nevsky, Ivan The Terrible and Ivan The Terrible Part 2: The Boyars Plot) shows a master film-maker at the top of his game - if you like film then you are duty bound to watch these and cower in their towering intellect and audacity.

Finally, there is the documentary Zizek.  If you do not know who Slavoj Zizek is, find a copy of The Pervert's Guide To Cinema (clips can be seen here) and you will be smitten enough to check out this documentary.

Освен че се казвам Маги, имам отвратително его. Плюс мания за божественост. Ако на ден не ми се повтаря поне по 3 пъти, че съм прекрасна, се цупя. Хахахах, оф, не, не ме слушайте. Не.... просто съм в такова особено психическо състояние сега, че си нямате и представа. Нещо като да се натъпчеш с кило шоколад и после да сънуваш ягодови полета.

Изгледах Sleuth. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857265/

Филмът е прекрасен подарък за именния ми ден. (Само чантата по любимото ми аниме, Death Note, го конкурира, но за нея следващия път). Във филма участват само двама (мъже) - Джъд Лоу и Майкъл Кейн. Срамувам се, че не познавам втория, но първия... ааааааааааргх. Не, няма да изпадна в nosebleed-ове, досега се лигавих пред монитора. Shaft of Light, моята вярна жрица, човекът, който търпи и мен, и егото ми по цял ден, ми го прати, с думите "Тук гаджето на Джъд се казва Маги." (само за справка, аз й дадох "Враг пред портите", където гаджето му се казва Таня ^^).

Та Джъд и Майкъл яко се сдърпват заради Маги, която така и не се мярка във филма. Да си представим, че заради мене xD. И започват убийствена психологическа игра, в невероятното имение на Майкъл. Aдските диалози, стряскащи ситуации, страст... мамка му, умрях от кеф. Пък имението...апартаментите...стила... природата....лукса..сарказма...усмивката на Джъд

И най-важното - мигът, в който Джъд казва "Maggie and me". Произнася го както трябва - "Маги". Никакви Меги-та, те са в "Птиците умират сами".

И така. Получих си дозата Джъд Лоу. Лягам си прещастлива. =)

Трйлър: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1uminNbJbQ

За саундтрака мислех да пиша отделно, но нека са заедно. Саундтрака е велик! Пиано и цигулка. Инструментал е целия. Изчистен от ненужни неща като целия филм. И най-странното - не е композиран от Клинт Мансел, а от Патрик Дойл, композирал музиката към "Ерагон", "Хари Потър и огнения бокал", "Killing me softly" и куп други. Изненада, GIGLs, има и други добри композитори освен Клинт! :Р Грабете от тук.

Anywayz, these are the movies they are showing this day (will get back to ya tomorrow if there was a change). By the way, Cinemas 7 and 8 are under renovation. Hmmm, seems like their going for the all new cinemas where everything will be twice as expensive. Oh, well....moving on:

Cinema 1: Sleuth

Plot from imdb:  On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

Cinema 2: Horton Hears A Who

Plot from imdb:  Horton the Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists.

Cinema 3: Untraceable

Plot from imdb: FBI agent Jennifer Marsh is tasked with hunting down a seemingly untraceable serial killer who posts live videos of his victims on the Internet. As time runs out, the cat and mouse chase becomes more personal.

Cinema 4: 10,000 B.C.

Plot from imdb:  A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe.

Cinema 5: Supahpapalicious

Plot from clickthecity.com: In order to win the love of his life, Adonis has to win over her only son. The son has decided that the only kind of man good enough for his mother is a man with a big family. Adonis, with the help of some friends who work in special effects, must now pretend to be a whole cast of characters of Adonis' imaginary family, and convince the son that Adonis is good enough.

Cinema 6: My Big Love

Plot from clickthecity.com: In order to get with the girl of his dreams, an overweight chef hires a personal trainer to help him lose some weight. As they work together, they begin to feel genuine affection for each other. Two years later, the personal trainer returns from working abroad, and the chef is fit and a highly-sought bachelor. The chef has to make a choice: the girl of his dreams, or the girl who loved him from the start.

I'm only interested in Horton and Sleuth. I've seen My Big Love and 10,000 B.C. 10,000 B.C. was kewl, in my opinion. There were some insane things about it but I liked it. I wrote a review on my multiply page (http://jerkrad.multiply.com). My Big Love is a Pinoy film that stars Toni Gonzaga, Sam Milby, and Kristine Hermosa. It was a typical Pinoy romantic comedy but otherwise still kewl.

I'm not so interested in Supahpapalicious because the trailer was not good enough, for me anywayz. And some reviews have not been kind to the film. So, maybe I'll find another way to see the movie. Haha... :D Baaad. Vhong is kewl but I think this will be another Don Romantiko.

I saw Horton today and it was fun. I've never seen an elephant run that fast! Its an animated feature, unusual things happen. The story is simple but I loved the characters. They were really kewl.

I'm interested in watching Sleuth  because movies like that interest me. :D

Преуспевающий автор детективных романов Эндрю Уайк приглашает к себе в гости Майло Тиндла, любовника своей жены. Тот прибывает в роскошный особняк писателя, где получает неожиданное предложение. Сэр Эндрю знает об их связи и даже готов отпустить жену, …на определенных условиях. Хитроумный план включает в себя инсценировку ограбления, махинации со страховкой и весьма пикантные ситуации, что в результате должно обеспечить всем безбедное существование. Писатель, и гость вступают в рискованную игру, но еще неизвестно, кто выйдет из нее победителем.
Римейк одноименного фильма, поставленного Джозефом Л. Манкевичем в 1972 году с Лоуренсом Оливье и Майклом Кейном в главных ролях. В оригинальной картине Майкл Кейн исполнял роль молодого писателя.
Трейлер к фильму 1972 года:

Trailer: 4.67 Mb / 10.81 Mb / 17.17 Mb / 31.37 Mb / 76.31 Mb / 129.70 Mb
International trailer: 4.23 Mb / 10.73 Mb / 19.14 Mb
Russian trailer: 5.73 Mb / 10.02 Mb
Official site

Given it's late and I"m tired, and given that yesterday's post was very serious with deep advice, I decided that the perfect balance to that is to seek "Life Advice on the Other End of the Spectrum," ie "the ridiculous." For that, one must seek out ....Nancy Drew.

I have this book, Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit & Wisdom of Nancy Drew." It's compiled by Jennifer Fisher for Meredith Books. It's a collection of humorous advice based on Nancy's adventures in the original 56 yellow-spined books....the ones I grew up with...the only "true" Nancy Drew stories...though we won't get into those 1930s original versions that are so politically incorrect it's not only embarrassing but painful. I tend toward the 1950s/1960s versions of the stories. Most of the really offensive stuff was edited out.

Anyway, when you've really been pushed to your limits, I say, chuck the serious advice and go for the silly. I think even Eleanor Roosevelt and Pema Chodron might agree with me. So I leave you with a few bits of life wisdom, compliments of Nancy's adventures and the anonymous author of this book.

"If someone's trying to buy a house and it suddenly becomes haunted, it's probably not a coincidence." (The Hidden Staircase)

"A fashion-conscious sleuth always puts on her robe and slippers before she investigates things in the middle of the night." (The Secret of the Golden Pavilion)

"When your special friend is coming over, you might get your housekeeper to serve cake and ice cream while wearing a pretty apron and cap." (The Clue in the Diary)

"While waiting out an overheating car in the desert, it's always refreshing to touch up your lipstick before your rescuers arrive." (The Secret of Shadow Ranch)

and last but not least, advice on love:

"When your boyfriend is chloroformed and tied to a tree and he's just disgusted with himself at being caught instead of you for getting him into this predicament, you know he likes you." (The Ghost of Blackwood Hall)

Some other time I will have to give the tallies for how many times in these books, Nancy has been knocked unconscious, her car totaled, her house robbed, her father, housekeeper, best friends, boyfriend and her dog knocked unconscious. I figure by the time she is 40, the brain damage from getting hit over the head or chloroformed, will have set in and she probably can't afford car insurance because of all the times she was run off the road by the villains.

Until then....

Stasera ho visto Sleuth, un film con un'ottima sceneggiatura e due soli grandi protagonisti.

Michael Caine e Jude Law interpretano rispettivamente un vecchio scrittore di successo miliardario, e uno squattrinato di origini italiane che fa il parrucchiere e che ha portato via la moglie al ricco egocentrico.

Milo (Law) va a trovare Andrew (Caine) nella villa di quest'ultimo (stupenda, quanto mi piacerebbe una villa così!) per discutere della separazione che lo scrittore non vuole concedere alla moglie.

Le prime scene con la visuale dall'alto e le prime battute tra i due abbinate a piani inusuali mi ha fatto molto apprezzare la regia di Branagh.

La prima mezz'ora di film è ottima, da sola vale tutto il film, poi il gioco si ripete e s'intuisce il meccanismo della sfida tra i due.

Sono interessanti le riflessioni che nascono dalla visione del film: sul bisogno di possesso della nostra cultura (la donna stessa oggetto della rivalità tra i due rappresenta un trofeo da vincere piuttosto che l'amata e tra l'altro non compare mai nel film), sulla sensualità del cervello rispetto al corpo, sul tradimento, l'umiliazione e la vendetta.

I due interpreti sono molto intriganti e riescono a trasmettere anche la giusta sensualità a questo film davvero ben riuscito.

VOTO: 8 

Curiosità:

Il film è un remake del film del 1972 dove Caine interpretava, a suo tempo, il giovane amante.

Law interpreta per la seconda volta un ruolo interpretato da Caine (il primo era Alfie).

Qui trovate il trailer: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=ewbdsAWXVPg

Sleuth miał wszelkie możliwości, żeby spełnić wymagania dobrego filmu. Po kolei: świetny pierwowzór (pod tym samym tytułem, z 1972 roku, autorstwa Josepha L. Mankiewicza), znakomity scenariusz autorstwa, uwaga, samego Harolda Pintera (a więc laureata Literackiej Nagrody Nobla z 2005 r.), niezłego reżysera (znany miłośnik Szekspira w każdej postaci, Kenneth Branagh) oraz dwójkę wybitnych aktorów - Jude'a Lawa oraz Michaela Caine'a (jako ciekawostkę dodam, że grał również w wersji oryginalnej, tylko oczywiście odtwarzał tam inną postać). Jak się jednak okazało, wszystko to było za mało.

Akcja jest bardzo prosta - doświadczony wiekowo i życiowo bogaty pisarz (Caine) zaprasza do swojej posiadłości młodego i przystojnego aktora (Law), który romansuje z żoną popularnego literata. Każdy rzecz jasna próbuje ugrać coś dla siebie - starszy głównie szuka zemsty, która ma wnieść emocje do jego wyjałowionego już życia, a młodszy walczy o rozwód dla swojej kochanki, a więc o możliwość ich dalszego bycia razem. Brzmi nieźle? Niestety, na tym się kończy.

Film nie jest szczególnie długi, ale niemiłosiernie się dłuży. Oczywiście, można by przyjąć, że to wymogi konwencji, ale wcale to nie działa na jego korzyść. Reżyser założył sobie bowiem, że będzie to de facto teatr telewizji, tylko, że oglądany na większym ekranie. Ci, którzy pomyśleli sobie teraz, że to dobry pomysł, na pewno nie widzieli jeszcze Sleuth. Aktorski pojedynek, na który widzowie ostrzyli sobie zęby okazuje się bowiem pokazem sztuczności i przerysowanej do granic rozsądku gry. Oczywiście, aby utrzymać napięcie, mając do dyspozycji zaledwie dwójkę bohaterów, dodatkowo pojawiających się wyłącznie w ograniczonej i zamkniętej przestrzeni, trzeba być niemal mistrzem reżyserskiego warsztatu. Ale czy to, że Branagh okazał się nim nie być, rozgrzesza go choćby w najmniejszym stopniu?

Zresztą im dalej, tym gorzej. Reżyser raczy coraz to bardziej wymyślnymi ujęciami, z niezwykłą wręcz dbałością skupiając się na zupełnie nieistotnych detalach scenografii i bardzo wyraźnie podkreślając w ten sposób, że to, co widzimy to dekoracja. Taka umowność sprawdza się w prawdziwym teatrze, ale na ekranie kinowym co najmniej dziwi. Kilka sprawnie wyuczonych sztuczek, ale nic poza tym. Twórcza pustka. Kwintesencja stwierdzenia o przeroście formy nad treścią.

Tak naprawdę, do końca nawet nie wiadomo, co jest główną osią pojedynku między bohaterami. Wydawać by się mogło, że chodzi o kobietę, ale w pewnym momencie Branagh przenosi środek ciężkości na, nieumotywowaną niczym, relację homoerotyczną postaci. Zupełnie niezrozumiały zabieg, dla którego nie widzę innego wyjaśnienia, jak tylko dodatkowe i zupełnie niepotrzebne pogmatwanie sytuacji. I oczywiście skonfundowanie najbardziej wytrwałego widza.

Omijać z daleka, chyba, że chcecie przetestować własną cierpliwość.

Tym razem wyjątkowo nie wrzucam trailera filmu, bo mógłby kogoś wprowadzić w błąd. W zamian, promo oryginalnej wersji:

I've always firmly believed that if a script, or more specifically, the dialogue, is good, the movie can never be *that* bad. A good script can keep the audience's interest alive, even if all other aspects of the movie fail. Well-placed witticisms and statements that subtly tease the viewer to delve beneath the surface and truly connect with the characters and their frame of mind can inevitably make the difference between a good movie and a bad one.

Sleuth not only delivers on all these fronts, instantly making it a very watch-able movie, but also goes the proverbial distance - with powerhouse acting by Caine and Law, incredible sets, and Branagh's classy direction, you'd be hard-pressed to find *anything* wrong with the movie.

Loosely based on the Anthony Shaffer play, Sleuth pits the very famous crime-writer Anthony Wyke (Caine) against the young, brash actor, Milo Tindle (Law). Tindle has come to Wyke's paranoia-induced (I'm pretty sure that's a fair extrapolation, what with the staggering number of surveillance cameras he seems to have peppered all over his estate) technological fortress to ask for a divorce; Tindle has run off with Wyke's wife, and they want to get married as soon as possible. Wyke seemingly takes it in his stride, and does Tindle one better - he proposes that Tindle steal his precious jewels and sell them, while Wyke reaps the insurance money. The reason: He wants to make sure that his wife doesn't come back to him, and so wants to ensure that this out-of-work actor can accommodate her extravagant lifestyle.

The opening scene sets the standard for the rest of the movie - an almost aerial view of the characters' cars, with Wyke remarking "Mine's bigger than yours". What follows is an intense battle of wits in a claustrophobic arena; an intellectual cage-match, if you will, that the actors (and the characters they portray) seem to play with each other with effortless ease. With plot-twists and intense acting, Sleuth borders on the realm of a psychological thriller, forever keeping you on the edge of your seat, straining your ears to listen to every word so as not to miss a single syllable, a single nuance. The haunting score adds to the eerie atmosphere, getting darker as the game gets more serious. Branagh, as with his other movies, shows a mastery rarely seen, but never forgotten. The effortless way he tells the tale through a mixture of close-ups and surveillance photography creates a distance and a sense of scale that matches the actors and the ambiguous characters they've created. This is a visual masterpiece, perfectly complemented by a wonderful script.

Note: From other reviews I've heard/read, don't expect to see a remake of the 1972 film. This is not The Omen; Branagh's direction and Harold Pinter's screenplay have created a movie that *very* loosely follows the same story. The only common points would probably be Michael Caine (Caine had earlier portrayed Tindle in the 1972 film), the basic outline, and the end.
(Or so I've heard. I haven't seen the '72 film myself, so I can't really compare.)

For further info: Sleuth at IMDb.com

Sleuth

Sleuth is set in a Wiltshire manor house belonging to Andrew Wyke who is, himself, a successful mystery writer.

The home reflects Wyke's obsession with the inventions and deceptions of fiction and his fascination with games and game-playing. He lures his wife's lover, Tindle, into the house and convinces him to stage a robbery of her jewelry, a proposal that sets off a chain of events that leaves the audience trying to decipher where Wyke's imagination ends and reality begins.

Written by Tony-award winning British playwrite Anthony Shaffer in 1970 and later transferred into a successful film directed by Kenneth Branagh (starring Michael Caine) in 2007, this new production stars Simon MacCorkindale, best known for his role as Consultant Harry Harper in Casualty. Joining him on stage is film and television star Michael Praed, who is well remembered as the original Robin of Sherwood, and whose roles on American television include Dynasty and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.

Alive with nail biting anticipation this psychological thriller promises to baffle even the most proficient sleuth!

'Surely the most fiendishly clever thriller ever written for the stage' - The Times

BECK THEATRE, HAYES : CLICK HERE for tickets 11 Feb 2008 to 16 Feb 2008

NEW VICTORIA THEATRE WOKING:

Mon 3 Mar: 8:00pm
Tue 4 Mar: 8:00pm
Wed 5 Mar: 2:30pm, 8:00pm
Thu 6 Mar: 8:00pm
Fri 7 Mar: 8:00pm
Sat 8 Mar: 2:30pm, 8:00pm

The International Make-up Artist Trade Show brings together make-up

artists from all over the world in a weekend dedicated to education in

a constantly evolving industry.  Artists from every area of the

business - film, television, fashion and editorial - get together to

share their thoughts and experiences, catch up with old friends and

check out new products and techniques.  Temptu has had a presence at

IMATS since it's first UK show seven years ago and this year the stand

was a hive of activity as usual.

Certainly one of the reasons were the new lines currently available

from Temptu that were being demonstrated constantly on the stand

including the Dura Pro Palettes, the new lines in Professional Tattoo

Transfers and the SB Airbrow Kit.  Among those who dropped by to take

in the new products were UK prosthetics experts and BAFTA Award

Winners Neill Gorton (From Hell, The League of Extraordinary

Gentlemen, Doctor Who) and Nick Dudman (Harry Potter, Batman Begins,

The Fifth Element) both of whom left with a selection of the Dura Pro Palettes. 

One of the great things about IMATS is the mix of nationalities

present at the show with artists from as far afield as Iceland,

Sweden, Spain,  Malta and Japan all stopping by to purchase goods and

check out new lines.  It was a delight to see once again  British

prosthetics team Aaron & Marilyn Sherman (De-Lovely, French &

Saunders) and introduce them to a  selection of the Temptu range. 

Scottish Television make-up artist Cicely Connelly (Holby City,

NY-LON) was very keen to check out the new range of Pro-Tattoo

Transfers and Australian born Fashion and Editorial hair and make-up

artist Terry Wilson couldn't wait to try out the Airbrow Kit.  Eileen

Kastner Delago (Sleuth, Alfie) also took time out of her busy schedule

to make sure visit our stand and chat to Michael Benjamin and discuss

how she might be able to work with Temptu on future projects.  

(written by Paul Vale)  

Highly acclaimed makeup artist Eileen Kastner-Delago gives Jude Law the Temptu treatment in his latest film "Sleuth"

Sleuth IMDB page

Eileen Kastner-Delago

Temptu