Sleuth (2007)

CinemaSerf December 21, 2025

★ 6/10

If you saw the 1972 version with Olivier and Caine then that will likely have robbed this iteration of a fair chunk of it’s jeopardy, especially in the latter stages as Sir Michael's "Andrew" invites playboy “Milo” (Jude Law) to his ultra-modern country pile where his host suggests a plan by which he can continue to cheat with his wife. Indeed, not just that but secure the funds to keep them both in the style to which she has already become accustomed. Thing is though, has the cocky young man the intellect to match the wily and shrewd “Andrew”? Is there a deal on the cards to keep both men happy? Caine makes for quite an engaging protagonist for the first half hour, but unfortunately the scheme itself struggles to remain plausible and as the second phase of their tennis match kicked in I felt the pace and the thrust of the concept just too weak to hold my attention. It’s as i…