While the likes of Knives Out and the other films highlighted in this feature often enjoy the luxury of a large ensemble cast to tell their tales of murder most foul, the film that I have chosen to close this feature is one that I feel is a brilliant example that one need not always go the ensemble route. Enter Sleuth, a film that manages squeezes more than enough mystery out of a tiny cast than even the most star-studded of works.
Based on the play of the same name, Sleuth follows Milo Tindell, a hairdresser who is called to the home of Andrew Wyke, a successful crime author. Tindell is having an affair with the host’s wife and Wyke knows it, with the two becoming locked in an increasingly brutal mind game.
As suggested in the intro to this section, Sleuth, unlike the other films discussed this feature, does not possess a large ensemble cast, with it instead boasting an all-star cast of two. However, when the entire cast list consists of Michael Caine and Laurence Oliver, do you really need anyone else?
In marked contrast to the elaborate plots of most murder mysteries, Sleuth opts for a more stripped-down approach, with the film consisting of Caine and Oliver strolling around a stately manner talking for 2 hours. While on paper, this might sound like a recipe for an especially dull and restrained experience, on-screen it is anything but, with it allowing the pair to do what they do best, with both deservedly receiving Oscar nominations for arguably two of the best performances of their long and illustrious careers.
Oliver excels at presenting himself a grand old gentleman with his eccentric charm and quaint polite quintessentially English mannerisms serving as a mask hiding a vindictive, narcissistic, sadistic elitist who deems himself to be more intelligent than the masses who consume his popular detective books. Caine on the other hand as the ever sharply dressed Everyman with strong working-class roots and a troubled upbringing to boot initially appears as the more sympathetic of the two, but beneath this cheeky and sometimes tragic facade lurks a smarter character than first appearances might suggest.
That duality within the characters and the way they contrast (and somewhat mirror) with each other is partly why the performances work so well and why they are so magnificent to watch. It is joy to watch the two legends lock horns, trade barbs, be oh so very funny and witty with an array of silly voices (especially Oliver who is clearly having a wail of a time) while also veering subtly into much darker territory as they begin to manipulate each other and grow ever more menacing and sadistic depending on who has the upper hand.
The script, adapted by Anthony Shaffer from his award-winning play, is fantastic, managing to be simplistic in it’s set up while also being rather complex in its execution. The film’s tone shifts throughout the runtime, beginning as a rather funny clash of classes as Oliver and Caine trade barbs and plot a fun game to play together involving a break-in and a clown suit, before taking a gradual turn into darker territory as both gradually reveal the real motives behind their meeting. Yet, despite the tonal shifts, the changes never feel as abrupt or awkward as they might in other films, with the film retaining a strong feeling of menace that permeates throughout. The earlier moments might make you laugh, but you can’t help but feel uneasy as you do so.
The script also allows for, what I feel is, a subtle commentary on other issues such as fidelity, masculinity and most obviously class, with the upper-class theatrics of Oliver (who had recently become Lord Oliver when he took on the role) clashing fiercely with the working class plain-speaking Caine, creating a rather uncomfortable but also fascinating commentary in a way that doesn’t feel too heavy-handed.
The story is novel in the way it approaches the familiar murder mystery plotline, opting to emphasize the mystery aspect. The viewer is kept in suspense as to when a murder will be committed and by whom. Yet, things are not as simple as they might first appear to seem, but to divulge any further really would be spoiling things. The constant twists and turns that the plot throws at you keep you on your toes and while some are very obvious (which I think might be deliberate) others come across as genuine surprises that will leave you perplexed, bewildered but also, hopefully, impressed that you didn’t see them coming. Quite simply, this is how you do a murder mystery.
Brilliant from the first frame to the last, Sleuth is a masterpiece and a prime example that you don’t need an all star cast or an elaborate plot to tell a good mystery story, all you need is a mansion, a great script and arguably two of the greatest actors of all time. Do yourself a favour and seek this one out.
Agree with my choices or do you have your own suggestions? Let me what you think in the comments section or feel free let me know on Twitter at Graeme Robertson@robertsong93. Thanks.
