Movie Recommendation: Sleuth (2007)

Sleuth, starring Michael Caine & Jude Law, is a witty and thrilling movie about jealousy, deception, diplomacy, and breathtaking interior design.

I don't want to tell you too much, but I'll give you the first 5 minutes: Jude Law, a part-time hair dresser, visits the home of his lover's husband in order to convince him to agree to a divorce. A simple, somewhat realistic premise. Michael Caine plays the December husband (of the May-December marriage). He is a writer of thriller novels, & he makes sneaky plans for this naive visitor, which we see unfold in a whirlwind of manipulation and deceit.

I can't tell you anymore than that, except to say that as I watched I could not predict where the movie would be taking us, and what an exciting feeling that is!

Afterward, Robby and I discussed it, as we always do. The movie, directed by Kenneth Branaugh & written by Harold Pinter, is tightly scripted with ceaselessly clever exchanges between Law & Caine's characters. Usually, after I've seen a complex thriller, I run through the film in my head & try to find holes in the story. I did this immediately after Sixth Sense, The Village, Usual Suspects & Gaslight. Sometimes I find discrepancies and suddenly feel at a loss: "I spent two hours to watch that?! That plot was as porous as a colander!" I mean, if one is going to spend millions on making a movie, one should make sure to seal its story airtight, right? On the other hand, if a director offers too many obvious clues, then the film can't be categorized as a thriller anymore because the viewer is able to predict its conflict and resolution.

Sleuth is airtight. Sure, there are moments that seem otherworldly or not humanly possible. But the characters are so convincing that their discussions carry you along. It's like sitting in a raft on a tumultuous river; it's the experience of being swept by something uncontrollable or continuously restless.

Which led us to our next topic: Why are British actors so much better than American ones? & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?

Our meanderings on question #1: Why are British actors so much better than Americans?
Robby said it all, "They have Shakespeare." They have had centuries of theater, their acting schools are better (we assume), & their actors are disciplined. Jude Law gives his best performance in Sleuth, & you wouldn't know from his performances in American movies because they never require him to dive into the roles the way British movies like Sleuth do.
After our obsession with the HBO series The Wire, Robby & I were shocked to find that at least 3 major characters were played by British actors, British actors who took on Baltimorean accents! We were floored. So British actors have had Shakespeare and theater much longer than Americans have. Plus, who do we consider actors? Marilyn Monroe (who was more a Playboy Bunny than a thespian) & The Hills's bombshells? What about Harrison Ford? Sure, he's a decent actor - legendary in American cinema - but he always plays such similar characters. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who has chosen various bizarre roles, always seems to be the same guy. Robby thinks Kevin Spacey is a counterexample. So American actors don't have the range that British actors do.

Meanderings on questions #2: & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?
Smart movies don't sell here. People say they like to be entertained, which is synonymous with not thinking, I guess. For every surprise like Usual Suspects, The Spanish Prisoner, or The Player, we get 10 movies like Van Wilder, Superbad, and Air Force One. I must give credit to American filmmakers in one aspect, though: We are very talented in displaying crude humor.

Our American movies always follow the typical Hollywood framework:

1. There's always one protagonist & one antagonist.

2. There's always a sidekick. Usually comedic. Nowadays, more likely to be a person of color, so that movie company can claim it achieved diversity.

3. Usually, there's one person who serves as comic relief, the kind of comedy where we laugh at the expense of that person's clumsiness or ignorance. Americans are especially skilled in this type of humor. You'll find these kinds of humorists-in-training on the yard of any middle or high school.

4. The protagonist has zero to few flaws. If he has flaws, they were probably developed from a past traumatic experience. Therefore, he is not expected to fix them himself but with the help of an angelic friend (In Leaving Las Vegas or The Wrestler, both the angels were prostitutes or former prostitutes). They are not great flaws, and we forgive him for them.

5. Oh yeah, most importantly, protagonist is always MALE. If he is not, we Americans call that a "chick flick". This category supersedes any genre that the film may fall into otherwise, unless it is a thriller/horror or action movie, which are dominated by male audiences anyway. Especially if the heroine in the action movie is hot. See? Not a "chick flick" there.

6. There is always a female love interest who says very little and is not important enough to be a complex character. I guess she can be smart, but she always has to fall in love with the protagonist, or else why would he be the hero?

7. Most of the time, the film involves sacrifice and the emotions that come along with sacrifice: guilt, drug abuse, vengeance, catharsis, rage, redemption, you name it.

8. The stories always follow the hero's journey. I won't go into it now, but it's old, Greek, & the skeletal structure of every modern American film out there.

Writing this blog entry is tiring, and I did not think it would bring me here.
I better bring it to a close:

In conclusion, when I watched Sleuth I lost faith in our (Americans') ability to make movies well. Especially Vicky Cristina Barcelona, what a disappointment. But I won't get into that now. Watch Sleuth and you'll know what I mean.

P.S. Don't look for any info on this film. It's best if you watch it without having peeked at the scenes.