The forthcoming remake of Sleuth, directed by Kenneth Branagh, has a new TRAILER. Looks to be a cleverly tricked out retooling of the Mankiewicz film, with cameras, computers, and remote controls replacing the various bric-a-brac that served as a mute audience in the original. Potentially less stagy and more cinematic.
Interesting that the trailer takes pains to advertise Harold Pinter's screenplay. Does that name mean anything to contempo American audiences? One could deduce that the film is going after the older set. The more sophisticated, "cultured" set.
The original is one of my all-time favorites. A tad arty, maybe, but a near-perfect example of the ultra-civilized entertainment (with a message).
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I need to see the original again... Er, I'm pretty sure I did see it before. Now, I definitely did see the play in London 5 years ago.
I heard the play is depressing and nihilistic. Can you corroborate?
Actually, I can't. My wife and I saw 3 plays in London, and the other 2 are very vivid in my memory, but this one isn't. I only remember thinking it was a competent, better-than-average thriller. (The other 2 were highlights of my theater-going experience: Mark Rylance in Peter Oswald's excellent adaptation of The Golden Ass at The Globe, and John Hurt in Brian Friel's Chekhov sequel, Afterplay.)
Ah, but to have seen it in 1970! Shaffer has said (with no false modesty) that the reviews were so high they might have been accorded to the Second Coming.
Speaking of Michael Caine in 1972, I just saw another gem on TV: Mike Hodges' Pulp. Very fun, with a short role by Mickey Rooney as well.
It came on after The Inpcress File which I've been dying to see for ages. I loved it until the brainwashing scenes brought the movie to an absolute halt. No doubt it was inspired by the recent Manchurian Candidate but the brainwashing sequences lacked any of Manchurian's cleverness. But until then it was such a great movie, which only increased the disappointment!
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