This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 2:31 pm and is filed under Drama, Movie Reviews, NEW ON VIDEO, S, Thriller/Mystery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Michael Caine, Jude Law,
Director Kenneth Branagh, best known for his Shakespearean projects, adapts another stage play to the screen, with this remake of a 1972 mystery feature. Branagh makes effective use of unusual camera angles, moody lighting, and colors while the top-notch performers masterfully deliver their dialog that is as clever as one would expect from a theatrical conversion. The Harold Pinter, classic-style mystery keeps the viewer wondering right to the end. The first twist comes before the film even begins, with the casting of Michael Caine, who played the younger man in the original 1972 motion picture, and accepted the role of the mature man in this 21st century edition, while Jude Law steps into Caine’s previous role.
Jude Law is Milo Tindle, who is visiting the wealthy husband of his lover, to ask him to grant her a divorce. Instead of a quick agreement, the two men verbally spar, until Wyke (Michael Caine) offers Milo a chance to make some money that will allow him to support his new, money-draining woman. A deal is struck, but that is just the beginning. The twists soon begin and just don’t stop, though they are overdone and will put off some viewers.
Fine acting aficionados, and fans of old-fashioned, not-over-until-its-over, mysteries, will appreciate this visually stylish and twist-filled actor’s workshop. It starts out stronger than it finishes, but is still enjoyable. I have never seen the original film, though I’m told that it compares poorly (when isn’t the original better?). I can’t make comparisons, myself, but I did find this rendition to be entertaining, though the first half is noticeably stronger than the second.
