Anthony Shaffer's adaptation of his elaborately plotted stage thriller is a gripping exercise in psychological one-upmanship. Laurence Olivier is an aging crime novelist who enters a deadly battle of wits with his wife's younger lover, Michael Caine. Despite its obvious stage origins, Sleuth is a chance to witness an immaculately conceived script played by two actors at the top of their game.
DVD Extras:
The featurette with late playwright and screenwriter Shaffer is an exploration of the inspiration behind his successful play and the screen adaptation. Alongside are the usual biographies, trailer, stills gallery, but it's clearly not enough. The film, after all, is about a pathological obsession with gamesmanship, so the least they could have done is chuck in a few surprises.
