Sleuth pits Michael Caine against Jude Law in a drama that has less to do with the narrative at hand than with the performers’ respective charisma. Watching the picture is like watching a pair of one-man shows face off against each other. Caine, who also appeared in the 1972 adaptation of Anthony Shaffer’s play, stars as millionaire detective novelist Andrew Wyke. Law plays Milo Tindle, an unemployed actor who has stolen Wyke’s wife. When the older man invites the younger one over for a gentlemanly chat, a series of sinister mind games ensues. Director Kenneth Branagh overdoses on reflections, projected light and other visual flourishes, but when the camera settles on the stars – Caine, with his blithe, off-handed insults; Law with his snake-charmer smile – the movie can’t help but captivate. It’s a two-man show you won’t want to miss.
