Continuity mistake: The two protagonists are having a conversation at a long table. Michael Caine sends a bottle of wine rolling across the table. Jude Law opens it and pours. The bottle label now faces him. After Caine says the line "I've never heard of an Italian called Tindale", Milo hasn't moved but the bottle faces the camera now. There's another subtle change in angle and level of the liquid a bit later when Caine says that his wife would get the "Tindelini" last name. (00:09:20)
Sleuth (2007)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Michael Caine, Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Harold Pinter
A few days after Andrew (Michael Caine) shoots Milo (Jude Law) a detective named Inspector Black comes to investigate the missing Milo. Andrew claims to have shoot a blank bullet at Milo as to humiliate him, Milo merely fainted and was not killed. The inspector refuses to believe it and starts to become violent and shows Andrew blood stains on the carpet. As Andrew becomes confused the inspector reveals himself to be Milo. Milo put on the disguise as a 'pay back' for what was done to him. Milo slowly takes control of the situation, but at the same time slowly starts to go mad and violent with Andrew. After Milo is satisfied with his revenge, Andrew offers him to live with him and forget his wife Maggie. Milo and Andrew start to show and attraction with each other though it's no certain if Milo really is attracted or is merely mocking Andrew further. Milo decides he's had enough and puts on Maggie's leather jacket and prepares to leave, but before he does Andrew shoots Milo and he falls down the elevator shaft killing him. The door bell rings signaling Maggie's presence and the screen fades to black.
More mistakes in Sleuth
Andrew Wyke: The shortest way to a man's heart, as I'm sure you know, is humiliation. It binds you together.
Question: I have to admit that I don't know if this can be called a 'mistake', so I just post is as a question also to gauge the response from others who may have seen the movie. The 'trick' the movie's second act is based on, with Jude Law showing back at the novelist's house posing as an investigator... Would ANYONE be fooled by this? I don't pinpoint an obvious flaw in the make-up that maybe would be a Character or Continuity mistake, but seriously; is there ANYONE who wouldn't see through that silly disguise, especially considering that it's the only other visitor the guy had in days, that he is obsessed with him, Law comes to see Caine about his 'own' disappearance, which as opposed to the audience Caine knows is fake and left him open to at least a prank or revenge. I mean, they are up close for so long during this, both times, it is such a wild stretch of the suspension of disbelief. I was truly convinced Caine had seen through him right away and was playing with him, but shockingly, that was not the case. (00:02:30 - 00:39:40)
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Answer: Sleuth was originally produced as a stage play written by Anthony Shaeffer. In that medium, the surprise reveal was more plausible. The 1972 movie, starring Michael Caine in the younger role, was relatively more successful in deceiving the audience, though, it too, was fairly obvious. The 2007 version, directed by Kenneth Branagh, seemed to assume that most of the audience already knew about the plot twist and, as it comes midway through the story, it appears the movie instead focused on the psychological aspects of the cat-and-mouse relationship between the two characters.
raywest ★