Full Review

Fans of the Laurence Olivier-Michael Caine 1972 film will find this remake of "Sleuth" (Sony Classics/Castle Rock) very different in tone, but still worth investigating, despite the cautions offered below.

Considerably shorter -- courtesy of the screenplay by great British playwright Harold Pinter -- and with far stronger language than could be heard in a mainstream film three decades ago, this "Sleuth" -- featuring, interestingly, the two actors who found screen success with "Alfie" -- nonetheless remains a taut thriller, and true in its essentials to Anthony Shaffer's original Broadway and West End hit which generated the earlier film.

For this is the same provocative game of cat-and-mouse about a wealthy mystery writer, Andrew Wyke (Caine), who matches deadly wits with his wife's actor-lover, Milo Tindle (Jude Law), when the latter shows up to persuade Wyke to sign the divorce papers.

Wyke at first seems agreeable, and suggests an elaborate ruse whereby they will stage a break-in and money-strapped Milo will steal the wife's jewels, with Wyke collecting the insurance. An initially skeptical Milo agrees, and of course it's a setup, leading to a shocking outcome. There are more twists to come which we won't spoil.

Director Kenneth Branagh expertly sustains the suspense, and his leads -- Caine now playing Olivier's role -- are superb.

Pinter has radically (and deftly) reworked the original, so that it now very much resembles one of his own plays, works which suggest underlying menace and latent violence. But, as noted, he has peppered the script with considerably more expletives.

And, though the mind games that Milo and Wyke play on each other are clearly never what they seem on the surface, and are very much rooted in exceedingly macho one-upmanship, potential viewers should know there's an extended sequence -- brilliantly played -- with a strong homoerotic undercurrent.

The film contains much rough and crude language and some profanity, violence, torture, adultery theme, frank sexual talk, and strong innuendo, some of a homosexual nature.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.