In the movie sleuth where is the safe

Skip to Content. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update. The never-seen Maggie cuckolds Andrew and persuades Milo to see her husband.

Cruelty rules the day, and both Andrew and Milo aim to humiliate the other. They do so by playing mental games, with the battles quickly turning violent. Lots, though nothing gory. The main characters beat each other up quite brutally and sometimes in close-up and later brandish knives and guns shots are fired.

In one scene, Milo nearly strangles Andrew with a necklace. In many others, they threaten to kill each other. The ending is stunning in its cruelty. No sex shown, but the acrimony between the two main characters stems from Andrew's wife leaving him for Milo. Later, sexual tension surfaces between the two men. Heavy emphasis on high-tech gadgets though labels aren't easily identifiable. The remote control for them looks like an iPod Nano. Characters drink whiskey and other hard liquor; in one painfully humiliating scene, Milo guzzles alcohol straight from the bottle.

Parents need to know that this sleek, adult-oriented thriller tackles mature themes -- infidelity, violence, murder -- from the get-go. Swear words including "f--k" and other inflammatory language are hurled like weapons; later, actual weapons including guns and knives are brandished.

It's clear from the beginning that main characters Milo and Andrew aim to annihilate each other. Even older teens may find the film's brutality uncomfortable: This is no cartoonishly violent video game, but an ugly, down and dirty obliteration.

Add your rating. Though they're ostensibly dueling over Maggie, it's the interplay between the two men that takes center stage, resulting in a a twisted, all-consuming, and violent battle for supremacy. It's physical, mental, and emotional, draining and exhilarating at the same time.

Winner takes all -- though what "all" means is left up for debate. Caine and Law are a perfect match -- no surprise, given how ably Law stepped into Caine's shoes in 's Alfie. Caine taps a deep reservoir of rage not seen in his films in ages; Law, on the other hand, buries his pretty-boy image -- Milo is rough and desperate and, though handsome to behold, unafraid to be ugly in one scene, he transforms "wit" into a loaded, almost shameful, word.

But just like Alfie , Sleuth is a little too slick. Andrew's estate is more cold than grand, and Branagh, by lingering too fondly on the high-tech edge of it all, threatens to snuff the rawness out of his movie. He is, admittedly, excellent at setting tone; menace pervades the film throughout. The first half-hour delights in the high-tech stuff -- the indoor elevator, the fancy lighting, the security cameras, the computer that controls it all -- so much that it almost seems like an ad for a modern-day "smart house.

Families can talk about infidelity. Can it truly drive people to extremes like the ones shown in this movie, or is that an exaggeration on Hollywood's part?

Why is the media so fascinated by love gone awry? Why do you think the filmmakers choose not to show Maggie? Should they have? If you've seen the s original, you can compare and contrast the two. How are they similar and different? Which do you like better?

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We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality. Learn how we rate. In this remake adapted by Harold Pinter, who has changed the plot in a couple important ways, Michael Caine is Andrew Wycke, a best-selling mystery novelist living alone in a large, ultra-modern country estate in England.

Andrew has invited Milo there to make a proposal to him. He proposes that Milo steal some expensive jewelry hidden in his safe, so that Milo can sell the jewelry and Andrew can collect the insurance. This scheme turns out to be an elaborate sadistic game, which leads to more games and twists.

There has always been a mechanical theatricality to this script, but director Kenneth Branagh enhances this quality by setting the three acts in a metallic-looking interior design furnished with ultra-modern furniture, decorations and devices.

Even worse, the filmmakers add plenty of strong foul language and, in the third act, a distasteful homosexual subplot. Thus, the remake is rated R, while the original movie was rated only PG. Only a tiny portion of our readers give.