Deathtrap | | Cast : | Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve | | Director : | Sidney Lumet | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color | | Released Date : | March 19, 1982 | | DVD Released Date : | February 03, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 02, 2005 | | Summary | Masterful Michael Caine | Content
 | It's difficult to review a mystery without spoiling the plot for viewers who haven't already seen it, but this one has so many twists and turns I can safely outline the set-up without ruining the fun.
Michael Caine plays a playwright of fading talents who is despondent after yet another failed opening night. Dyan Cannon plays the archetypal nervous wife, trying to console and encourage him without making him feel worse about his successive failures.
Caine's character receives a brilliant manuscript in the mail from a former seminar student (Christopher Reeve) who is completely unknown to the world and Caine begins to fantasize about stealing the play and producing it as his own. And then the fun ensues....
The best thing about this film is the brilliance of Michael Caine. His sense of timing and comic delivery are on display here and while I didn't expect to enjoy the film for a variety of reasons, his character had me laughing constantly.
The worst thing about this film-and the reason the price is so low-is that it's only presented in Pan & Scan. The film deserves a full DVD treatment, complete with special features and the widescreen format. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 25, 2005 | | Summary | Not 'Sleuth', but damn good nonetheless | Content
| 10 years after 'Sleuth', Michael Caine did 'Deathtrap'. He now plays the role of the older, wiser man while Christopher Reeve takes on that of the young upstart. The plots differ somewhat and 'Sleuth' has a better script, but this movie is worthy of 4 and 1/2 to 5 stars though. 'Deathtrap' doesn't challenge the viewer as much as 'Sleuth'. Moreover, after repeated viewings, some of its luster fades. But, it's still funny, smart, filled with memorable lines, and leaves you guessing 'til the end. It blends comedy and drama/thriller quite smoothly and is definitely worth buying. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 13, 2005 | | Summary | Delicious Dialogue for this Murder Mystery | Content
| All I can say is: DEATHTRAP is a steal at this price. When I saw it selling for less than $10, I decided to check it out. I had heard a lot about the film and, in particular, that it held up to the likes of SLEUTH. Of course, I was also very familiar with Sidney Lumet's work and was eager to see how he adapted this stage play for the big screen. He has succeeded in spades. While I personally enjoy the storyline and charm of SLEUTH more, DEATHTRAP was equally entertaining. While many stage plays suffer when directors try to import the witty dialogue into a world of fast-moving sets and drama, Lumet decides to set back and let his actors earn their paycheck. The entire film takes place on one set (besides a minor change that I cannot mention in any detail because it would ruin the story) and Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve deliver captivating performances. While some commentators have faulted DEATHTRAP for its lack of scenery and on the grounds that it "feels like a play," I would argue that the film actually succeeds because of these elements. Of course it "feels like a play." It is a play. Had Lumet tried to film this murder mystery in a more "cinematic" way, the movie would have sacrificed the delicious dialogue and performances it has to offer.
Like any good mystery play, DEATHTRAP offers an endless series of twists and turns-while some are predictable, particularly for an experienced audience, they never cease to entertain and the film manages to retain a sense of believability. In summary, DEATHTRAP is a blast to watch and I wholeheartedly recommend it. At this price, you cannot go wrong. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 14, 2005 | | Summary | FIENDISHLY CLEVER AND FUNNY TOO | Content
| If you remember that this delightful mystery/comedy was filmed in 1982, you can actually say this is a movie that was not too afraid to take risks. First of all, director Sidney Lumet keeps the majority of the action indoors and on the same set, but uses his camera to make us feel non-kinetic. And to have the studly Christopher Reeve (Superman himself) play a homsexual and actually kiss Michael Caine was a bold risk for both Mr. Reeve and the audience at that time. But DEATHTRAP has so many plot twists and turns, it's amazingly enjoyable, and I found Dyan Cannon's screaming wife a delight; I think it's one of her best performances. Ditto to Irene Worth as the so-called psychic who plays prominently in the film's denouement. Caine and Reeve are brilliant; what a shame Christopher didn't have a longer career to show us what a mature actor he could have become. In spite of its staginess, DEATHTRAP is delightful entertainment. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 06, 2005 | | Summary | DEATHTRAP (WARNER BROS. PICTURES/1982) | Content
| If you're in the mood for a convoluted thriller where the plot twists come as hard and fast as the tongue-in-cheek humor then get ready for a real treat as director Sidney Lumet embroils the viewer in a fiendishly clever "DEATHTRAP". In the film Michael Caine plays Sydney Bruhl, a once great playwright who is desperate for a hit yet whose mastery of suspense and characterization has sadly fallen by the wayside. After suffering another opening night stiff he falls into a deep depression, gets drunk, and finally wanders back home to his sympathetic yet ingenuous wife, Myra (a sweetly quirky Dyan Cannon). She tries to cheer him up, but the man is livid: on top of all his recent bad luck he has just received a copy of a new play by a first time writer (a student of his nontheless) named Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve in one of his finest performances) who has put together a whopper of a murder mystery that Sydney knows would be an instant smash. So he decides to invite Mr. Anderson to his home, offer him a drink, make conversation, give a few pointers and suggestions about his work, then murder him, bury his body in the back yard, steal the play, and use it as his own comeback production (and no, I haven't given away any of the movie's deliciously wicked surprises). "DEATHTRAP" is a terrific piece of work. The stagey atmosphere of Ira Levin's Broadway hit has been alleviated by director Lumet who seems to specialize in film settings that are seemingly impossible to bring to life (i.e. the Calais Coach cars where the "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS" takes place) yet which he is able to fashion with a masterful touch that never seems intrusive or obtrusive to the average film goer. "DEATHTRAP" is equally effective and guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding of mystery buffs. ULTIMATE LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOMENT: not to give too much away, but I wonder how hard it was for Caine and Reeve to keep a straight face in several of their "close up" scenes together! HARSH LANGUAGE: about 45 words, VIOLENCE: about 4 scenes, NUDITY/SEXUAL SUGGESTIVENESS: about 3 mildly shocking/yet hilarious scenes (RATED PG/116 minutes). |
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