harold pinter rewrite anthony schaeffer classic play about a man go to visit the husband of his lover and have it all go sideways . the original film star laurence olivier and michael caine . caine have the olivier role in this version and he pair with jude law . here the film be direct by kenneth branaugh . the acting be spectacular . both caine and law be gangbusters in their respective role . i really like the chemistry and the clashing of personality . it wonderful and enough of a reason to watch when the script direction go haywire . harold pinter dialog be crisp and sharp and often very witty and i understand why he be choose to rewrite the play ( which be update to make use of surveillance camera and the like ) . the problem be that how the script move the character around be awful . michale caine walk law through his odd modern house with slide door and panel for no really good reason . conversation happen repeatedly in different location . i know pinter have do that in his play and but in this case it become tedious . why do we need to have the pair go over and over and over the fact that law be sleep with caine wife . it would be okay if at some point law say enough we have do this and but he doesn not he act a if each time be the first time . the script also doesn not move caine through his manipulation of law all that well . to begin with he blindly angry to start so he have no chance to turn around and scare u . ( never mind a late in the game revelation that make you wonder why he bother ) in the original we never suspect what be up . here we do and while it give an edge it also somehow feel false since it so clear we be force to wonder why law milo doesn not see he be set up . there be a few other instance but to say more would give away too much . think about the film in retrospect i think it a film of missed opportunity and misstep . the opportunity squander be the chance to have good firework between caine and law . misstep in that the choice of a garish setting and odd shift in plot take away from the creation of a tension and a believable thriller . instead we get some smart dialog and great performance in a film that doesn not let them be real . despite some great performance and witty dialog this be only a 4 out of 10 because the rest of the script just doesn not work .