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Deathtrap (1982)
Long before Adaptation, there was Deathtrap. But instead of being a movie about writing a movie, it's a movie about playwriting based on a play in which characters write plays about what happens in the movie. And it's a whole lot of fun.
The film stars Michael Caine as Sidney Bruhl, a famous playwrite whose best days are behind him. He's desperate for a hit to reestablish his career, which has deteriorated to the point at which he's largely living off his wife Myra (Dyan Cannon). He receives a letter from a fan (Clifford, played by Christopher Reeve) who's written his first play, and asks for suggestions. Sidney reads it, and declares to his wife that it's fantastic. This leads to some joking about killing the young man and taking the play, a possibility which becomes more tempting when they invite him to their home and learn that no one else has read it yet.
I can't reveal much beyond this point without giving away the plot, of which there is quite a bit. The film piles twist upon twist, some of which are very clever, and some of which test our credulity, but all of which are entertaining.
Caine is quite good as the struggling writer, but Christopher Reeve steals the show as Clifford. His role requires a wide range of attitudes and emotions (for reasons you'll understand if you see the film), and he's believable all the way through. The two of them play off each other very well. Someone else must have thought so, too, because they would eventually co-star in 1992's Noises Off!, another movie based on (and about) a play. It also debuted the year Deathtrap was released, and it'll be finding its way into this thread before long.
Deathtrap is one of those films that you can tell is based on a play, mainly because it takes place largely in one wide-open space (the Bruhl's sprawling inset living room, in this case). In keeping with the venue it was originally written for, the film's various revelations are suitably over-the-top, and there's all sorts of drama. Every permutation of double and triple-crossing is explored. If you're the kind of person who likes to guess the next twist before it happens (like I am), you'll probably find yourself giving up through sheer exhaustion halfway through.
Movies these days are always trying to pull of a dramatic reveal that redefines all that's come before it, and audiences have become a good deal better at sniffing twists out as a result. Nevertheless, Deathtrap will keep even the most suspicious of viewers on their toes, and entertain the whole way through.
Long before Adaptation, there was Deathtrap. But instead of being a movie about writing a movie, it's a movie about playwriting based on a play in which characters write plays about what happens in the movie. And it's a whole lot of fun.
The film stars Michael Caine as Sidney Bruhl, a famous playwrite whose best days are behind him. He's desperate for a hit to reestablish his career, which has deteriorated to the point at which he's largely living off his wife Myra (Dyan Cannon). He receives a letter from a fan (Clifford, played by Christopher Reeve) who's written his first play, and asks for suggestions. Sidney reads it, and declares to his wife that it's fantastic. This leads to some joking about killing the young man and taking the play, a possibility which becomes more tempting when they invite him to their home and learn that no one else has read it yet.
I can't reveal much beyond this point without giving away the plot, of which there is quite a bit. The film piles twist upon twist, some of which are very clever, and some of which test our credulity, but all of which are entertaining.
Caine is quite good as the struggling writer, but Christopher Reeve steals the show as Clifford. His role requires a wide range of attitudes and emotions (for reasons you'll understand if you see the film), and he's believable all the way through. The two of them play off each other very well. Someone else must have thought so, too, because they would eventually co-star in 1992's Noises Off!, another movie based on (and about) a play. It also debuted the year Deathtrap was released, and it'll be finding its way into this thread before long.
Deathtrap is one of those films that you can tell is based on a play, mainly because it takes place largely in one wide-open space (the Bruhl's sprawling inset living room, in this case). In keeping with the venue it was originally written for, the film's various revelations are suitably over-the-top, and there's all sorts of drama. Every permutation of double and triple-crossing is explored. If you're the kind of person who likes to guess the next twist before it happens (like I am), you'll probably find yourself giving up through sheer exhaustion halfway through.
Movies these days are always trying to pull of a dramatic reveal that redefines all that's come before it, and audiences have become a good deal better at sniffing twists out as a result. Nevertheless, Deathtrap will keep even the most suspicious of viewers on their toes, and entertain the whole way through.