WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Looking back. It’s something we as human beings are often told not to do. It is the past, it cannot be changed, and dwelling on it can potentially only cause more pain than peace. For the aging master detective, Sherlock Holmes (Sir Ian McKellen), it is this recollecting of the past and a particular unsolved case that haunts him in retirement. Living in isolation on the coast of 1947 England with only his live-in housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney), her young, hero-worshipping son Roger (Milo Parker), honeybees, and the fictionally-embellished accounts of his life’s work via books written by trusted, but long since departed friend, Dr. John Watson (Colin Starkey), to keep him occupied, his slowly deteriorating faculties cause him to write a story about his last case.
Capturing the complete interest of Roger, Holmes takes the young boy into a whirlwind journey through the mystery of a young woman, Ann Kelmot (Hattie Morahan), whose husband Thomas (Patrick Kennedy) suspects of being deceptive and unstable after the loss of two children prior to birth and the method of coping with said loss. Hiring Holmes to look into the matter, the tale jumps back and forth between the present and past as Holmes struggles to keep his memory from fading via a supposed remedy picked up in a visit to Japan years earlier, a trip that has its own story to tell. But as Roger and Holmes dig deeper, present realities almost threaten to tear the two apart, as well as the solving of this final enigma that could bring peace to Holmes’ aging soul.
Next, my Mind:
Director Bill Condon has presented what is, for this reviewer, arguably the most profound, deeply moving, character-driven period piece of the year to date in “Mr. Holmes”. Every single moment of this film offers the viewer such a wealth and depth of narrative in expounding on the entire concept of who Sherlock Holmes really was vs. the frequently ornamented tales we are used to reading, then gives it all a grounded, real world focus that one cannot help but sit mesmerized by it all. Literally engaging from beginning to finish, every act of the effort is a worthy treat to witness.
Of course, the biggest aide to this is a spectacular performance by Sir Ian McKellen, bringing to bear some of his finest acting chops in playing Holmes, realistically illustrating a brilliant man losing grip on the intelligence and deductive skills that have served him so long. Likewise, the relationship established between Holmes and Roger is equally keen and sincere, almost at times to a fault in the eyes of Roger’s mother, played with understated excellence by Linney. The beautiful coastal vistas of England coupled with the period tone and look of post-war London add great effect, and an apropos musical soundscape created by the orchestral score completes this epic picture.
In total, “Mr. Holmes” stands as a truly shining example of history and a well-known historical figure being done justice in film, and it is a testament again to the power of independent cinema.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
