​FILMS

mr. holmes

2015 review number 106:

Mr Holmes: (Drama/Mystery): 73 out of 100: If you are a fan of movies based on Detective Sherlock Holmes, you're going to appreciate this different take on the legendary character. Be prepared for some slow moments though where the character study comes to the fore. Those who are after a genuine mystery that encompasses the whole plot might be left a little disappointed for the movie revolves around three sub-plots of which the solving of a mystery is one.

 

Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) has long since retired as a detective. We see him as a 93 year old living on a farm with his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her son, Roger (Milo Parker). His main hobby is to attend to his apiary. While fighting his advancing years, Holmes pens his memoirs and details his last mystery case which prompted his retirement. This is sub-plot number two involving the married couple, Thomas (Patrick Kennedy) and Ann Kelmot (Hattie Morahan). The third sub-plot involves his trip to Japan where he meets up with Tamiki Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada) and embarks on a search for a prickly ash plant to improve his failing memory.

 

The synopsis reveals that there are quite a few flashbacks throughout the movie. Flashbacks can often intrude on the flow of a story, however these flashbacks mainly succeed as they are integral to display the personality and characteristics of the 93 year old Holmes. What happened in the past has shaped the way he acts and feels in the present. Of all three sub-plots, I found the Japanese story least convincing because it's not as interesting or intriguing as the other two. 

 

This is Ian McKellen's movie. He is simply brilliant playing Holmes in three different stages of his life. It is amazing that he has never received an acting Oscar. Then again, many acclaimed actors have never been rewarded for their work so he is in illustrious company. Laura Linney is dependable as usual but it is difficult to work out what accent she is trying to use. She doesn't do British accents well, not in this movie anyway. Milo Parker does a fantastic job as the inquisitive Roger. He acts as though he is a seasoned pro. 

 

The music is a treat for it is enchanting and endearing. Those picturesque images of the English countryside are enhanced by the quality music score by Carter Burwell. The scenic views do come at a cost at times though with the leisurely pace sure to test the patience of some viewers.

 

Bill Condon directs Ian McKellen for the second time, after 1998's Gods and Monsters. He's had a rather hit-and-miss career directing inferior films like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Parts 1 and 2 and Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh but he has also directed superior movies like Kinsey and Gods and Monsters. You can safely add Mr. Holmes to the latter category.

 

Buoyed by McKellen's tour de force performance, Mr. Holmes will be appreciated by those viewers seeking a nuanced character study. Action fans need not apply.

 

Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney and Milo Parker

(104 minutes)

Parental advice: Adult themes

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1lIBgk4PA (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Tuesday 28th July, 2015)

 

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