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EDITOR'S PICK
'Mr.
Holmes' must for Sherlock aficionados (IANS Review)
Rating:
***1/2 (3 and ahalf stars)
The premise of 'Mr. Holmes' is about regrets and reconciliation with
the past.
There is something appealing about director Bill Condon's latest film. In this
slow-paced, but intriguing story set in circa 1947, he shows us a side of the
great detective Sherlock Holmes that we have never seen before.
Based on the American author Mitch Cullin's 2005 novel, 'A Slight Trick of
the Mind', the film flawlessly captures the elderly detective in his fading
glory. In this depiction, Holmes is not the sharp-witted detective that we have
known him to be. Instead, he is in his twilight years, weak and dependent.
At 93, living in the south coast of England with his housekeeper Mrs. Munro and
her young son Roger, he is far from retirement. While leading a solitary life,
he tends to bees in the apiary in his backyard. At first glance it seems that he
is leading a peaceful life, but his decision to go into seclusion had less to do
with retirement and is more of a self-induced exile after his last case, thirty
years ago.
Holmes now intends to write a memoir as a counterpoint to Dr. Watson's famous
accounts of the mysteries solved. This forms the plot of this narration.
Unfortunately, his failing health and fading memory prove to be the obstacles.
His never-give-up spirit challenges him to fight odds especially his weak
memory. So with the concoction of prickly ash, royal jelly and other medicines,
he gears himself to write. But ultimately it is with the help of Roger that he
manages to achieve his 'first foray into the world of fiction'.
What makes this film brilliant is the complex and layered narrative, which has
three stories that unravel simultaneously. Jeffery Hatcher's screenplay shuttles
between the past and present seamlessly making the entire viewing a delightful
experience.
With his sharp gaze, Ian McKellen's portrayal of the character is refreshing and
he plays the part of the detective perfectly. Moreover, he is able to
effortlessly alternate from the coherent, and sharp Sherlock in the flashbacks,
where his younger self is solving the case for the first time, to the present,
where he is frail and only a shadow of what he used to be. His physical
appearance as well as emotional depiction are perfect, so much so that we can
feel his plight with regard to mortality, regret and time.
He is aptly supported by Laura Linney as his house-keeper Mrs. Munro, Patrick
Kennedy as his client Thomas Kelmot, Hattie Morahan as Thomas's wayward wife,
Frances De La Tour as the dramatic Glass Armonica teacher with occult powers and
Hiroyuki Sanada as Mr. Umezaki, his Japanese guide on an expedition to collect
the potentially brain stimulating, memory-improving prickly ash from post-war
Hiroshima. They all help to take the story forward.
But it is the young Milo Parker as Roger who steals the show as Sherlock's young
sidekick and protector. At such a young age, he is able to hold his own with the
veteran and effectively slips into the void left by Dr. Watson. He is Sherlock's
true source of inspiration and recollection. His chemistry with McKellen is
captivating.
Technically, with ace production quality designed by Martin Childs, the visuals
are brilliantly captured by director of photography, Tobias Schliessler. His
frames are intelligently and seamlessly layered with Carter Burwell's music by
Virginia Katz.
Overall 'Mr. Holmes' is a must see for all Sherlock Holmes
aficionados.