The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: MR. HOLMES

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic:

on MR. HOLMES (2015, 104 minutes, PG)

So, this summer seemed to have some lulls in its release weekends for movies. There have been a few times when browsing over my options for the week where I didn’t get that burning excitement to race off to the theatre (and I don’t mean THAT kinda burning excitement you sickly minded...). I would either choose the least likely to disappoint or one worth reviewing regardless of my taste.

I’m not going to lie; MR. HOLMES was not on my list of ‘must see’ and was the - least likely to disappoint. I know, right? If you know me at all, I am a die-hard Sherlock fan… in every way. I have read the stories, watched the shows, seen the old TV movies, and even wrote my own Sherlock story while in college as a tribute to Doyle’s work. I’m not completely sure why this choice was difficult, but I have a theory.

My first thought was having Ian McKellen as Mr. Holmes could become a possible sore point in my collection of everything Sherlock. I couldn’t handle a second go after McKellen played my favorite mutant (Magneto) who ended up way off point for my taste. I wanted a more virile and imposing actor to fill that spot, which he is not, especially not at the age he completed the project (61 at the time).

My defunct attitude was quickly changed as the story of MR. HOLMES unfolded. Based on the novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind” by Mitch Cullin and screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher, this beautifully crafted tale shows Sherlock in his later years struggling with senility and having outlived those he cared for most. The cast included Laura Linney (of CONGO, MYSTIC RIVER, and THE TRUMAN SHOW) as his frustrated housekeeper Mrs. Munro and a young Milo Parker, her son. Laura played a moderate antagonist, but not enough to feel she was interrupting the flow. For an emerging child actor, Milo crushed this role. He put you ground level for the story and made your heart soar or stumble down a darkened crack when needed.

 

Watching Sir McKellen work as both an engaging investigator in his later years or as an aged senior, retired and hiding away from the bustle of the world, who occasionally needed help with daily tasks made you believe in the story to the utmost. As most people have seen someone slowly consumed by age, your heart breaks as he struggles to write one last story, one intended to correct Dr Watson’s more lighthearted version.

With the acting clearly on point, the equally jaw-dropping cinematography of the English countryside, and the story held together by an intricate weaving of words, this film is worth more than just one watch. Bill Conden (DREAMGIRLS, THE FIFTHE ESTATE (which connects Conden to Benedict Cumberbatch, another Sherlock)) demonstrates his talent to not get in the way of capable actors and writers, bringing the production together as a director to create a memorable addition to the Sherlock corpus. And, I promise, no burning sensations afterwards.

Grade: A