Mr. Holmes—Directed by
Bill Condon/ from a novel by Mitch Cullin/Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney,
Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan/rated PG/ 1hr 44 min
Bifocal Reviews by Ageless1der
Barbara Rich & The Other Guy
(BR): Yet another layer of the notorious Sherlock Holmes
character. In this story, we see Sherlock in his latter years of life, as he
endeavors to compile the evidence of his final case. This film ping pongs back
and forth between Mr. Holmes’ recollections (which are becoming more and more
difficult to recall, as age has started to take its toll on the once sharp mind
of the protagonist) and his current living situation. Ian McKellen can do no
wrong in my book. He takes every role and becomes the character he is
portraying. This film moved too slowly for me, making it seem longer than it
really was. I needed more action and, I think the final case that is engaging
the character’s every moment, was just not that interesting to me. There was
nothing really wrong with the other performances, or the story itself, but as a
major motion picture, this falls short. I give Mr. Holmes just two binoculars
out of five, even though McKellen on his own deserves five.
(OG): My perception of the film is much different than
Barbara’s, and it just goes to show you how different two views of the same
movie can be. I found the story extremely interesting, as Mr. Holmes turns his
powers of deduction to sorting the evidence of his own forgotten life, while
keeping a keen Holmsian-eye on his current affairs. In a way, it is the ONLY
Sherlock Holmes case, which could do the elderly and newly forgetful detective
justice. He had to unravel the particulars of his own forgotten life while
trying to establish relationships in the new, real world. That, in my opinion was
a brilliant twist to the character. In addition, I enjoyed Laura Linney’s
performance. Also, the young man who inspires Sherlock to follow the evidence
of his past while teaching the boy scientific secrets in the present, reminded
me greatly of Phillip Alford,
Jem in the Gregory Peck version of To
Kill A Mockingbird. I’ve always been a Conan Doyle fan. Now I can be a Mitch
Cullin fan…while still enjoying one of my favorite characters of all time, Sherlock
Holmes. I give this one four binoculars.
