Mr Holmes
27/06/15 Filed in: Cinema
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this film and what transpired was certainly unexpected.
Ian McKellen gives an acting masterclass in this portrayal Holmes as an old man struggling with memory loss. Holmes is haunted by his last case but his memory lapses do not allow him to put the matter to rest. In this interpretation Watson, who has died, is credited with writing the Sherlock Holmes books, but Holmes knows that Watson's telling of his last case is not accurate in its ending.
Holmes has returned from Japan, where he sought a natural remedy for his declining memory, and is back in his cottage with his housekeeper and her very bright young son. Here, his bees are perhaps his most important consideration, and he introduces the housekeeper's son to the art of bee keeping. She however becomes concerned over Holmes's influence on her son, and wants to leave for another job, but her son has formed a bond with Holmes and wants to stay. Conflict ensues.
Ian McKellen gives an acting masterclass in this portrayal Holmes as an old man struggling with memory loss. Holmes is haunted by his last case but his memory lapses do not allow him to put the matter to rest. In this interpretation Watson, who has died, is credited with writing the Sherlock Holmes books, but Holmes knows that Watson's telling of his last case is not accurate in its ending.
Holmes has returned from Japan, where he sought a natural remedy for his declining memory, and is back in his cottage with his housekeeper and her very bright young son. Here, his bees are perhaps his most important consideration, and he introduces the housekeeper's son to the art of bee keeping. She however becomes concerned over Holmes's influence on her son, and wants to leave for another job, but her son has formed a bond with Holmes and wants to stay. Conflict ensues.
Meanwhile Holmes gradually unravels his last case, memory flashback by memory flashback. We know that the case caused him to stop practising as a detective, and therefore guess that something untoward occurred. As the story unfolds the reason is finally revealed, and it turns out not to be just a failed investigation, but something much more personal, something that affected Holmes deeply.
This is a very moving film, dealing as it does with the frailties of old age, and a plot line that throws up a new emotional twist at every turn. If you're expecting yet another super sleuth story, you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, you won't be if you want to see a very human story superbly acted.
This is a very moving film, dealing as it does with the frailties of old age, and a plot line that throws up a new emotional twist at every turn. If you're expecting yet another super sleuth story, you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, you won't be if you want to see a very human story superbly acted.