Review of Mr. Holmes (2015) by Sheldon C — 18 Nov 2015

There is something quite elegant to MR. HOLMES - a feeling that is fleetingly whimsical yet one that is certainly hard to pinpoint. It is a strange film in which its purpose is a mystery but its result a success; the plot is not that exciting but rather more a calming joy as we watch a delicate and convincing Sir Ian McKellen immerse himself in the character as he goes about teaming with a curious youth (played impressively by Milo Parker) while fighting old age, memory loss, and an unsolved mystery.

Though the reasons for making a film that shows an elderly Sherlock Holmes is initially kind of baffling, what Bill Condon has done is invigorate the narrative with a composed visual style along with a very patient (but not slow) pace that only strengthens its themes of retrospection and life.