Review of Mr. Holmes (2015) by Rohit N — 26 Jul 2015

Mr. Holmes takes place in a world where Sherlock Holmes is an actual person but his novels also exist because Watson wrote their adventures down. In this film Sherlock is getting old and starting to lose his memory, but he is bound and determined to recall the details of his final case. The genius of casting Ian McKellen is all you need to know in order to have confidence that this movie is going to be special. Throughout the movie we see Holmes at 3 different ages and I swear McKellen so brilliantly portrays it through his physicality, you almost don't need any help from hair and makeup to age him. There is a bit of mystery to this story (as you'd expect from a Sherlock Holmes tale) but mostly it is just a drama that focuses on the heart-breaking fact that someone who has always relied on his intellect can no longer trust his own mind. My heart breaks for Holmes several times, and I came close to tears more than once. Laura Linney is capable in the role of Holmes' housekeeper who is quickly becoming overwhelmed by the added responsibility of looking after a man who's health is declining. I sometimes wonder if she can play a different part, because most of what I've seen from her has been along these lines, but she is good at it. The surprise to me in this movie was Milo Parker. This kid went toe-to-toe with Ian McKellen and pulled it off. He so thoroughly impressed me that I instantly looked him up to see what else he had done, but the kid's a virtual unknown. I hope this film gets him some exposure because he was a delight.

The big struggle that people will have with Mr. Holmes is that it is very slow moving. It takes a fair amount of time before all the characters and locations are established and we are given proper insight into the plot. If I'm totally honest, my mind started to wander a little early in the movie and it took a bit for me to reconnect to the plot. But Mr. Holmes is a film that deserves to receive attention from those who are willing to give it time to develop. The way that his final case is slowly revealed is genius because it keeps us on the same wavelength with Milo Parker's character, always wanting one more piece of the story. Then when we receive more of the picture we are able to see how it influenced his current life and how he still needs to grow. Strangely, at an age of 94, Holmes finds himself with an opportunity for self-discovery and growth (not a common theme for geriatrics in film.) I can't say enough about how engaging and enchanting I found Mr. Holmes. The story is simple, but it's not presented in a simple way. If only they had paced it a little different in the beginning I could have called this a masterpiece. It might grow on me more with more viewings (and I do hope to see it again) but right now it's fallen just short of greatness for me. I can highly recommend it to most film buffs. It has a solid plot, and remarkable acting. Even fans of Sherlock Holmes might find Mr. Holmes worthwhile because it has just enough mystery, and it also displays Sherlock's deductive talent. See it!