Review of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004) by Brittanie M — 05 Jan 2011

In annals of Sherlockia, it would be a real shame to overlook the fine performance by Everett as the determined super-sleuth. A quite engagingly kinky story is really made quite special by the lead performance by Everett, a great score that is in turns mysterious and rousing when it needs to be, and a very skilled supporting cast.

Seeing Holmes square off against a serial killer gives the movie an uniqueness that other Holmes screen stories lack and also makes it feel more modern while not sacrificing its period appeal. The filmmakers interestingly move Holmes slightly into the future where phones are present and fingerprinting is now accepted, but the Victorian mores are still in force.

The killer's twist is one that is hard to see coming and makes for genuine suspense. The Guy Ritchie-directed big-screen Holmes owes quite a bit to the version in both having a much younger and more James Bondish Holmes and having Watson getting married as a subplot.

My only caveat is the 7% solution, an overplayed element of the stories that I don't think was meant to figure so prominently but it does here. If anything Holmes used drugs to calm his frenzied brain not to gain insight into the current case.

Aside from that, I must say that I hope dearly the BBC can convince Everett to return to the role someday soon.