Review of Sherlock Jr. (1924) by Ben L — 01 Oct 2017

Buster Keaton usually gets praise for his superb physical comedy, and commitment to a sight gag. I do find a lot of that stuff funny, even though if I compare, Chaplin might have a slightly better handle on it. There were a number of times in Sherlock Jr. that I was laughing out loud because he nailed the comedic timing and knows how to setup and payoff a joke. What I don?t often see Keaton getting praise for is his skill and inventiveness in movie-making. Some of the tricks I see in this film feel light-years ahead of the other movies being made at the same time. I am constantly stunned at the effects that he pulls off, to the point that I almost want to watch a documentary about the making of the movie as much as I want to rewatch the movie itself.

Sherlock Jr. is practically a short film. At 45 minutes, it pushes the boundaries of what most would qualify as a feature film. Because of this it doesn?t have an in-depth story that it?s trying to tell, it?s actually pretty simple. I was a little disappointed that it wasn?t all that much about a mystery, like I expected with the title, but it was still a fun plot. The way they used the dream sequence to tell a story within a story was nice, and it gave Buster Keaton the freedom to play 2 characters. I thought the real genius scene of the film, despite all the intricate camera tricks and fancy stunts that came before, was that simple conclusion. Keaton gets a few minutes alone with the girls and he performs so masterfully you can?t help but be charmed. I enjoyed Sherlock Jr., and will be glad to watch it again any time.