Bill Condon’s latest movie, Mr Holmes, features a story inspired by Arthur Conan-Doyle’s infamous literary character and sees Sir Ian McKellen star as a version of Sherlock Holmes that we’ve never really seen before.
Based on Mitch Cullin’s 2005 novel, A Slight Trick of the Mind, the film depicts an aged Holmes (McKellen), who has long retired from detective work and now lives in a remote country house in Sussex. What makes the film unique in comparison to the many other Conan-Doyle inspired works currently out there, is that this Holmes is without his Watson, and instead lives with a housekeeper, Mrs Munro (Laura Linney) and her precocious young son, Roger (Milo Parker). Aged 93 and battling against the deterioration of his once brilliant mind, Holmes attempts to reflect upon his life, and in particular, the mysterious final case that somehow lead him to doubt his incredible abilities and flee from his life at Baker Street forever.
McKellen makes a fine Holmes, giving an admirable and multi-layered performance. In the flashback scenes, in which Holmes is as brilliant and quick-witted as we know him to be, McKellen really excels and proves to be more than adequate at dishing out the Sherlockian garb – and he does so with a flair that only he could. His characterisation becomes even more interesting though, when we see how this contrasts with the present-day Holmes, who is increasingly forgetful and frustrated at his dwindling memory. It can sometimes be a little more difficult to engage with the dementia-ridden Holmes, but perhaps that is to be expected. The way McKellen tackles the illness can also be very affecting and thought-provoking – particularly towards the end of the film.
Linney’s portrayal as Mrs Munro, however, is one of the more disappointing aspects of the film. Seemingly trying her best to imitate Emily Watson’s performance as the Mother in War Horse, Linney garbles her way through the Cornish accent with about as much finesse as you can expect from an American – which is to say, none. When she says nothing, and uses only her physicality to express the emotions of her character, Linney is perfectly fine and almost believable – but whenever she opens her mouth and goes to say a line, the result is disappointing to say the least. What could have been a very complex and emotional character, was turned into an empty caricature of a woman – and all because this American actress couldn’t believably handle a regional English accent. Milo Parker’s performance as young Roger however, is much better – and the kindly chemistry between him and McKellen is particularly heart-warming to watch.
In terms of plot, the film doesn’t quite gel together as cohesively as one might hope – and this is due largely to the number of sub-plots that are included in the story; there is the present-day, in which Holmes and young Roger tend to the detective’s apiary, and discover that a number of his bees are dying mysteriously. There is then also the fragmented flashbacks to Holmes’ last case, as well as a number of scenes in which Holmes reminisces his recent trip to Japan, and his meeting with a man called Mr. Umezaki. The result is a sort of dithering mish-mash of different cases, that struggles to intrigue as much as it would no doubt like to. Unlike the fast-paced, action-filled Holmes adaptations of recent times (like the Robert Downey Jr franchise or Benedict Cumberbatch’s acclaimed BBC series), this film is much slower and genial, to match it’s frail and elderly Holmes – giving it the kind of mellow, one-note feel that you might expect from an Agatha Christie story. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does make the film less engaging – leaving you to drift off as absent-mindedly as Holmes himself.
Bill Condon’s direction of the film, though perfectly astute and not necessarily bad, is also pretty unremarkable. He makes the White Cliffs of Dover look as picturesque as he should, and he paints a pretty picture of the English countryside, but that’s about it. The Japanese scenes look a little pretentious, and more like a dystopian future of Japan rather than a depiction of the country in the 19th century, the Japanese sub-plot is so dull that it’s hard to really care.
Ultimately, this is a perfectly amicable film – that will no doubt please older crowds, but lacks something for the younger viewer. McKellen’s performance however transcends all ages and is as pleasing as you would expect from an actor of his calibre. Conan-Doyle enthusiasts might also appreciate the various nods to the canon, as well as a special cameo from Young Sherlock Holmes actor, Nicholas Rowe – who plays an onscreen version of the character in a matinee screening that McKellen’s Holmes goes to visit, incognito.
Mr Holmes is out in cinemas nationwide, now.
6/10
Words by Annie Honeyball