Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician, most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. Doyle died in 1930, but would be rolling over in his grave if he saw, or even heard, about this latest version of his iconic hero. Ian McKellan, the bearded wonder from the Lord of the Rings films, is the Holmes portrayer in this movie, and falls miserably short of his predecessors.
In all fairness to McKellan, a weak script didn’t help. Nor did the fact that he was portraying Holmes as a ninety-one year old doddering and forgetful relic, hardly the stuff for which the dashing detective is famous. I dare say the movie did not have one entertaining moment in it, and the audience of five in the theatre struggled to stay awake. Laura Linney plays Holmes housekeeper and Milo Parker her young son Roger, and they offer occasional relief from the boredom.
Mr. Holmes
Entertainment Rating: Zero stars
Rating: PG
Possible Oscar Nominations: None
Some of us remember the great Basil Rathbone who portrayed Holmes in fourteen black and white films between 1939 and 1946; he was the epitome of the character. More recently Robert Downey Jr. played Holmes in several action oriented movies, with a third version still on the drawing board. Benedict Cumberbatch also played Holmes in a British TV series. All of these men brought personality and life to Sherlock’s character. So don’t ruin your memories by going to see this one.
Regardless, I hate to leave you on a down note, so I will offer a suggestion the next time you are looking for a decent rental or on demand option. If you missed Nebraska when it was in the theatres eighteen months ago you might want to consider it as an option. It is rated R, has some unnecessary profanity, but six Oscar nominations support the notion this is a film to consider.
Bruce Dern plays crusty, and ageing Woody Grant who is in receipt of a sweepstakes mailing that convinces him he has won a million dollars. Despite his wife and son’s insistence that it’s a scam, he is bound and determined to travel from his home in Billings, Montana to collect the prize in Lincoln, Nebraska, a mere 900 miles away. Several failed attempts by Woody to make the trip convince his son David that Dad will never give up and he decides to drive him there and put an end to his illusion. Thus the road trip and a highly unusual adventure begins.
