"I've decided to write down the story; as it was, not as John made it. "
-Sherlock Holmes
In this age of human history many aspects of our familiar lives (ones who are 20 and above) start to see that things may not be as good as we all remembered, or that quality is being lost for quantity. While this can be applied to all aspects of daily life, it can also be applied to films. Back in the early era of cinema (black and white era) so many films were being made that were top notch and experimental, paving the way for modern films. People were astonished with the moving pictures and it was an experience to go to the cinema. By 2015; however, if you've paid close attention to the film industry in recent years, more and more films are being made that are spin-offs, sequels, prequels, Shared Universes, and above all Franchise films. We go to a Marvel film because it's a brand and we all can expect at least a good movie from them. My friend stated last year that he only went to the movies twice; both Marvel films. What we're seeing is not a movie going experience that our ancestors have witnessed. We go to have a good time, a good laugh, and treat it as mindless entertainment. But when I went into the theater to watch Mr. Holmes, all the awe and wonder that I imagined the people of the 40s and 50s experienced was happening to me, and this is one of the few films of this year where I have to admit that "it's films like this that make me love the theater experience."
Mr. Holmes is about, you guessed it, Sherlock Holmes as an old man. He has survived everyone he knew; Watson, Mycroft, and even Mrs. Hudson. He lives isolated from the world, with only his housekeeper and her boy to keep him company. At 93 years of age, Holmes is being tested by the thing that every person eventually experiences, a fading memory. Through the course of the film he grows close to his housekeeper's boy, Roger, to which he starts remembering his last and final case.
Immediately, one of the best things about this film is that it feels like a Sherlock Holmes story. While my first introduction to Holmes was watching a very old TV show as a kid, I immediately loved him and tried to read his books (but because I was a kid I had to settle for the short stories as full length novels were too hard at the time). As I was watching this beautifully shot film, I came to the conclusion that what I felt watching this movie, was the same feeling I felt reading his stories. It was like the words on the pages were being projected into a movie, and in that I think any Sherlock Holmes fan would love to see this.
Now, if you're not a Sherlock Holmes fan, and you're questioning whether to watch this or not, then you should know two things that will either persuade you, or dissuade you. The first, is that the pacing is slow. I'm not saying that the film was being slow, I actually think the pacing was perfect for this story it was telling, but the average movie goer would most likely find the film a tad too slow for them, and want it to get to the point faster. What the "slow" pacing brings about is a natural flow for the characters and the memories. It's like peeling a banana, you have to go through each scene/peel to enjoy the whole thing.
The second, is that unlike the Guy Ritchie interpretations, this doesn't have any action. There's no big action sequences, there's nothing that would constitute as a scene that gets your blood and adrenaline pumping, well there is, but it's still not action. With modern interpretations, iconic characters are getting younger, sexier, and are really the new action stars of this millennium; however, Mr Holmes is just the opposite. This type of film may attract an older crowd, but it really nails the character, gives you a powerful story that is character based, and created a film that might even be timeless. There is an argument as every film is a movie, yet every movie is not a film. In Mr. Holmes' case I'd say it's a film.
I personally did not find any faults in this film. I thought it was really smart and brought up some interesting ideas. For starters, Sherlock Holmes at old age, loosing his memory. For a man who was renowned around the world for it, it makes a very compelling character flaw that he has to overcome. A great tool they used in the film was that Watson created the fictional Holmes that everyone knows, but the real Holmes isn't exactly what everyone thinks. He's survived so long that he sees people talking about his myth. He's going out in the world and watching people's interpretations of himself. Another part of this film that I enjoyed so much was the Holmes and Roger relationship. I felt like it made Holmes remember the days of him and Watson, because he warms up to the eager ever learning kid throughout the film, and by the end you feel like they are family.
Speaking of Roger, Holy Shit. Whenever someone sees a kid in a film they groan, roll their eyes, and never really give it much of a chance. There are times when the audience is pleasantly wrong and a kid gives a good performance, but Milo Parker, who played Roger, was nothing but brilliant. He was likable, energetic, had great scenes, and at times you saw a glimmer where you might think "he could be the next Holmes." I think this is his second film, and I feel blown away from what I saw from him, but what really is impressive is that he easily shared the scenes with Ian McKellen. Whenever the two had a moment it was believable, and there was an astonishing amount of believability between the two. I never really thought that McKellen shone through a scene with him, and I really think that when Milo gets older and more experienced he could be a force to reckon with in the younger actors section.
Everybody did a fantastic job on this film. All the acting was great, no one was over acting, and they all seemed to be on the same level. The shots of the film are breathtaking with beautiful cinematography. Focusing on the characters is the real driving point, and the mystery of Holmes' last case, of the film. I think it's totally worth going for the theater experience for this one, and I really do hope that it gets recognized by the people and hopefully get awards, because if this isn't a perfect film, then it's pretty damn near perfect.
-Sherlock Holmes
In this age of human history many aspects of our familiar lives (ones who are 20 and above) start to see that things may not be as good as we all remembered, or that quality is being lost for quantity. While this can be applied to all aspects of daily life, it can also be applied to films. Back in the early era of cinema (black and white era) so many films were being made that were top notch and experimental, paving the way for modern films. People were astonished with the moving pictures and it was an experience to go to the cinema. By 2015; however, if you've paid close attention to the film industry in recent years, more and more films are being made that are spin-offs, sequels, prequels, Shared Universes, and above all Franchise films. We go to a Marvel film because it's a brand and we all can expect at least a good movie from them. My friend stated last year that he only went to the movies twice; both Marvel films. What we're seeing is not a movie going experience that our ancestors have witnessed. We go to have a good time, a good laugh, and treat it as mindless entertainment. But when I went into the theater to watch Mr. Holmes, all the awe and wonder that I imagined the people of the 40s and 50s experienced was happening to me, and this is one of the few films of this year where I have to admit that "it's films like this that make me love the theater experience."
Mr. Holmes is about, you guessed it, Sherlock Holmes as an old man. He has survived everyone he knew; Watson, Mycroft, and even Mrs. Hudson. He lives isolated from the world, with only his housekeeper and her boy to keep him company. At 93 years of age, Holmes is being tested by the thing that every person eventually experiences, a fading memory. Through the course of the film he grows close to his housekeeper's boy, Roger, to which he starts remembering his last and final case.
Immediately, one of the best things about this film is that it feels like a Sherlock Holmes story. While my first introduction to Holmes was watching a very old TV show as a kid, I immediately loved him and tried to read his books (but because I was a kid I had to settle for the short stories as full length novels were too hard at the time). As I was watching this beautifully shot film, I came to the conclusion that what I felt watching this movie, was the same feeling I felt reading his stories. It was like the words on the pages were being projected into a movie, and in that I think any Sherlock Holmes fan would love to see this.
Now, if you're not a Sherlock Holmes fan, and you're questioning whether to watch this or not, then you should know two things that will either persuade you, or dissuade you. The first, is that the pacing is slow. I'm not saying that the film was being slow, I actually think the pacing was perfect for this story it was telling, but the average movie goer would most likely find the film a tad too slow for them, and want it to get to the point faster. What the "slow" pacing brings about is a natural flow for the characters and the memories. It's like peeling a banana, you have to go through each scene/peel to enjoy the whole thing.
The second, is that unlike the Guy Ritchie interpretations, this doesn't have any action. There's no big action sequences, there's nothing that would constitute as a scene that gets your blood and adrenaline pumping, well there is, but it's still not action. With modern interpretations, iconic characters are getting younger, sexier, and are really the new action stars of this millennium; however, Mr Holmes is just the opposite. This type of film may attract an older crowd, but it really nails the character, gives you a powerful story that is character based, and created a film that might even be timeless. There is an argument as every film is a movie, yet every movie is not a film. In Mr. Holmes' case I'd say it's a film.
I personally did not find any faults in this film. I thought it was really smart and brought up some interesting ideas. For starters, Sherlock Holmes at old age, loosing his memory. For a man who was renowned around the world for it, it makes a very compelling character flaw that he has to overcome. A great tool they used in the film was that Watson created the fictional Holmes that everyone knows, but the real Holmes isn't exactly what everyone thinks. He's survived so long that he sees people talking about his myth. He's going out in the world and watching people's interpretations of himself. Another part of this film that I enjoyed so much was the Holmes and Roger relationship. I felt like it made Holmes remember the days of him and Watson, because he warms up to the eager ever learning kid throughout the film, and by the end you feel like they are family.
Speaking of Roger, Holy Shit. Whenever someone sees a kid in a film they groan, roll their eyes, and never really give it much of a chance. There are times when the audience is pleasantly wrong and a kid gives a good performance, but Milo Parker, who played Roger, was nothing but brilliant. He was likable, energetic, had great scenes, and at times you saw a glimmer where you might think "he could be the next Holmes." I think this is his second film, and I feel blown away from what I saw from him, but what really is impressive is that he easily shared the scenes with Ian McKellen. Whenever the two had a moment it was believable, and there was an astonishing amount of believability between the two. I never really thought that McKellen shone through a scene with him, and I really think that when Milo gets older and more experienced he could be a force to reckon with in the younger actors section.
Everybody did a fantastic job on this film. All the acting was great, no one was over acting, and they all seemed to be on the same level. The shots of the film are breathtaking with beautiful cinematography. Focusing on the characters is the real driving point, and the mystery of Holmes' last case, of the film. I think it's totally worth going for the theater experience for this one, and I really do hope that it gets recognized by the people and hopefully get awards, because if this isn't a perfect film, then it's pretty damn near perfect.
No comments:
Post a Comment