I've seen many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes in movies, TV shows, and plays. After a while, I felt that the next would have to be pretty innovative for me to bother. Well, Holmes at 93 in the year 1947 is one innovation. None of his traditional acquaintances are still around; he hasn't taken a case in about 30 years, despite ongoing offers by those who read Watson's accounts (which made up the deerstalker hat and pipe); and while he can still tell what someone's done lately by examining their appearance, he's getting slower and flakier.
Sir Ian McKellen is now 76, a bit less than halfway between the two ages he depicts in the film. At 59, he played a famed 68-year-old with neurological issues in Gods and Monsters. I'm not surprised to learn that the same director, Bill Condon, took the helm.
One of the biggest variations in Holmes depictions is how much he annoys other people. Is he simply a know-it-all, or does he have no manners to speak of? McKellen's Holmes is on the mild end for the viewers, partly, I suppose, because he doesn't have much to be proud of in the present, but he also regrets a lot of his past rudeness. Nevertheless, caretaker Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) doesn't find him any more bearable than Mrs. Hudson did. In particular, she worries about his unusual interests having an adverse effect on her intrigued young son, Roger (an impressive Milo Parker).
Lest you think this a simple story, I count at least three plots. One, Holmes wants to write down what really happened in his last case rather than what Watson reported (it couldn't have ended happily or Holmes wouldn't have stopped there), involving a grieving woman obsessed with glass harmonica music. But first he has to remember. It takes him days at least, and Roger can hardly wait to read it all.
Two, in an effort to enhance his memory, Holmes goes to Japan to pick up an exotic plant product with the help of a Mr. Tamiki Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada). Umezaki turns out to have complicated feelings about Holmes due to Umezaki's England-loving father disappearing from his life, allegedly on Holmes' advice. This series of events, shown likewise in flashbacks, still weighs heavily on Holmes' mind.
Three, Holmes has taken up a hobby of beekeeping. (No wonder Mrs. Munro worries.) Many bees have died of an undetermined cause, producing a new mystery to solve.
The plots do come together, but not soon enough or strongly enough, especially with regard to the second plot. My dad and I consider that the prime weakness in an otherwise solid film. The one other weakness that comes to mind pertains to a black and white movie that Holmes watches: It looks too crisp for a real '40s excerpt.
Watching McKellen is pretty much always a treat. In this case, it's also tender. Condon's not the most reliable director, but he had a sure thing going this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment