Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1577. Mr. Holmes (2015)

    1577. Mr. Holmes (2015)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on December 11, 2016 100-109 mins, 2015, 6 - 7.9, Dec 16, Drama, Movies Of 2016, Review, United Kingdom
    7.7 Absorbing
    • Acting 7.9
    • Directing 7.8
    • Story 7.5
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker

    Director: Bill Condon

    Running Time: 104 mins


    Mr. Holmes is a British film about an elderly Sherlock Holmes battling against dementia who tries to remember the story of his complex last case. Meanwhile, in his house in the West Country, he makes friends with his housekeeper’s young son, with whom he shares the stories and lessons of his career as a world-famous detective.

    This is a brilliantly absorbing and pleasant film with a fantastically unique take on the classic character of Sherlock Holmes. It may move along at a snail’s pace, but the quiet, slow and almost cosy nature of so much of this film mirrors its approach to portraying the character in a different light, and as it’s more of a character study than a mystery thriller, it’s a very intimate and engrossing watch from start to finish.

    Let’s start off with what really makes that all work so well. The central performance by Ian McKellen here is simply stunning, and towers above all of his co-stars at every moment. Fitting in perfectly with the film’s quiet atmosphere, McKellen gives an exceptionally deep and emotional performance as an aged Sherlock Holmes in the calmest manner possible.

    This isn’t a showy, Oscar-bait performance, but a masterclass in acting as McKellen portrays the struggle this old man is facing in trying to remember his stellar past in the face of an oncoming illness, but also the incredible intelligence and heart he has. Feeling almost like your grandpa telling you a relaxing yet utterly gripping story, McKellen’s Holmes is utterly mesmerising from start to finish.

    And one of the reasons that it’s so easy to feel so close to the character in this film is the directing. Bill Condon does a fantastic job throughout, managing to keep an incredibly slow-moving and quiet character study totally absorbing. The most impressive part of Condon’s directing is how intimate the focus of the film is on Mr. Holmes’ emotions and memories.

    In truth, it’s not a character that works just because he’s Sherlock Holmes, but it’s because Condon gives you a full 100 minutes to spend quietly living life alongside this old man, with fascinating stories to tell, and a clearly brilliant intelligence, that you can feel so closely connected, even when there’s no exposition or excessive narration to directly tell you about the character’s feelings, something I felt was a real triumph from this film.

    Beyond the directing and central performance, the writing here is very good too. Principally, the adaptation of Mitch Cullin’s novel ‘A Slight Trick Of The Mind’ to the big screen is brilliantly done. It’s so good to see such a unique and different take on one of history’s most overplayed fictional characters. The elderly Holmes is written so well in this film, and brought to life in a far more realistic way than any adaptation of Conan Doyle before it.

    From the dialogue to his personality, the screenplay is fully grounded in reality, and as a result means it’s so much easier to focus on Holmes as a real person with feelings than just the clever detective we all know already. The film’s quietest and most intimate moments are the best, and it’s brilliant to see that the writers allowed McKellen and Condon to work so freely in those periods, as it makes for some utterly wonderful and absorbing emotions.

    If there is one issue that I find with this film, then it comes in the way the case Holmes is remembering is portrayed. Although an interesting and unpredictable side plot, I felt that it sometimes took a little away from the intimate study of the older character, and, although it’s by no means as intense or rapid as modern mysteries, occasionally interrupted the peace of the story in the current day.

    Overall, however, Mr. Holmes is a wonderful film. Fascinating, clever and brilliantly unique, it’s a memorable and gripping watch that works excellently thanks to its directing, realistic writing, and stunning central performance, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.7.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.7
    Review
    May 12, 20200

    2953. Before Sunrise (1995)

    8.2
    Review
    June 22, 20190

    2592. Toy Story 4 (2019)

    8.4
    Review
    June 1, 20160

    1369. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

    8.0
    Review
    April 20, 20140

    532. Date Night (2010)

    8.9
    Review
    November 5, 20140

    741. V For Vendetta (2005)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.