There has been an increased amount of movies recently produced based on popular storybooks. The movie “Mr Holmes” is one of them, based on the 2005 novel “A Slight Trick of Mind” by Mitch Cullin. I, for one, have not read the book and am pretty thankful for that as movie adaptations are known to be usually much less detailed compared to the original book version. Not having read the book prior also creates suspense and evokes lots of emotions over the course of the movie. You don’t have to watch the movie in constant anticipation, hoping the movie will pan out like the book version.
For mystery lovers, this one is for you. Mr Holmes is a pretty good crime drama mystery film, set in 1947, where a 93 year-old retired Sherlock Holmes (played by Sir Ian Mckellen) tries to solve his final case before his mind deteriorates further. He is being accompanied by his housekeeper Mrs Munro (played by Laura Linney) and her son Roger (played by Milo Parker).
The minimal usage of people in the main cast enabled the film to be well played through, focusing on each character’s emotions and actions towards every event that occurred. Even though the story progresses slowly, it does not seem draggy or boring. Each scene is crafted perfectly well and the director allows the audience to empathise with the characters before bringing them into the next scene.
In the movie, a man came looking for Mr Holmes almost 30 years ago, in the hope of getting the latter to find the cause of his wife’s eccentric behaviour after her miscarriages. This was also the last case Mr Holmes took in his entire detective career; he has forgotten the outcome of the case, why and how it happened. Thanks to Roger’s accompaniment and intellectual capabilities, Mr Holmes gets the memories back, slowly.
These memories are depicted as flashback scenes and may seem a little disjointed in the movie, but as the story progresses, you will be able to understand and piece together the bigger picture. As Holmes is unhappy with the fictionalisation of Walter’s version, he wants to craft down the truth.
A second series of flashbacks is related to Mr Holmes’ trip to Japan, which he visited to look for a rare plant to aid his failing memory. In Japan, he met some people who claimed to be his admirer but were really seeking revenge on him. Mr Holmes is once again reminded of why he has left the industry he loved so much.
This is such a good and moving story that I do not wish to reveal any spoilers. The movie deserves to be watched first hand. Have I already mentioned my love for the cast? Sir Ian McKellen definitely brought the character to life and charms the audience with his flawless, deeply moving and mesmerising act. He lived in the character and you would believe him entirely. My second favourite would have to be Milo Parker. His impeccable acting skills will pull you into his world, scene after scene.
Here’s the trailer:
