Sherlock Holmes
by Guy Ritchie
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DVD details
Actor: Eddie Marsan, Jude Law, Mark Strong, Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr.Director: Guy Ritchie
Brand: Warner
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 128 minutes
Published: 2010-03-01
DVD Release Date: 2010-03-30
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- SHERLOCK HOLMES (DVD MOVIE)
DVD Reviews of Sherlock Holmes
DVD Review: A Feast for Holmes Fans and All Others
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me begin by saying this is written from the perspective of someone who has long been a major fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories. They were some of the first non-children's works I ever read, and it was a yearly ritual to read them all consecutively. I did so for a long time and have read them on other occasions in various combinations. I thus unsurprisingly approached the film with a highly critical eye and a perhaps more than healthy dose of skepticism. As with many fans of the stories, Holmes is more real to me than many real people, and I would take any faulty adaptation very seriously - almost personally. I am therefore very glad to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Perhaps the most important thing to note is that it aims at both those familiar with the stories and those who have never read them, probably the latter primarily. This will inevitably annoy some purists but was necessary to gain wide appeal and, in my view at least, a nice balance was achieved. Some have complained that very little background is given at the front, apparently assuming it is known to all. However, everything is clear well before the end, and hard-cores will appreciate their time not being wasted. Far more important to fans is that the film does not follow a specific Doyle story. The general background is used, including of course the characters, but the chronology is somewhat changed; for example, a difference in how Watson meets his wife and moves from Baker Street threw me at first. Elements of various tales are used here and there, but this is essentially a new mystery. Any hard-cores limiting themselves to canonical plot adaptations thus should not even bother - but they will be missing out. The mystery is a Doyle-esque classic and, while not coming close to the master's best, the honest must admit it is quite a bit better than his worst. Anyone who loves the stories will find much to appreciate, as many classic elements are used. It is even an unexpected treat for hard-cores in some ways, as they can experience suspense and entertainment not possible when the plot is known.
There are many other non-canonical elements; most are essentially neutral, but hard-cores will quibble to various extents. For example, as nearly always in Hollywood adaptations, there is a significant action increase. It may not be hyperbole to say there is more action - in the Hollywood sense - than in all the stories combined. I feared this, and what I heard and saw made me worry it would ruin the film. However, at least in my view, it thankfully does not. It is not pushed too far and, though sometimes improbable, is not more so than in some stories - and is certainly mild compared to most films. The fact that non-Holmes fans have complained there is too little action testifies to this. Some hard-cores have complained loudly, but it is all fairly well integrated; there is really nothing gratuitous and contrived. It is also important to remember that the stories have a fair amount of action; some were indeed almost the equivalent of Hollywood action films by Victorian standards. This is easy to forget, and some would apparently like to deny it. It is also worth noting, for what it is worth, that Doyle could hardly have gotten away with such a thing in his time and place. For all we know, he was holding back and would have fully approved of this.
Hollywood is also infamous for sexing up literature, which is done here to a far lesser extent. No actual sex is shown, but there is significantly more suggestiveness than in the stories. In particular, Holmes' implied love for Irene Adler - a major character here despite appearing in only one story and being mentioned in a few others - is made fairly clear. This is shown in various ways that, while incredibly mild by Hollywood standards, may be too much for some hard-cores. However, this again is skillfully made to arise naturally and is after all plausibly extrapolated from the stories. Doyle was even more cramped here and may well have sketched the relationship out far more if he could have. More importantly, in contrast to the action, we can see the director and writers consciously holding back and should appreciate it.
The other non-canonical elements are essentially subjective; any given one will annoy some hard-cores while leaving others unfazed. I swallow most of them whole, and none annoy me particularly. The most obvious and significant is the increased importance of Dr. Watson despite the story not being told from his point of view as nearly always in Doyle. He is far more active, especially in regard to action, and beefed up in other ways - not least in becoming a witty wisecracker. Holmes is certainly the central focus, but Watson threatens to steal the proverbial show at times and is never deemphasized as in the stories. This can only be blasphemy to those who believe Holmes should dominate but works in context. Those able to see the film as a film in itself, rather than mere appendage of the stories, can appreciate this. Those unable to will be disappointed, but even they should not let it ruin what is a very worthy adaptation. Remaining changes are mostly added personality quirks of little or no consequence spread out among the characters. They have no real effect on plot except in a scene where Holmes drinks wine that has been fixed by Adler after she has more or less seduced him. I do not believe the "real" Holmes would be so easily fooled, but this is nothing to quibble too much about; ditto for whatever bothers anyone else.
All this is of course irrelevant to those unfamiliar with the stories, who will probably enjoy the film even more. It is a well-wrought mystery and certainly far above standard Hollywood mystery or action/adventure fair. One would have to look unusually hard to find plot holes, and no major threads are left dangling. Despite a slow start, the picture soon becomes engaging and entertaining and never lets up. The uninitiated will get a great introduction to Holmes and Doyle, as well as the time and place, and hopefully be inspired to read the originals.
The film is an excellent adaptation in most respects. Director Guy Ritchie does a superb job of bringing Victorian London alive. His depictions are of course not always what I picture but are nearly always legitimate and evocative; the sights and sounds have that all-important "right" feel, and the cinematography is generally well-done. The music is basically effective and appropriate but occasionally overblown and arguably distracting. Ritchie's greatest accomplishment, though, is avoiding the corniness that so often plagues and nearly always ruins Holmes onscreen. Holmes is one of the most famous fictional characters and has been portrayed many times nearly from the beginning of cinema; making him and his world seem fresh and convincing is a significant accomplishment.
The real key is of course the acting, which is basically excellent. I had major doubts about the casting of all the main characters and was glad to be proven wrong. Robert Downey, Jr. certainly does not look like Holmes as I picture him or as nearly always depicted, and little effort was made to change this. Yet it works. This is undoubtedly due mostly to the fresh approach. Ritchie decided not to go with the famous coat and hat, which was probably a good idea; it had been done too often and had arguably become almost inherently corny. Downey, Jr. uses actual acting skills to portray Holmes convincingly; his British accent is dead-on, and he has the mannerisms down well. Holmes' observational skills are put forth well, though his explanations often go by so fast we have little time to appreciate them, in contrast to the stories, where we can reread and savor. All told, I was thoroughly impressed by Downey, Jr.'s Holmes.
Jude Law as Watson is at least as good. He has performed well in each film I have seen him in, but I just could not envision him as Watson. How glad I was, then, to see him be an excellent one. That he looks nothing like himself clearly helps, even though his Watson is significantly different from how I have always pictured the character as well as from most depictions. Freshness again pays off, and Law deserves credit for pulling off a role substantially different from most of what he has done. The closest thing to a complaint one can make about his performance is that he sometimes comes near stealing Downey, Jr.'s proverbial thunder.
The biggest worry for me was Rachel McAdams as Adler. I questioned the validity and effectiveness of enlarging the character in the first place. Apparently it is not enough for her to be crafty and beautiful (I see nothing in McAdams, but I guess that's just me); she also had to be nearly as physically tough as Law's Watson and with even less canonical basis. Casting her on top of this seemed a sure recipe for disaster - nay, a cheap lure for non-Holmes fans. Again, though, I was pleasantly surprised. Her performance is not great - certainly below Downey, Jr.'s and Law's - but more than adequate. She does not quite convey the intelligence and craftiness the character demands and fails to sound like someone from New Jersey but is at least basically convincing. A more appropriate choice could probably have been found, but she passes my rather strict standards and does not come anywhere near ruining the film.
The minor actors are also quite good. Eddie Marsan deserves special mention for a humorous Inspector Lestrade. Mark Strong and Robert Maillet make convincing villains even if they lean toward the overly melodramatic. Their roles push non-canonical elements near the breaking point and sometimes come dangerously near corniness. However, while this brings down the film slightly, it does not ruin it.
The ending is a shameless sequel ploy, but we should not be offended; not only is the film well-done, but the Holmes world is so vast that there is plenty of room for more. Many, many elements are not touched on or used only in passing, and it would be interesting to see them further developed. Even hard-cores who thoroughly enjoy the film will inevitably miss certain scenes and characters - including Holmes' brother Mycroft, who is mentioned but does not appear, and arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty, who has only a token role. I am personally glad of this last, as adaptations have almost invariably overplayed Moriarty's importance, leading to a gross exaggeration of his stature. He is after all only physically present in one story, plays a real role in only one more, and is mentioned in a further handful. It is time that he stopped overshadowing other characters and situations. The promised sequel will surely feature him prominently, but I am more than willing to give it a chance after this success.
In summary, I urge any ambivalent Holmes fans to see this; whatever prior adaptations may have been, this is a good one. It is not perfect, and there will of course be many things you will wish had been different. You will quibble and nitpick. However, it is a quality adaptation, and you should let yourself enjoy it. This can be easily done in regard to the stories - there are plenty of tit-bits thrown in for the discerning that will be unnoticed by casuals - and is even easier if we take the film on its own terms. It is of course very hard to do the latter when dealing with such famous material, but the film is good enough that we should try. No honest person can say it is truly great cinema, but then Doyle's Holmes is not truly great literature in the strict sense. However much we enjoy it, we should admit it does not reach the profound heights of, say, Victor Hugo or Fyodor Dostoevsky. This is of course not a bad thing; as C. S. Lewis wisely said, the only people who have a problem with escapism are jailers. Or, as I have long said, it may be escapism, but it's damn good escapism. Doyle's Holmes stories may be the greatest literary escapism ever, and the film is a fairly close equivalent; it may be the popcorn movie of the year.
Non-Holmes fans have even less reason to hesitate. This is an intelligent film with plenty of action and more than a few laughs. One would be very hard-pressed to find something more entertaining out now or on the horizon. Bring on the popcorn!
Description of Sherlock Holmes
Detective sherlock holmes and his stalwart partner watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of england. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/30/2010 Starring: Robert Downey Jr Rachel Mc Adams Run time: 128 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Guy RichieBestsellers in DVD
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