Robert Downey Jr. is just the latest in a long line of actors to tackle the complicated and wonderful character Sherlock Holmes. Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett and Peter Cushing, to name a few, all had their time with the role in the past. Downey is a interesting fit, of course, because he brings with him a lifetime of self-abuse and drug use. This is perhaps the darkest and most unhinged Holmes we've seen in awhile. Director Guy Ritchie shows Holmes as a prankster and childish man, kept in line by his trusted friend Dr. Watson, who is always on the straight and narrow.
The story here is not much of a mystery. Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) is killing people in London as part of a loose connection to secret society ritual ceremony. Holmes and Watson (Jude Law) have to catch the criminal before he can kill more people. All the while Blackwood's actions are being followed by Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty and his hired go-between, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams).
The two best things about the film are Downey and Law. They both look fantastic in the wonderful costumes and have snappy, fresh dialogue. They play off one another very well, giving a clear sense of long-time friendship, trust and companionship. Their banter is funny and enjoyable and makes the rather dull story seem incidental and painless.
As is rather typical in a Ritchie movie, there is a lot of style and a rather busy, complicated mise-en-scene. The industry of Victorian London explodes off the screen. The wet, grayness of the city seeps into every corner of the picture and mixes with the greasy, cold metal of factories to give a wonderful idea of place.
Sadly, this is much more of an action movie than a mystery. We know and Holmes and Watson know basically from the first scene that Blackwood is the culprit of the murders, so the film turns into a chase, where they have to use their wits to avoid his traps and find him. This is not terrible, but it is far from a traditional Sherlock Holmes film. It seems rather incidental that it is Holmes and Watson - the film could just as easily be about any two other random Londoners. Considering the story it totally original and not based on any specific Arthur Conan Doyle book, it is strange they went this direction. Why not just write a fresh mystery if you don't want to use a classic?
In spite of all of this, the feeling of the film, the relationship between Holmes and Watson and the beautiful art direction make this a rather enjoyable film. I say this with a big caveat, though, that Blackwood is a pretty dumb character and his part of the film is very stupid and dry.
Stars: 2.5 of 4
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment