Mr. Holmes Review

Starring: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy

Mr. Holmes is the indie film I've been looking forward to since I saw the trailer. I've always been a big fan of mysteries, whether they be books, movies, or Scooby-Doo on TV. Sherlock Holmes is the kind of character that has been interpreted so many different ways. The two I have seen are Robert Downey Jr's version in the new movies, and Benedict Cumberbatch's on the BBC's Sherlock. Both are very different spins on the tale. Ironically, the whole plot of Mr. Holmes is the aging detective trying to tell the story right, and correct all these falsified versions. Here we see a much different Sherlock. He has dementia. He's 93 years old and probably pretty near to his deathbed. And he has neither a cap nor a pipe. Yet somehow, this feels like the most authentic performance to date, even though it criticizes the ones before it. Mr. Holmes is such an interesting concept, I had a feeling this was going to be a good movie when it started. I was so surprised that it exceeded my expectations. This is not just a good movie, it's a great one. And Ian McKellen drives home a performance I'll never forget.

Ian McKellen is a pretty recognizable actor. He's most famous for playing Magneto in the X-Men franchise, as well as the wizard Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series. For The Fellowship of the Ring, McKellen even received an Oscar nomination for playing Gandalf. This man is hugely talented, and the general public knows it. But in Mr. Holmes it's an Ian McKellen I have never seen before. The strength he uses when playing the iconic heroes and villains is gone. He is feeble, and the booming voice I'm used to hearing from Gandalf is soft. McKellen is nowhere near as decrepit as Holmes is, but he makes it so believable. The facial expressions he gives are of a grumpy old man with more aches and pains than he can count. Though the real magic of McKellen's performance comes in his depiction of dementia. When one has a past like Holmes does, you don't want it to go away. But he suddenly can't remember his cases, and that forms the plot of the movie. One last case went so horribly wrong he quit being a detective and became a recluse. But he can't remember what happened! There are a few scenes where you watch him trying to get a grip of the memory and just failing, and it is so sad to see him falling apart. I hope McKellen is recognized for such a layered performance in the coming months. He deserves it.

McKellen's Sherlock Holmes is not the only great thing about this movie. Laura Linney gives a surprising performance as his housekeeper. She dreams of moving away and giving a good life for her young son who lives with her, but she feels obligated to help Mr. Holmes until he dies. Whoever the child is that played her son is also good. I always feel like the child actors in British movies are always very mature in their performances. Far more mature than their age suggests. The score was also amazing. The way the music lined up with a spectacular opening scene of a train in a valley was just breathtaking and beautiful. You'll also find that you learn a lot about bees. Mr. Holmes' pasttime is beekeeping, and he works along with his young neighbor. Bees also have a striking symbolism and connection with the case he is trying so hard to remember. And in the end, Mr. Holmes teaches a lesson about writing and emotions that should not be forgotten. This is just a great movie that I cannot recommend highly enough. If you have the opportunity to see it, take advantage of it.

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