Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellen and based of the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin, has arrived at many theaters around the world at this point, so if you have seen the movie, I would love to discuss it with you. (Yes, there will likely be spoilers in the comments, so fair warning if you haven’t seen the film.)
Did you like it? What did you think of Ian McKellen’s portrayal?
I did like it, maybe even more than the book, and I’d say the acting, Ian McKellen’s and others, is responsible. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ve never before seen an actor convey emotion with his knuckles, but I now have. This portrait of an elderly Holmes — or any really elderly man who’s losing some of what made him what he was and is still aware enough to know it — is fantastic. It’s also sad, but it does ring very, very true.
I think I may like it even more than the book, as well. Some of the themes were emphasized different from the book, but I think it worked to the films benefit and I enjoyed the warm feeling I had after the movie. The film adaption made the story very memorable and I think Mr. Holmes will be one of the classics among Sherlockians.
Ian McKellen is absolute gem. I loved his performance! The other actors – and the cameos I wasn’t expecting – turned out to be a lovely surprise.
Although there was so little mention of Watson, I think it worked for the sort of tale this movie was doing its best to tell, so this is one of the few occasions where I didn’t mind so much.
I think my one quibble had to do with the Japanese elements: the young man and his mother were portrayed nicely, but the world around them was a very stylistic and bizarre version of Japan. The restaurant scene in particular struck me as odd due to the design of the restaurant itself: Western furniture despite countryside setting, artistic wood slat panels that look as if they came from a posh modern restaurant, and a uncommonly high ceiling, yet the exterior shot was of a traditional ryokan spa and, in addition, the texture and lighting seemed to imply that it was a unvarnished common restaurant.
And yet even though those scenes struck me as odd, I figured it was due to the scenes being based of Holmes’ biased memory instead of the actual setting. In that way, it made more sense to me.
So overall, I enjoyed the film a great deal. One of my favorite Ian McKellen films and one of the best Sherlock Holmes films to come out recently.
I will be having an in depth review of “Mr. Holmes” in the Fall issue. I have not read the book so my observations will be only on the movie itself but I will say I agree with Roxie’s statement, “I did like it….and I’d say the acting, Ian McKellen’s and others, is responsible.”
We all look forward to Pippin’s analysis of the film in the Fall issue. His insights are always valuable. I would certainly like to see a follow-up in the Spring issue…..with replies from our members AND Pippin’s perspective after he has read the book (something worth doing during a Northeast winter). I read the book when it first appeared and also saw the film a few weeks back. A two-part article from Pippin would be most worthwhile.
I went and saw the film this past Saturday. It was an excellent film and I was very impressed by the performances given by Ian McKellan, Laura Linney and Milo Parker. I admit, I went in with quite a bit of trepidation as I had read the book the film is based on. It is extremely sad; I was actually crying when I finished it. So I expected to be sobbing my eyes out by the end. But that wasn’t the case. The filmmakers changed the ending. While it did not detract from the story and I can understand why they did it, to say the least, I was startled. Still, even with those changes, this film was excellent.
And if Ian McKellan does not get a Golden Globe or and Oscar for this one, it will be proof that there is no justice in the world. He played the role of Sherlock Holmes, both in his 60s and his 90s, magnificently!
I enjoyed this movie very much. At first, I was getting caught off guard as they switched between the “current” and flashbacks, but within minutes I was in sync of the action. If you haven’t seen it yet, do so now. Launched with a limited release, it is available in less and less theaters every week.
Linda and I (and a friend with whom we saw it) loved the film, even though none of us had read the book. Ian McKellen and the rest of the lead cast were indeed wonderful to watch. I look forward to seeing the movie again this week. I also look forward to Pippin’s insightful review, which will be more analytical than this off-the-cuff posting.