Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 104 minutes
Perhaps best known as the director behind huge titles such as The Others, Dreamgirls, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, The Fifth Estate and upcoming Disney live-action Beauty and the Beast, Bill Condon‘s name attached to something as quaint as Mr Holmes might come as a surprise, but he certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Based on the novel A Slight Trick of the Mind written by Mitch Cullin, Mr Holmes sees living legend Ian McKellen take on the role of our title character. Set in 1947, Holmes has retired to the quiet countryside of Sussex. Now aged 93, he’s determined to prove he’s just as capable as he was in his younger years, but his housekeeper Mrs Munro (Linney) and son Roger (Parker) would argue against this.
As any child normally is, Roger is nosy and wants to find out as much as possible about Holmes’ former life. After reading some papers hardwritten by Holmes, Roger is told the story of Sherlock’s final case, the tale of a man desperate to find out where his wife disappears to during the day. Told through flashbacks, the audience can appreciate the amount of work put into aging McKellen between the two time periods, as it’s obvious Holmes’ years of detective work have caught up with him. The only problem with the retelling is that he cannot remember how the story ends, no matter how hard Roger pushes him.
Growing attached to the young boy, Holmes continues to review the story, determined to jog his memory. However, when he takes a nasty fall and Roger’s life is put at risk (separate events) it looks as if we may never find out what happens…
Perhaps used to huge, blockbuster-style movies, Condon’s direction of Mr Holmes feels genuine and studied, as if he’s trying to pay tribute to previous depictions. Combining a story with several twists and turns with a character we all know and love, alongside sweeping shots of the beautiful British countryside, it feels as if Holmes has been a part of English heritage for as long as the hills and trees have been standing. McKellen‘s lovable, occasionally surly Sherlock is balanced out by Parker‘s inquisitive Roger, who asks all of the questions the audience want answers to. Laura Linney‘s stern, matronly Mrs Munro is the perfect mother for headstrong Roger, and feels like an almost-wife for Holmes, who, rather famously, never marries. All in all, the cast work brilliantly together, making them incredibly enjoyable to watch.
Although the narrative is quite slow at points, Mr Holmes encourages you to make your own judgments of where you believe the story’s going, and then proves you wrong at the last minute, making you second guess yourself until the end. Intriguing, warm and funny at times, this is a film and story many will be able to appreciate.
Mr Holmes is released on DVD from Monday 26th October 2015.
