Sherlock Holmes (2009) [Review]

"Never theorize before you have data. Invariably, you end up twisting facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective for Scotland Yard, and his partner Dr. Watson must stop the nefarious schemes of a man who has seemingly risen from the grave.

REVIEW

My history with Sherlock Holmes is a complicated one. I've always enjoyed his films, games, and TV shows, but always found it difficult to get through his written adventures. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories are undoubtedly some of the most important literary works of the 20th century, but they are quite difficult to get into thanks to their older English and slow pacing. I tried to read them numerous times when I was younger, but failed to appreciate their nuances and overall structure, dismissing them as something for a bygone era. Luckily, my thirst for cerebral activity often gets the better of me, and in recent years I've been able to invest in and read a few of the classics.

All that being said, I think I can say with confidence that my knowledge of the character, in all his formats, is higher than average. It is with that confidence that I declare Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes to be resounding success. Not only does it capture the raw side of the character that is often overlooked in other media, but it also manages to reinvent him in subtle yet powerful ways that deliver what I'd like to believe is one of the truest incarnations of the character to date.

When the project was first announced, I was a little worried by the casting choice for the famous sleuth. Robert Downey Jr.? An American? The guy who played Iron Man? They couldn't be serious! As the initial shock wore off, though, I slowly started pondering the idea. Holmes was no stranger to the usage of substances, and often had some bizarre quirks; Robert Downey Jr. might actually be perfect for the role. Lo and behold, he was. He absolutely was. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. He captured Holmes' eccentricity spectacularly, and visually conveyed his constant thinking and analyzing incredibly. I'll never be able to imagine anyone else as the character when reading the books now. Bravo, Mr. Downey. Bravo.

As important (if not more so) as Holmes is Dr. John Watson, his friend, partner, flatmate, physician, and chronicler. The yin to Holmes' yang, he brings balance to the quirky detective's world, and it was important to cast someone who could play off of Downey's nigh-madness with ease. Jude Law stepped up to the challenge, and delivered a knockout performance. His on-screen chemistry with our leading man is some of the best I've ever witnessed in a buddy film, and the fun these two had working together is palpable. It truly delivered a great final product, as the way they convey how the two friends care for each other is so convincing it's mesmerizing.

The rest of the cast is spectacular as well. Mark Strong is perfect in the role of the creepy and menacing Lord Blackwood, thanks to his raspy voice and intimidating gaze. His features are very Lugosian, which helps convince the audience that he is truly evil incarnate. Eddie Marsan bumbles around perfectly as Inspector Lestrade, and part of me wishes he would have gotten a bit more screen time. Lastly, Rachel McAdams, whose acting range is usually quite narrow, manages to pull of a convincing potrayal of Irene Adler, a woman who is torn between her feelings for Holmes and her duty to her criminal employer. I especially enjoyed the way her character was fleshed out and used as both a foil and romantic interest, as opposed to her literary incarnation.

A huge problem in previous Holmes films is that the pacing was deliberately slow in order to emphasize all the dialogue, clues, and expositions. The action was usually quite sparse, if at all present. They were, essentially, very cerebral affairs that weren't everyone's cup of tea. Luckily, Guy Ritchie's reinvention of the character is the perfect way to get 21st century folks into the 19th century hero. As great as TV's Sherlock is, Ritchie's rapid-fire clue detection sequences came first and, in my opinion, were handled better.

Speaking of centuries, Victorian London is reproduced here with great detail. It not only looks dirty and disease-ridden, but you can almost feel the filth caking to your skin as the characters run through mud, rain, and dirt on a regular basis. Great work on part of the set and costume designers. It feels very authentic, and lends credibility to the whole affair.

The action scenes are all very well done, and are often in slow-motion to emphasize how quickly Holmes can analyse a given situation and react to it. In most movies, these kind of shots can get tiresome, but the way they are handled here in both a narrative and a cinematographic sense is truly great and you always look forward to the next one.

Also of note is the excellent Hans Zimmer score. His use of rustic, period instruments combined with synthesized "oomph" moments results in something truly memorable that will stay stuck in your head the moment the opening sequence begins. That main theme is fantastic and truly embodies the spirit of The Great Detective.

If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. I highly recommend the blu-ray edition if you can, as modern printings of it actually have a certain character's vocal performance re-dubbed using the actor who portrays said character in the sequel, keeping the continuity intact.

Regardless of how you decide to watch it, though, Sherlock Holmes is a great flick and making the decision to experience it should be, well, elementary.

SUMMARY

A fun adventure that helps bring Sherlock Holmes to a 21st century audience. The characters are all very well cast, and the pacing is spot-on thanks to its perfect blend of intellectual and physical showcases.

VERDICT

GREAT

PROS

• Excellent cast. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have some of the best on-screen buddy chemistry I've ever seen. They play off each other perfectly. Mark Strong is a great villain.

• Perfectly paced, with a perfect blend of action and intrigue.

• A genuinely complex mystery to solve.

• Great "eccentric Sherlock" moments that lead to some excellent dialogue and laughs.

• Great tribute to classic Holmes characters while throwing in some new ideas.

• Amazing cinematography and set design.

• Mind-blowing score. The Sherlock theme is ridiculously catchy.

CONS

• The film requires all of your attention. If you aren't invested and are easily distracted, you can miss out on important clues and will be left scratching your head.

• Some dialogue is difficult to understand due to mumbling or bizarre character quirks.

YOU'LL ENJOY THIS IF

• You like cerebral movies. The movie moves along at a brisk pace and doesn't stop to hold your hand. You'll be doing a lot of thinking along with Sherlock, and you'll only know if you understood everything in the last 10 minutes of the film.

• You like thick British accents. I watch a lot of BBC stuff and even I had a hard time understanding certain dialogue.

• You like shaky camerawork. Lots of action that may or may not be easy to follow. Luckily, most of it is shown in slow-mo beforehand when Sherlock explains what he's about to do.

• You like plot twists. Lots of different plot points to follow, and lots of surprises are thrown in to keep you on your toes.

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