ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR: a review of "Sherlock Holmes"

“SHERLOCK HOLMES” Directed by Guy Ritchie
***1/2 (three and a half stars)

I must admit that despite my life-long love affair with literature and the magic that is conjured through the near mystical act of combining the right words in just the right fashion, I have never, ever entertained the thought of attempting to discover the literary world of master sleuth Sherlock Holmes. I’m not certain why though. I mean—besides being an ardent Anglophile, I have always liked the idea of Holmes; this man, whose intelligence seems so vast, so relentless and so unstoppable that he is always able to discover the logical nature of any situation no matter of how improbable it may appear to be. Perhaps there is some envy buried within this fascination as I am certain that I, and many others, would love to have that power of perception. That said, I have never read any of the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle nor have I ever seen any film depictions of Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson. What a difference the right actor or movie star can make. In Director Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” an adrenalized, brawny re-invention of the classic character that does not squelch anything in the braininess department, he has called upon two actors who exude a level of charisma and sheer coolness that I wish I even had a modicum of in my own life. It would be hard pressed to find anyone better than Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law to take over the iconic Holmes and Watson, and their amazing chemistry with each other and comfort within their roles, sells this film greatly and makes for an exciting film going experience.

As the film opens, we are immediately plunged into the final act of another dark Holmes/Watson adventure, much like the opening of any James Bond or Indiana Jones feature. Our heroes are hot on the trail of the demonic Lord Blackwood (menacingly well played by Mark Strong), who through the means of black magic has already murdered five women and is now about to claim the life of a sixth. It is during this sequence where Ritchie deftly re-acquaints us with the classic characters, albeit through his filter. Dr. John Watson is no longer a bumbling tag-a-long but Holmes’ brother-in-arms. He is an excellent marksman and combatant, complete with a military history as well as a sword tucked within the innards of his walking stick. But, the real surprise is with Holmes, who uses his breathtaking intellect to not only solve the crime, and rescue the girl but to physically defeat his opponents in a bravura bit of exposition as we travel through Holmes’ rapid-fire thought process and knowledge of fragile human anatomical areas. Then, we get to see Holmes utilize that intellect to brutally mop up the floor with Blackwood’s henchmen and what a thrilling sight it is. After Blackwood’s incarceration and execution by hanging, the plot thickens once Blackwood has apparently risen from the grave to wreak more havoc upon Victorian London via Satanic premonitions of three more deaths, a secretive new ultimate weapon, and of course, the promise of Holmes’ ultimate downfall.

The film’s story is also a wonderful character study of Holmes’ brilliant yet deeply fractured mind and damaged heart, which Ritchie utilizes all of the tools at his disposal from set decoration to his leading man. The apartment of Sherlock Holmes is a disaster area, which may be an element that might put off some purists. Yet, for me, it seemed to be a physical manifestation of his brain as it appears to be the reside belonging more to the reclusive and psychologically crippled Howard Hughes rather than the fussily fastidious Holmes. It is filled with failed scientific experiments, clothes strewn all about and obvious traces of alcoholic and/or narcotic remains. It is his retreat after a case has been solved and it shows how Holmes without a project makes for dangerous company, as especially seen during his frequent and punishing visits to underground London fight clubs.

Yet, it is all a front for his wounded heart as his intellect betrays him when confronted with the ones that mean most to him. This includes the returning Irene Adler (Rachael McAdams), the only thief and woman to have gotten away from Holmes’ grasp. But the film’s real love story is between Holmes and Dr. Watson, as Holmes wrestles with his own jealousy and incomprehension that Watson would actually choose a quiet life with Mary (played by Kelly Reilly) over unpredictable excitement, adventure and the thrill of the chase with him. Robert Downey Jr. hits every note of the character perfectly—maybe a little too perfectly--and he is mesmerizing to watch.

Robert Downey Jr. has always been an actor that emerges as the smartest man in the room, or at the very least, maybe three to five steps ahead of everyone else. That quality is perfect for a character like the meticulously astute Sherlock Holmes and with Ritchie’s interpretation of him, Downey Jr. is let loose with a performance that veers precariously close to running off the rails—mostly depicted in his line readings which are presented in a rushed flurry that garbles enunciation. At times, this made it difficult to understand key dialogue but perhaps this acting choice was intentional as it does strongly suggest Holmes’ near state of madness.

A more perfect foil could not have been found in anyone other than the magnetically captivating Jude Law, who blazes across the screen as Downey Jr.’s complete equal. He is the one who understands and knows Holmes better than anyone and continues to follow him despite his better comprehension of what a life with Holmes would mean. He is a man caught in an equally precarious state between the best and worst of his own impulses. Maybe he is what Homes was before his psyche began to splinter, as the two men seem to be cut from the same proverbial cloth. Downey Jr. and Law play with and off of each other luminously and there should be an Oscar given to whomever suggested casting these two men together in the first place. The pairing is that strong and it is a gift to be in their presence.

In other cinematic areas, Guy Ritchie unfolds his film in a triumphant merging of the vintage and the modern. From traditional costuming and set design with CGI, London becomes properly and hauntingly foreboding as well as a place that looks very lived in. You can feel the grime from the cobblestone streets and detect the funk in the air from the sewers underneath. Ritchie’s modern techniques of cinematography, which include that slightly bleached out quality that lends the film a grim dreaminess and brisk editing (which is admittedly sometimes a little too frenetic during the fight sequences) to bring the stately vintage London to blistering life. Key action pieces set upon a shipyard, inside of a grisly slaughterhouse and a battle between Holmes and a giant Frenchmen never feel superfluous to the main story and ratchet up the tension appropriately. Even the music score by veteran composer Hans Zimmer is a joy as he merges tack pianos, and passionately mournful violins with forbidding synthetics and it creates the perfect sound scape to this invigorating new vision.

“Sherlock Holmes” is high entertainment presented in high style, class and intelligence. Nothing feels dumbed down to fit the lowest common denominator of a mass audience. Instead, this is a rare big budget Hollywood feature where the participants all worked at their collective best.

While I have to sheepishly admit this although the success of film was grand, it still didn't make me want to race to the library shelves to read the source material. However, I do know that as this film reached its conclusion and Holmes is presented with a growing story by tracking down an even slipperier and more intense foe, I am already anxious for a follow-up adventure. Maybe it is all due to the presentation and in the hands of Ritchie, Downey Jr. and Law, I will gladly see whatever they are able to construct in the future.