Mr. Holmes (2015)

An aged, retired Sherlock Holmes deals with early dementia, as he tries to remember his final case, and a mysterious woman, whose memory haunts him. He also befriends a fan, the young son of his housekeeper, who wants him to work again.

Director:

Bill Condon

Writers:

Mitch Cullin (novel), Jeffrey Hatcher (screenplay)

Stars:

Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Hiroyuki Sanada

17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian McKellen	...	Sherlock Holmes
Laura Linney	...	Mrs. Munro
Milo Parker	...	Roger
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	Tamiki Umezaki
Hattie Morahan	...	Ann Kelmot
Patrick Kennedy	...	Thomas Kelmot
Roger Allam	...	Dr. Barrie
Phil Davis	...	Inspector Gilbert
Frances de la Tour	...	Madame Schirmer (as Frances De La Tour)
Charles Maddox	...	Oswald
Takako Akashi	...	Maya Umezaki
Zak Shukor	...	Masuo Umezaki
John Sessions	...	Mycroft Holmes
Michael Culkin	...	Bank Manager
David Foxxe	...	Chemist

Storyline

The story is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and her young son. But then he finds himself haunted by a thirty-year old case. Holmes memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, and a secret bond with his beautiful, but unstable wife.

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Plot Keywords:

son | memory | mother | nest | anger | 

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Taglines:

After a lifetime of detective work, there's one mystery left to solve: his own.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, some disturbing images and incidental smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Japanese French

Release Date:

24 July 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Slight Trick of the Mind

Filming Locations:

Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,434,908, 19 July 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,737,646

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,355,203

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Roadside Attractions, BBC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Ian McKellen took a course in beekeeping with The London Honey Company prior to filming. He was not stung during filming.

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Goofs

Right at the start, the aerial footage of the steam train shows in some shots lots of steam billowing from beneath the train - one shot is cut in showing none, no sign of any at all.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sherlock Holmes: You shouldn't do that. Tap the glass.
Boy: How did you know I was going to?
Boy's Mother: You must forgive my son, he loves bees.
Sherlock Holmes: It isn't a bee, it's a wasp. Different thing entirely.

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Connections

Referenced in Weekend: Episode #2.17 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Tea Ceremony
Composed by Graham de Wilde
Provided by APM Music

User Reviews

Are our heroes allowed to age?

"Human nature was something logic could not illuminate" - Sherlock Holmes

Walking into the cinema... An ageing Sherlock Holmes played by Sir Ian McKellen. No mystery, it is a must see.

Art-house* rating: 4 stars Cinematic rating: 4 stars Big question opportunities: 4 stars

Summary

Based on the Mitch Cullin novel, "A Slight Trick of the Mind", we get a rare glimpse into the life of an ageing legend. Set in post WWII England, Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) has retired to the country. In the beautiful landscape of Sussex, cares for his beloved bees and is cared for by his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her determined and investigative son, Roger (Milo Parker). As Mr. Holmes attempts to rectify Dr. Watson's fictitious portrayal of his life, he wrestles with the challenges of growing old and coming to terms with his final case. Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) and McKellen collaborate on an intriguing mystery that involves retrieving the facts of the past in the fading memory of an old detective.

Review

At a recent dinner party, I was describing the premise of Mr. Holmes to a friend and I quickly saw the fog of disinterest sweep over his eyes, because it did not include any CGI effects or explosions. Which was unfortunate, because in amongst the cinematic landscape of the season, this film was a breath of fresh air. Director Bill Condon provides a wonderfully crafted story and a beautiful cinematic backdrop to unlikely discussion points. With the overly used character vehicle, Sherlock Holmes, he engages the ageing hero in determining the fine line between fact and fiction and the value of the elderly. These topics may not get the average movie fan out of their seat on a Friday night, but they are woven beautifully in a character driven film of relationships and mystery. A rich and meaningful relational portrait is given his mentorship of young Roger, who is a fledgling sleuth and fellow bee keeper. Also, Condon seems to take joy in dismantling the mythology of the legend, as he demystifies every fictitious devise that Watson has added into the character of Sherlock Holmes. Condon continues to show his ability to provide fresh vision for story and characters. His only directing weakness is the time line continuance. There are three different time lines to consider and they can get a bit muddled, but it does not detract from the overall experience. Ultimately, he is able to effectively portray the past and the present, and allow Ian McKellen develop Holmes into an original and appealing depiction of the master sleuth.

Like 2014's Birdman, the audience has to come to terms with the notion of the ageing hero. Are the heroes of folklore and legend allowed to age? Sherlock Holmes cerebral abilities are unsurpassed in modern mythology and to consider him losing his mental faculties is disconcerting at first, but becomes endearing. Holmes' realisation of his own weaknesses and dependence on those around him opens fresh territory for this character and provides a humanity that is difficult to see in most of the portraits of the detective. Mr. Holmes is an entertaining and thought provoking film that provides a oasis in amongst the desert plain of blockbusters and sequels this season.

Leaving the cinema...

Admitting that seeing this film at the State Theatre during the Sydney Film Festival added to the experience, that did not diminish the value of this film. McKellen was brilliant, Condon is back to his directorial best and it was a refreshing take on a familiar cinematic character.

It is elementary, Mr. Holmes is a film worth seeing this year.

Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. Is life a mystery? (Colossians 2:1-3, 1 Timothy 3:16) 2. Why do we have to age? (Genesis 3, Ecclesiastes) 3. What value are the elderly in our society? (Proverbs 16:31, Job 12:12)

* What is an Art-house rating?

Written by Russell Matthews based on a five star rating system @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews #mrholmes