Sherlock Holmes

After watching the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes, I had decided not to go see it. It looked like a waste of time, a “filler” movie (my term for something released when nothing else big is coming to theaters). But after hearing positive reviews from everyone, I relented. I went to go see Sherlock Holmes a while ago, and was pleasantly surprised. Although there were a few disappointing parts, I saw several elements in it that were very rewarding.

My favorite part of the story was the character development. Although the Holmes, Watson, Adler of the film are emphatically not those of Conan Doyle’s making (yes, I've read many selections of the short stories), they still are complex and insightful. Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes was, to be frank, quite a brilliant character. Presented to us is a person who has incredible mental faculties, who can see things invisible to others and then put them together with lightning speed, but who at the same time cannot fully handle his own mental prowess. Scenes such as those at the dinner table one evening offer a deep insight into Holmes’s psyche. He is so distracted by all the information which comes to his attention (and everything comes to his attention) that he finds it all difficult to process. Indeed, he finds himself so out of balance at times that it is only when a savior arrives in the person of Watson that he can comes to terms with everything. Jude Law’s Watson acts as a balancing effect in Holmes’s life, and thus the despair with which Holmes meets Watson’s departure from their partnership is movingly earnest. I found the relationship between the two characters magnificent, owning in great part to the great teamwork of Downey, Jr. and Law. They give us a pair who work excellently, in their own unorthodox way.

In addition to this, we see that Holmes’ intellectual superiority is complicated by his awkwardness in every social situation. Any time Holmes has any communication with a human being, he struggles to adapt himself to the rules of decency. He knows others do not understand his mind and its workings, its constant shiftings and movements, and he finds it well nigh impossible to adjust to their ways of thinking and acting. At times, it almost seems as though he is so preoccupied with controlling his skills that he is oblivious to the rules of decorum. And we see that it is this which attracts him to Irene Adler. She alone, of all the people he has met, can match his intellect and wits. In fact, I found the relationship between these two quite interesting. Instead of being based sheerly on physical attraction, their continuous battle of the minds was intriguing.

My final praise is that Sherlock Holmes had several scenes which were brilliantly executed. The acting was quite good throughout, and in a few particular spots the construction of the scenes was extremely expressive. The best example is that in Holmes’s room, where he is grappling with everything that has occurred in the tale so far. He stares into the distance, plucking his violin (a trait which was carried out magnificently, as it was not overdone nor underdone). The look in his eyes is piercing as he wonders if the thing he excels at has ultimately failed. Will he too, like everyone else, be insufficient for the complexities of the case? The confusion in his mind is emphasized by the voices we hear playing out in his mind and the scribbled words on the wall behind him. The chaos he feels is brilliantly portrayed in this masterful scene.

There are several things, however, which I found disappointing in the new Sherlock Holmes. To begin with, the jolting camera and many action scenes were a little jarring on my nerves. I can normally take a little excessive action (the Bourne series being a perfect example). I cannot, however, take such gratuitous CGI than is absolutely necessary. The CGI effects were completely overdone in many scenes, which were painful to watch. Ironically, those scenes which employed the most CGI seemed the least realistic to me.

The most disappointing thing for me, however, was the overall plot-line. Although the character development was magnificent, I was let down by the **background** plot, which was simply another lame version of Hollywood’s current favorite plot. Let’s be real, now. How many times have we seen a movie that centers around a secret society and its doings? The first few times were okay; I’m a fan of National Treasure. But at this point, the idea behind such a plot is so feeble and flimsy that everyone in the audience knows all the inner workings that might and will occur. These screenwriters did not even attempt to change a few details of the plot, leaving no vestige or even illusion of originality about it. It’s sad, I thought leaving the theater, the good acting and characters deserved better.

To conclude, then, Sherlock Holmes did have its failings. Excessive CGI and an extremely poor plot made it a movie which I do not believe I shall greatly desire to see again. Yet these failings did not completely ruin the film, which was quite artistic at times. Fine actors, impressive character development, and astutely depicted scenes made much of the film quite enjoyable, and I must say that with a little work, Sherlock Holmes had much potential for greatness.