Who knew Sherlock Holmes was a lean, mean ripped fighting machine? With a bang comes the return of the well known cockney geezer director Guy Richie whose newest adventure just goes to show that you can take the guy out of East London but you cant take East London out of the guy. Holmes has been revamped and rebooted for the 21st century, coming with all the mod cons including a six pack and the consistent urge to hit people in the head (whilst slowly telling us all how he does it). However it may be the case that we are too sentimentally attached to the depictions by Arthur Conan Doyle and what it may lack in traditional authenticity it does make up for in partnership. Its redeeming feature is the chemistry between Watson (played by Jude Law) and Homes (Robert Downey Jr.) With a bickering that would challenge any married couple there is an unspoken love between the two that without which would cause the film to sink.
The pressure of playing a good Sherlock Homes must be great as with any iconic character and the conscious abandonment to ditch the deerstalker and pipe image was a sound one. Downey Jr. manages to create an original sarcasm and pithy wit whilst maintaining the sophistication and intelligence that Doyle intended and for this he should be applauded. It seems as he grows older Downey finds his style more confidently and its intriguing throughout the film to watch this quite recent development in his career. Yet despite such strong characterisation it seems that Rache
l McAdams interpretation of Irene Adler seemed a lame addition to the film at times. What could have been a significant role was turned into a stereotypical femme fatal performance that only irritated and distracted and I could only help but think this was a necessary addition to sell the film to a greater audience.
The presentation of London was atmospheric and enchanting with a realism that is usually manipulated in most period films yet ultimately though there was something missing. Whether this was a lack of commitment to the plot or the tiresome nuisances Richie inevitable brings to all his films it became hard to fully engage. We are not left intellectually charged and from the start there was a sense that the whole film was made in order to accommodate a sequel and that greed was perhaps to big to hide throughout the whole film. It has been rumoured that Brad Pitt will be joining the cast next time as the illusive professor Moriarty however what this film doesn't need is another blockbusting name to keep the money rolling it. There is a lack of necessary credibility which takes away from a potentially brilliant film.
The pressure of playing a good Sherlock Homes must be great as with any iconic character and the conscious abandonment to ditch the deerstalker and pipe image was a sound one. Downey Jr. manages to create an original sarcasm and pithy wit whilst maintaining the sophistication and intelligence that Doyle intended and for this he should be applauded. It seems as he grows older Downey finds his style more confidently and its intriguing throughout the film to watch this quite recent development in his career. Yet despite such strong characterisation it seems that Rache
l McAdams interpretation of Irene Adler seemed a lame addition to the film at times. What could have been a significant role was turned into a stereotypical femme fatal performance that only irritated and distracted and I could only help but think this was a necessary addition to sell the film to a greater audience.The presentation of London was atmospheric and enchanting with a realism that is usually manipulated in most period films yet ultimately though there was something missing. Whether this was a lack of commitment to the plot or the tiresome nuisances Richie inevitable brings to all his films it became hard to fully engage. We are not left intellectually charged and from the start there was a sense that the whole film was made in order to accommodate a sequel and that greed was perhaps to big to hide throughout the whole film. It has been rumoured that Brad Pitt will be joining the cast next time as the illusive professor Moriarty however what this film doesn't need is another blockbusting name to keep the money rolling it. There is a lack of necessary credibility which takes away from a potentially brilliant film.
H xx
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