SHERLOCK HOLMES
DECEMBER 25, 2009

The striking cinematography is an added bonus on the Sherlock Holmes series created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The fight scenes portrayed in this film are a directors dream with Ritchie using the time-lapse style.  His use of little color gives a very accurate depiction of the dark feel that allows the film to set the mood.  Layered in quiet humor is the English way and making Downey (Sherlock Holmes) a runaway best portrayal in years. 

Having been a big fan of Jeremy Brett's version of Holmes in the TV series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" which ran for 10 years it felt like I needed to prepare myself for a drastically different Sherlock.  The 15 years since the series ended has given enough time to separate myself from the TV version giving the movie a more clean slate.  Downey and Jude Law (Dr John Watson) are the Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid duo of the new millennium as they illuminate the screen in every scene.  The two should easily garner award nominations for their tremendous skill as they ebb and flow through the dialogue as well as the physicality demanded of the characters.

Sherlock Holmes as written by Doyle is so much more than on screen presence as he designs detailed mysteries that paint a larger picture is small increments.  The TV series relied exclusively on crime solving story-lines but this latest film pushes the envelope in cinematography first.  Ritchie finds a great balance between the two holding the attentions of audience members looking for a lot of visual action yet still looking for an exceptional story. 

Ritchie regularly finds a role for Mark Strong  (Lord Henry Blackwood) in his movies but in this case he is the perfect fit. Blackwood is a serial killer who indulges in the occult using it to summon others to fulfill his evil crimes.  Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler is the American femme fatale who continues to keep Holmes on his heels outmaneuvering him several times in the past but now needing his help on a case.  Kelly Reilly plays Mary Morstan who falls in love with Watson causing a rift between the two crime fighters.  Watson expresses the desire to marry Morstan which drives an even larger wedge amid their investigations.  This cunning supporting cast is more than those words truly can express.  The writers allow them to be more than a step to the next scene giving them legitimate reason for their dialogue.  With over 2 hours of film everybody gets a chance to shine and this is what makes the viewer walk out feeling they got their moneys worth.  

RUSTY
12/25/09