Mr. Holmes

A nicely understated film, which has all the twists of a Holmes story that you might expect, wrapped up in a warm hearted kitchen sink drama about an aged detective, and the relationship between him, his housekeeper and her son. All linked in with bee keeping. The story has a number of strands, but they are all interwoven seamlessly, so you don't become so engrossed about one that you forget the others.

Greetings again from the darkness. Be honest … would you be excited to see a film if it were described as follows: "A grumpy 93 year old man struggles with his failing mind and deteriorating body as he tends to his beehives during retirement in a small coastal town". Chances are that synopsis would cause you to skip on to whatever else is showing at the theatre. However, a single revelation would likely change your mind … the elderly man is actually legendary detective Sherlock Holmes.

Ian McKellen stars and holds little back as he portrays the elderly Holmes trying to reconcile the past, the present and his failing health. And yes, there is one last case to solve … only it's the last case he actually solved 35 years earlier. Sadly, Holmes can't recall how that case ended, and the fictionalized version written by his friend John Watson offers no resolution.

We first see Holmes as he returns from an international trip – a trip that seems a bit out of place with the rest of the movie; at least until it circles back near the end of the film. In fact, we get quite a bit of back and forth between the present and past, and McKellen pulls off both the elder and much younger Holmes … though his performance as the faltering, frail one-time genius is Oscar caliber.

Laura Linney plays his housekeeper, but it's her son Roger (Milo Parker) who jells with Holmes and re-kindles that twinkle in the eye. The scenes with Roger and Holmes provide poignancy and humor, and also the dose of reality so necessary to a film focusing on a living legend.

Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters) directs the film, which is based on the novel "A Slight Trick of the Mind" by Mitch Cullin, and pretty quickly pulls the rug out from under us on the iconic deerstalker cap and the ever-present pipe. Still, only the staunchest, least-flexible fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character will be turned off by this mostly gentle and insightful look at aging – and a reminder that even fictional geniuses grow old.

Baker Street makes an appearance, as does the charred and blackened Hiroshima site, and a blurry Dr. Watson. Don't expect the frantic pace of Robert Downey, Jr or the elegant precision of Basil Rathbone and Benedict Cumberbatch. Instead, enjoy the subtle moments, the wry smiles and the valiant attempt to bring a mortal end to the seemingly immortal Great Detective … with a few clues tossed in for good fun.

No spoilers, I promise The first thing that struck me about this movie was how different it is to other adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. It is very far from Robert Downey Jr's interpretation, which I thought was very good. It is so similar to Conan Doyle's books (even with Watson's romanticised twists on things) that I would advise fans of the BBC's Sherlock to steer clear, as it is a very different Holmes to the one they love.

I would recommend this for a 10+ age group, as anyone younger may not understand the complex messages that are being conveyed - they also might find two scenes in particular too frightening.

Ian McKellen is an outstanding actor, and this performance shows it. He is engaging throughout the entire run time and provides us with some very touching moments that leave us thinking long and hard. The story is very intriguing, and the ending very satisfying, even if it is a little heart-breaking.

I conclusion, I suggest you go and see this film if you are a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I genuinely had no idea what to expect from this film as I knew so little about it. OK, so it has Sherlock Holmes as the lead character and I naturally assumed that it would be some crime solving caper. Boy was I wrong, but pleasantly so. The premise of the film is simple - what happens to the famous Sherlock Holmes in his twilight years, if he were to suffer from senility... and no it's not a comedy nor is it a depressing film. It's an evenly-paced, gentle, well-written character study of a fiercely intelligent man trying to hold on to the use of his brilliant mind to recount the details of his final case. If I could use one word to describe this film - contemplative. It's a series of vignettes, each with its own little mystery, all seemingly unconnected at first, until it gradually all comes together. Ian McKellen is, as always, fantastic and perfectly cast in the titular role but the most intriguing character is the subject of Holmes' final case, wonderfully portrayed by Hattie Morahan as Ann Kelmot. Also love the moody soundtrack by Carter Burwell. Very good film, thoughtful with striking images of the British countryside.

When I hear the word 'detective', the first name that always comes to my mind is 'Sherlock Holmes'. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's great sleuth is without a doubt the most celebrated and renowned fictional detective of all time. Naturally we have had a lot of screen adaptations of this famed character in cinema as well as on television. Great actors through the decades have portrayed this character. We've had portrayals by Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Brett(my favourite Holmes), Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch to name a few. But this new portrayal of the character in 'Mr. Holmes' by Sir Ian McKellen is a very unique and interesting one. It is different from the other portrayals that I mentioned above. The stylish, brilliant and charismatic Holmes gets replaced by an aged and weary Sherlock Holmes who is battling memory loss triggered by senility instead of criminals and murderers. Laura Linney, Hattie Morahan, Hiroyuki Sanada and Milo Parker make up the rest of the cast.

Probably the most admirable aspect of this film is the fact that I believed in Ian McKellen's Holmes. I actually believed that Sherlock Holmes in his old age will probably act and behave in the way McKellen portrays him. A man who was celebrated for his cerebral capabilities will find it immensely difficult to cope with old age and the memory loss that comes along with it and probably even more so than the rest of us. The screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher is based on the book 'A Slight Trick of the Mind' by Mitch Cullin. It has a non-linear pattern as we follow three time lines. The direction by Bill Condon is very good and the transition from one time line to the next in the non-linear screenplay is seamless and Condon never allows that to confuse the viewer.

This is one of the best Ian McKellen performances I have seen. He is pretty much flawless. He plays Holmes in his 90s as well as in his 70s and the distinctions in his physicality while playing these respective versions are very apparent. The Holmes in his 70s is a little more upright, more active and more verbally eloquent. While in his 90s, McKellen gives the character a slightly hunched posture and a somewhat blank facial appearance. Apart from the physical transformations, McKellen expertly gets under the skin of this character and brings some heart, charm and likability that is undeniable. We helplessly feel sorry for this man trying to cope with his deteriorating health. Holmes in this film desperately tries to ward off his memory loss by using 'Royal Jelly' or the Japanese 'Prickly Ash'. This desperate attempt by Holmes to stay relevant in his own eyes reminded me to some extent of Woody Grant's attempt to stay relevant in the film 'Nebraska' by actually believing that he had won a big lottery which will win him a lot of money. Laura Linney, the young Milo Parker and Hattie Morahan are all very good too.

The theme of the film basically dealt with Holmes' transition from being a professional detective driven solely by logic to an old man who finally realises the virtues of kindness and care and actually comes to identify how he has benefited from the kindness showered on him by people around him including his old friend and colleague John Watson. The whole concept of an old man becoming friends with a kid and evolving because of it is not new. But Bill Condon's direction and Sir Ian McKellen's acting made me believe in the chemistry between Holmes and Roger.

The makeup work on McKellen was fantastic. He looked like a believable 90 year old. The cinematography is good. Condon uses picturesque wide angle shots of the ravishing greenery of the English countryside. The production design is good for the most part except for a brief spell when Holmes spends some time in Japan. Unfortunately Japan looked a little too much like England. Another minor flaw for me was the dialogue in one or two scenes which felt a little artificial like when Laura Linney's character talks about the kid Roger's father.

So overall this is a very charming film with a good screenplay, good direction and great acting. The film humanises the character of Sherlock Holmes in a unique way without diminishing his brilliance as a detective. People who love the Holmes stories and the different adaptations of the characters will love this, and people who aren't big fans of the character will probably find this film impressive too.