Élémentaire, mon cher... Lock Holmes

The premise is so clever. Sherlock Holmes never really existed. It was Dr. Watson (Ben Kingsley) who had been solving these cases all along, and simply hired bumbling actor Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to play the fake Sherlock Holmes.

To those who are hard-core Holmes fans, this film will be cherished. Sadly, the VHS is out of print in the USA (I bought mine used at a flea market), and DVDs are available only in Europe.

(UPDATE: The film has been released on DVD in the USA, but in Pan & Scan.)

Also, the film received hardly any promotion in the USA. But it is lavishly directed, cleverly written, and magnificently cast.

Everything about this film deserves exclamation points!

Track it down any way you can, and prepare to laugh out loud.

This movie is probably the finest parody of Sherlock Holmes I've ever seen . Yes , I like Wilder's "Private life of Sherlock Holmes " . Yes , Levinson's "Young Sherlock Holmes " was fun . "Without the clue" in my opinion easily beats them all . The idea here is simple , but brilliant (like the most of ideas) – what if Watson was the smart one and Holmes was an idiot ? This little movie is a great character comedy.

The movie actually really feels like a SERIOUS Sherlock Holmes movie . The music , the mood , the costumes and the art-direction – everything that is needed to bring the world of Holmes from the books on the screen alive is top-notch . Look at the beginning of the movie . Until the moment when Watson begins to shout at Holmes you could be easily fooled that this is just another adaptation of Conan Doyle's books. Hell , the whole plot is done well . If they would keep the original characterizations of the characters this would be a really good "normal" Holmes movie . This is something I feel that was lost by both Wilder and Levinson – the soul of Sherlock Holmes world .

The jokes here are simple , sometimes predictable . There are some more subtle jokes that you might miss , if you're not watching closely ( joke with the disappearing watch , joke with the violin ) . The true strength of this movie lies in the performances of Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley . I was especially surprised by Kingsley . I've never seen him in comedy before . He usually plays a rather evil and menacing characters . I've seen Caine in comedy before , so I knew he was perfectly capable to give a fine performance.

Kingsley and Caine have a wonderful chemistry together that is rarely seen on screen . They can make even the simplest line of dialogue hilarious and the interaction between them is a pleasure to watch . I seriously think that without them , the whole movie wouldn't have work . The other actors give them a good support , especially Jeffrey Jones . He's perfect for the role of Lestrade . He's got one hilarious scene when he's trying to figure out what Holmes said to him – he's facial expression is worth Academy Award . Great performance.

As I mentioned earlier the movie is very attractive visually and the orchestral music by Henry Mancini (famous for "Pink panther theme ") fits the story very well .

Overlooked and unappreciated , even now . Too bad . I give it 7/10.

Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective to live. Unfortunately he is only a creation of Dr Watson who is the true great detective. Forced to give life to his creation Watson hires actor Reginald Kincaid to play the part in real life. However when the pair are asked to investigate the theft of £5 note printing plates they find themselves up against Moriarty and in greater danger than they expected.

It sounds like a terrible idea – other films that have messed with the Holmes story have not done well – but this comes off quite nicely. The switch of characters is funny in itself and there are plenty of nice jokes and set pieces. The plot itself is full of holes and never grips as a mystery for one minute - but it is more than sufficient to support a comedy spoof. The real enjoyment comes not from the plot however but from another factor.

The two main actors are superb and it's their class that lifts the film well above the material. Caine is excellent and is visibly enjoying himself while Kingsley also looks at ease with his co-star. Support from Jeffrey Jones and Paul Freeman is good, but really the lead duo make the film work so well.

Overall, it is not a good mystery and it is not what you'd call hilarious – but the casting helps raise the bar a bit to create an enjoyable lightweight film.

This is one of Michael Caine's funniest performances and he and Ben Kingsley worked quite well together. The supporting cast is top-notch as well. Jeffry Jones as LeStrade is very good and Peter Cook has a fine supporting turn. As for the premise-that Holmes was a front for Watson, given the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was himself a physician and that he grew so sick of Holmes he tried to kill him off, I suspect he would have enjoyed the whole thing enormously. Twists and turns throughout, as a good mystery should and enough comedy to keep you laughing. Some interesting twists at the end. Poor LeStrade! Recommended.

A much overlooked film of comic perfection, Without a Clue is a hidden gem of a movie that shows beyond doubt the true talents of its main actors, Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley.

While not the funniest movie of all time, it is in its entirety both heart-warmingly humorous and adorable in its simplicity. The relationship between The two main characters is stunningly portrayed, and the gentle humour throughout is speckled with enough laugh out loud moments, touching character interactions and great supporting roles, as to leave the viewer with nothing but love for the movie and it's stars.

Both Caine and Kingsley are great actors, but in pairing the two together, this movie shows their skill in a completely new light. The comic timing is flawless, and while neither men have had too much experience of comedy, you would never know it from their portrayal of the bumbling Sherlock Holmes and the genius Dr.Watson in this turnabout story of the traditional sleuthing pair.

Where so many other movies have failed to put a worthy spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legacy, the chemistry of it's actors and the sharp but not too wieldy script, make this a must see for any fan of Sherlock Holmes, or any student of comedy.

This movie is living proof that funny doesn't have to slap you in the face in order to grab your attention, and where many other films deemed as comedy classics may find their place in the your memory, this one will find a place in your heart.