Sherlock Holmes 2009

Sherlock Holmes, 2009. Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams
Genre: action/adventure



Short synopsis: Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Movie set: Colloseum, Ljubljana.
My mindset at going to watch to the cinema: I have studied Sherlock Holmes my entire childhood. Always wanted to be as clear in judgement, smart, attentive, dedicated, excellent and brilliant in logic. Also went to see the memoriam house in London, have all the books and watched also all the series, etc, revolving around the guy. The highest expectations possible. Could be compared with those I had for the LOTR.

Reality:
I didn't do my homework. Didn't see the background of the movies and was thrilled to see the best born detective in action. In the right timeframe. That at least what I thought I would see. The reality hurts deep inside. The movie is going to be appreciated by those that seek no deeper meaning in Sherlock, by those, that didn't study the guy and sure didn't see what his lab looked like.

Overall experience
The Director's play is put in a pretty much genuine remake of Holmes's appartment in London (yes, the one you can even visit today). At first I thought it was filmed there - however I doubt that, because it's a good London tourist attraction and I believe they made just a remake of that studio. The scenery is pretty much taken from that time - they did their homework. I believed it was the impression of London in that time. The spectator lacks in seeing Sherlock's brilliance and logic (some rare and precious exceptions are in the movie!), but gains in seeing so many fighting sequences I thought it was a kung fu movie I was watching. Since I come from a martial arts background I don't mind the fighting sequences (very similar to The Fight Club, combined with the Matrix technology of stopping the sequences making them more hard to swallow and better to look at). The fights occur at least half of the movie, which surprises me. Plus they are accompanied by irish folk music. It is supposed to be a detective movie, rising from my expectations (see above). Downing's performance isn't stunning, but Law's is. I recommend the dialoges and also believe that the way he poses the humour and opens to the spectator is magnificent- because of Law some scenes in the movie and some dialogues are truly wonderful to watch.

Somewhere in the middle, the movie loses me. It wanders towards sci-fi and suddenly I am wondering what am I doing in the theatre. Like Harry Potter, we wander from the pure logic or a logical criminal case to the X-Files and by myself, I am wondering, how the director is going to solve this. It is supposed to be a movie about a superb detective that solves everything by pure logic and brilliance of a mind. However, the movie poses some evil forces of devil to come along to destroy England? The forces, that can raise from the dead and scare everything that comes up their path?

In the last fifteen minutes, I am relieved somehow. The movie returns to what it was supposed to be. Somewhat a Poirot ending. Where Sherlock explains everything and makes the spectators dumb and ignorant to the obvious logical truth.

I would kindly leave the inner 45 minutes out. Keep the superb sequences: the dive from the parliament, the fight on the 100 meter high bridge construction; the butcher pig sequence (The puzzle they have to solve there and the punishment reminded me of the Saw saga; definitely the dialog between Watson and Holmes - I believe these two actors bring the best out of themselves while rattling around about a piece of evidence or a friendly fight about the clothing, proper wording, etc. Apart from that.. the story is dissappointing, the flow within also.. from a lot of expectations I was growing.. well, I am not sorry because of the dialog I saw and some of the scenario parts.

There is something puzzling in the movie I keep wondering about. Something with the pigs, butchery, dialogues, etc. As said before, I didn't do the homework - didn't know the cast, directors, background. But the movie itself reminds me of something I have already seen. Maybe Inglorious Bastards? I am not sure. The scenes, humour, the way the irony is presented - I see it on the outro - Guy Ritchie. Of course. The best humour from Snatch and Lock, Stock, Two Smoking Barrels pours out here also. Not in the same way, but in the way that makes me smile at the end, when this mystery is solved.


My personal rate: 6,5 (decent fun)



p.s.: IMDB peak: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/