SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

UK, 2011, 129 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel Mc Adams, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson, Kelly Reilly, Geraldine James, Eddie Marsan.
Directed by Guy Ritchie.

When Guy Ritchie’s first Sherlock Holmes film was released in 2009, it seemed as if the screenplay and the new imagining of Holmes and his solving crimes was like a Graphic Novel. Holmes had become something of an action hero and quite a pugilist – bringing something of the 21st century into a 19th century society. If that was true then, it is even truer this time. Perhaps Sherlock had also had a premonition of Indiana Jones!

The first thing to do is include a warning. Purists beware – if the reaction of purists that I saw the film with is any indicator. They did not like this rather rambunctious Holmes – who seems to have studied some martial arts since the first film.

Be that as it may, the two films are what might be called ‘rollicking adventures’ and Robert Downey makes this kind of Holmes his own. There are the traits that Conan Doyle gave his creation, including his penchant for disguises. He is something of a snob, or considers himself superior – and he is not very considerate of others, including Dr Watson and his wife, Mary Morston. Jude Law has more to do in this one as Dr Watson and Kelly Reilly is not quite so-long suffering as she misses out on her honeymoon in Brighton as Dr Watson goes off to pursue Professor Moriarty with Holmes and save the world from World War I (or, rather, postpone it for twenty years). She gets involved in working for the authorities in London. Come to think of it, Holmes does a little channelling of James Bond, especially towards the end with an international peace conference in a castle on a high peak in the Swiss Alps that would have made Blofeld envious. There is a huge waterfall there as Holmes challenges Moriarty and Conan Doyle fans will know where the film and Holmes and Moriarty are heading.

Robert Downey, who showed twenty years earlier how he could do impeccable English when he portrayed Chaplin, is very Brit here, with wit, disguises, fighting and regrets for Irene Adler (Rachel Mc Adams who has a cameo here but featured in the original). There are several times when Guy Ritchie shows some flourishes as there are visual collages of Holmes’ mental and detection processes as well as the strategies of his fights with Moriarty, schematic outlines of what could happen and why.

Jared Harris (sounding more and more like his father, Richard, as he grows older) is Moriarty. His story and plots ares filled in extensively as are his dastardly plans to get France and Germany at war while he profits by munitions developments and sales. Stephen Fry appears more than before (and is seen more than before) as Mycroft Holmes.

The other member of the adventure is a gypsy whose brother has been taken in by Moriarty. ‘Have Dragon Tattoo, will have career.’ Noomi Rapace from the Millennium trio has been given an important role as the gypsy and gets plenty to do.

This is a bigger budget film than before and the sets are lavish, the action extended, and plenty of set pieces (and explosions) from London to Paris to Germany to Switzerland.

So, Holmes purists be alert. For everyone else, a visually stylish and busy, action-packed romp.

1. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes in every generation? A 21st century Sherlock Holmes? The characteristics from Conan Doyle – developed, eccentricities, sense of humour, disguises, detection, even vulnerability?

2. Robert Downey Jr as Holmes, his appearance, strong, his pugilism, his disguises, his wanting to be invisible with the furniture, a loner, his bond with Dr Watson, his relationship with Mrs Hudson and her reprimanding him? Watson, the impending marriage, his wanting to sabotage it? Mary Mawston? The expectations of this kind of Holmes? His relationship with his brother, the comparisons? Robert Downey’s accent and style?

3. London in the 1890s, the opening typewriting and publishing, the political background, arms races and development? Assassinations in Europe, the move towards World War One? Holmes and his intervening to stop the war? The details of London?

4. The locations beyond the United Kingdom, France, Paris, the opera, the meeting places and hotels? The French countryside? The border, the arms factory? Switzerland, the mountains, the castle, the waterfall? The musical score?

5. The camera styles, slow-motion, analyses of moves and strategies? The flash-editing? Pace?

6. The introduction, Irene Adler and her being followed, Holmes and his observations? The atmosphere of London? Irene and the past relationship with Holmes? Her working for Moriarty? The conversations with Irene, the attacks? The setup for the meeting, the restaurant, Moriarty and his presence, Irene’s death?

7. Holmes, his plans, the dinner, Irene’s death, Moriarty and the confrontation, the challenge? The issues? Moriarty, academic, professor, science, his discoveries and explanations? His lectures, book-signings, status in academic circles? His hunger for power, for wealth? His choosing the dark side?

8. Dr Watson, Jude Law’s style, his writing up Holmes’ stories? The visit, the plans for his marriage, the ceremony? Holmes attending? His reactions at the wedding? Interfering? His persuading Watson to come with him? Breaking the honeymoon in Brighton? The wedding, the crowds, the aftermath?

9. Not going to Brighton, travelling to Europe, Mary on the train, the clashes with Holmes, his throwing her overboard, her falling into the river, the rescue by Mycroft, her staying with Mycroft – and the irony of his naked encounter? Mary later working for the Foreign Office, her collaborating with Mycroft to defeat Moriarty?

10. Moriarty as a character, evil, listening to his lectures, his books, the audiences? Holmes parrying wit with him? His aims, interventions? In Paris? Science, the future, arms developments, sales, the building up of a war situation, the assassinations, the hotel in Paris? The opera Holmes and his detection work, with the gypsies, his mistake about the hotel?

11. The gypsy camp, Holmes and his encounter with Madam Simza? Her personality? The various gypsies, the camp, Holmes and their suspicions? His relating to Madam Simza, knowing about her brother? Going to Paris? The search for the brother, the underground cells, going to the lectures, his disguises, the bomb, the mistake?

12. The escape, going with Madam Simza, with Watson? The action sequences – in the James Bond style? The factory, the arms, the destruction – Moriarty’s henchmen? Colonel Moran? Bringing military skills?

13. The journey to Switzerland, the mountain settings, the castle, the waterfall? The atmosphere?

14. Mycroft, his character, working for the Foreign Office, with Sherlock, the delegates at the meeting, the dangers?

15. The social life in the castle, the interactions, the French, the Germans? The gypsies and their presence, the scapegoat for Moriarty?

16. The confrontation with Moriarty, the background of chess, outplaying each other, the physical fight, the visualising of the strategies for the audience? Seeing them played out? The plans of both Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty?

17. The final fight, the swashbuckling tone, both going over the waterfall – in the spirit of Conan Doyle?

18. The final disguise – and Holmes’ invention of merging into the background? Watson and his typing the story? Holmes adding the question mark?

19. A satisfying Sherlock Holmes story – but variations on Conan Doyle’s vision? Does this matter - the view of the purists? The view of the popular audiences?