ENOLA HOLMES 2

UK, 2022, 129 minutes, Colour.

Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis, Louis Partridge, Susan Wokoma, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Helena Bonham Carter, Himesh Patel, Hannah Dodd, Abbie Hern, Gabriel Tierney, Tim McMullan.

Directed by Harry Bradbeer.

Enola Holmes was a very enjoyable drama/detection/romp, especially for those who are devoted to stories of the Holmes family. Enola is the younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock who both appeared in the original film. Mycroft is absent from this one but Sherlock is also central with his sister. And, they had a suffragette mother, before her times, played by Helena Bonham Carter who also appears here.

Millie Bobby Brown is successful once again as Enola, strong-minded, determined in her detective work, rivalling Sherlock, and taking the audience into her confidence in talking to camera and gesturing for our connivance. Henry Cavill is, once again, Sherlock.

Which means that the films are variations on detection, this time in 1885, Enola at 19, and the film is also social-minded, taking the audience into the factories of the 1880s, match factories, the huge machines, the bullying boss on the floor, the large staff of women, from poor backgrounds, the routine work, and the danger of the phosphorus they are working with for their health. And, while Sherlock does some investigating, especially on more uppercrust financial fraud, it is Enola and some of the friends she makes from the factory who break through at the end.

However, there is also the presence of Lord Tewksbury, Louis Partridge, very young, speaking in the House of Lords, but a friend of Enola from the first film. He does get a chance to do some action – after quickly teaching Enola how to dance, she teaches him how to fight!

The film opens with Enola being pursued by the police, returning to the camera and winding the film back to her attempts to set up a detection agency, older prim characters looking down on a young girl daring to do this, then a young girl from the factory enlisting her help for a missing sister. This leads Enola to work in the factory, to work out clues which lead her to a house where another worker has been murdered, to a music hall and theatre.

And, she encounters Sherlock after his drinking and takes him home, finding that he turns up at the various places where she is working, and they combine their efforts (and, ultimately, she arranges for Dr Watson to ring the bell it to 221b Baker Street). There are twists and turns, an evil villain (David Thewlis), various thugs, socials, dead bodies, and a culmination in the theatre, especially in the rigging high above the stage.

For those who enjoyed the first film, plenty to enjoy in the second – who could ask for anything more? Obviously, to ask for a further sequel!

1. The popularity of the original film, of the novel series? The popularity of Enola and her detection work?
2. The London settings, 1885, the streets, the match factory and interiors, the theatres and music halls, social occasions and balls, to 221b Baker Street?
3. Audience knowing Enola’s story, her mother, suffragette, the flashbacks to her teaching Enola, proud at the end? The relationship with Sherlock? No appearance of Mycroft?
4. The opening, the police pursuit, catching her, her escape? The narrative winding back? Her first adventure, searching for her mother? Setting up the shop? The range of potential customers, their looking down at her, as a girl…? Packing up, Bess and her arrival, the request?
5. Bess, her story, Mae in the house, the disappearance of Sarah? Bess taking Enola to the factory, the supervisor and his demands, the range of women, hard work, the phosphorus? Enola searching the office and getting information?
6. Enola, the parliament invitation, getting the clues, finding the house, finding Mae dying, the arrival of the police?
7. The background of the factory, the visit of the dignitaries, the manager of the factory, Lord McIntire, Mira Troy, indications of finance, corruption?
8. Sherlock, from the previous film, the older brother, he and Enola turning up at the same place, his drinking, her Taking Him? The map on the wall, the figures? His own case?
9. Enola and her friendship with Tewkesbury, his role in the House of Lords, speeches, reformed? At the ball? The encounter with William Lyon, dancing with him? The connections? Later finding him dead? And the music clue in his hand?
10. Enola, the ball, suspicions, the police, her fingerprints, arrest, escape?
11. Teaming with Tewkesbury, his teaching her how to dance, her teaching him how to fight? Going to the house, William dead? The arrival of Sherlock? The music, the clue, the theatre?
12. The character of Grail, sinister, overbearing, the thugs?
13. The theatre, finding the documents, the arrival of Grail, the confrontations, Tewkesbury and his sword and fights, his punches? Sherlock and the fighting? Enola, confronting Grail, the rigging of the theatre, the heights, her fall, the ropes? Grail, sinister, burning the documents?
14. The confrontation with Lord McIntire, finance, his unmasking? Corruption?
15. The arrival of Myra Troy, her comment about being underestimated? Her status, woman, ethnic background? The revelation that she was Moriarty? The confrontations, her arrest – and the later news of her escape?
16. Sherlock, at his flat, the arrival of Dr Watson, arranged by Enola?
17. The happy ending, Enola and Tewkesbury? Further adventures?