Mr. Holmes And Deceptive Memories – The Man Behind The Myth, Movie Review
by Oletta Branstiter
Based on the novel by Mitch Cullin titled A Slight Trick of the Mind, the movie Mr. Holmes – the Man Beyond the Myth reveals an exquisite portrait of a legendary detective suffering from dementia.
Mr. Cullin reveals the inspiration for this story:
Jeffrey Hatcher excels at transferring the mystery and beauty of the novel to the screenplay.
The viewer is treated to charming scenery surrounding a cottage estate near the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, England and the streets and parks of London in the early 20th century, juxtaposed against the stark landscape of Japan after WWII. This movie spans the second half of the life of Sherlock Holmes as he struggles to remember the details of two transformative memorie
Ian McKellen plays Sherlock Holmes with his renowned perfection and subtlety. This Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning actor proves that age has not diminished his superb talents. The makeup artist works miracles to accommodate the passing years.
Laura Linney embodies the foil to Holmes challenges as she performs the long-suffering duties of a housekeeper-cum-nurse. Widow Munro weathers the tests of will from both her employer and her son while she struggles between escaping the situation and drawing closer to both Sherlock and her child. Her resigned, obedient character breaks under pressure, in a transformation of determination.
Young Roger Munro played acerbically by the stunning Milo Parker, seeks a closer relationship with Holmes as a grandfather figure and private tutor while provoking his mother with disrespect. The character’s journey toward manhood becomes a sustaining force for the declining Holmes.
Besides offering more than one solved mystery within the storyline, this is a movie that invites the audience to ponder the scenes again after the credits run.
I recommend this 2015 movie while contemplating the following question: What evidence did Mr. Holmes misinterpret? Besides the miscalculated clues surrounding his solutions to the final mysteries of his career, was he misinterpreting his own diagnosis?
Even those who are expert at noticing the smallest details and drawing competent conclusions can be misled by objective facts and thwarted by an unwillingness to consider the human element.
