Mr. Holmes (2015) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error With Prime Video WATCH NOW An aged, retired Sherlock Holmes deals with early dementia as he tries to remember both his final case and a mysterious woman whose memory haunts him. He also befriends a fan, the young son of his housekeeper, who wants him to work again. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 21 titles created 27 Apr 2015 a list of 45 titles created 21 Jun 2015 a list of 22 titles created 03 Nov 2015 a list of 26 titles created 24 Nov 2015 a list of 29 titles created 8 months ago Search for " Mr. Holmes " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Storyline The story is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and her young son. But then he finds himself haunted by 30-year old case. Holmes memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife.

Written by Anonymous The man beyond the myth See more » Genres: Rated PG for thematic elements, some disturbing images and incidental smoking | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 24 July 2015 (USA) See more » Also Known As: A Slight Trick of the Mind See more » Filming Locations: $2,434,908 (USA) (17 July 2015) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia Ian McKellen took a course in beekeeping with The London Honey Company prior to filming. He was not stung during filming. See more » Goofs The fountain pen with which McKellen's Holmes is writing his memoire is a Parker first made in the early 1980s. Though Parker had a major presence in England from the period of World War I that particular pen did not exist in 1947. The mechanical pencil with which he marks the diary and the dip pen he uses to write the letter to Mr. Umezaki are correct for the time. See more » Quotes Sherlock Holmes : You shouldn't do that. Tap the glass. Boy : How did you know I was going to?

Boy's Mother : You must forgive my son, he loves bees. Sherlock Holmes : It isn't a bee, it's a wasp. Different thing entirely. Refreshing and simple take on classic character 25 July 2015 | by Hint523 (USA) – See all my reviews As a standalone film, one of the great charms of Mr. Holmes is that it can be viewed with equal level of enjoyment by two different types of people: the type who know nothing other than the basics regarding the character of Sherlock Holmes, and equally the people who have seen or read everything about him. It manages to appeal to both camps by being both a revisionist version of his stories, yet still keeping in the same spirit and not denying any of the prior literature. Due to the fact that the film's metronome is a 93-year-old man losing his memory, the pace is unfortunately slow for the first half of the film. Having multiple flashbacks that omit information until necessary keeps the viewer guessing but also at times frustrated.

In the meantime, the real entertainer is Sir Ian McKellen, who is not nearly as old as his character is in real life and yet captures the nuances of someone that age to precision, all while forming his own character of the titular Holmes. It's one I hope can make its way into the Oscar conversation yet is so much simpler I won't count on it. The second half of the film picks up in pace as the 3 story lines all begin to start solving themselves, but more importantly Mr. Holmes (I don't think his first name is ever uttered in this movie) starts to realize a moral that he never quite came to terms with in all of his sleuthing regarding the truth and humanity. I've seen a solid handful of the countless Sherlock Holmes incarnations (he is the most commonly portrayed character in cinema) and there is something that becomes almost tragic about each one as you realize he is someone whose intelligence and wit makes him unable to live normally amongst other 'ordinary' people. As some subtext, it is perhaps a nice touch that Mr. McKellen is a proud member of the LGBT community, as there is reason to believe (although rarely outwardly said) that Sherlock Holmes may be gay himself.

These are details you don't need to watch the story but can help enhance the nuance. In terms of filmmaking, director Bill Condon and co. don't particularly do anything to motivate the situation other that just let the characters take care of business. Again, this is not a movie notable for having a quick pace, but it is never dull altogether either. The next movie I'll be watching is Gods and Monsters, the previous Condon/McKellen collaboration. As you can see from how much I've written, I'm fond of the movie, enjoyed the numerous elements, and was left with a lot to think about. It's a small scale film and should be viewed as such, but is nonetheless enjoyable and is a nice spin on the iconic character. 31 of 43 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Mr. Holmes (2015) | Fandango Mr. Holmes PG , 1 hr 44 min Drama 1,618 Fan Ratings Tell us where you are Looking for movie tickets? Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing Mr. Holmes near you. ENTER ZIP OR CITY, STATE Mr.

Holmes: Teaser Trailer 1 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Pinterest Mr. Holmes Synopsis MR. HOLMES is a new twist on the world’s most famous detective. 1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. A more human side of Sherlock Holmes By dmzobel This film finds an elderly Holmes struggling to remember the details of a case from 30 years ago while confronting his own mortality and the mistakes he's made in the past. In his portrayal, Ian... Great Movie By Film-girlly A very British film. Well acted, smart and with stunning photography. It is a pleasure to have a film slowly and deliciously evolve. What a wonderful concept to watch someone age gracefully while... Not your normal Holmes story By bipaganrose I really enjoyed this movie. First of all, Sir Ian McKellen. I'm a huge fan. He could act an entire scene and never say a word, his face is that expressive. Second, Sherlock Holmes. I thought it... Well done By jwalker1051 I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

The storyline, the acting and the amount of time was perfect. I would definitely see it again.... Ian McKellan!!! By jzink2012 Ian McKellan was his amazing self! Is there any role he can't play? Go see this clever movie.... Mr. Holmes Inspiration By PeggyChron I love Conan Doyle's character and hoped that for once a movie would depict him authentically. But this was better than expected, especially for a senior citizen like me. The character deals with... Mr Holmes A very British film By zfranklyn An interesting image of Holmes in late age. But if you're looking for the Holmes that you may be expecting, don't expect it. It's also a very British film. Typical in its ultrarealism and...... Emotional masterpiece! By 60elky Take your hankies. This makes up in psychology and emotion what it lacks in action. McKellen gets Best Actor in my world, with his supporting cast not far behind. Must see.... Mr. Holmes By stranskycharles One of my favorite characters in fiction portrayed by Sir Ian McKellan with impeccable aplomb. Laura Linney and Milo Parker are superb as supporting characters.

A wonderful group of UK actors... New film: "Mr Holmes": The case of the ageing detective | The Economist The case of the ageing detective Jul 15th 2015, 9:26 Tweet WHEN Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes in 1886, he would not have predicted his hero's appearance on the stamps of Nicaragua, South Africa and Canada, or his role inspiring themed flashmobs in St Petersburg. Nor indeed would he have foreseen Holmes's eventual appearance in the Guinness Book of Records. But thanks in part to Holmes's international appeal, "the most portrayed character in film" is a British detective in a deerstalker, rather than a British spy in black tie. Representations of Holmes on screen portray him in a wealth of ways. Played in the early years by the tweedy likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Basil Rathbone, he has been reinterpreted in the past five as sexy and hyperactive (Jonny Lee Miller), an action-hero (Robert Downey Junior) and a loveable sociopath (Benedict Cumberbatch). Considering such proliferation, another adaptation might seem like too much of a good thing.

Yet Holmes has once again been successfully reborn, this time in "Mr Holmes", Bill Condon’s latest film. Based on "A Slight Trick of the Mind", a book from 2005 by Mitch Cullin, the plot follows a beaky Ian McKellen as a senescent Holmes during the winter of his life in post-war England. He is now a recluse living in Sussex with his housekeeper (Laura Linney), her son Roger (Milo Parker, in excellent form as Holmes’s new acolyte), and his bees. The narrative is a patchwork of three different timelines, allowing a direct comparison between the nonagenarian and the more archetypal Holmes that emphasises the sleuth’s decrepitude. A man of genius is reduced to chasing the last embers of that same intelligence, and wrestling against the degeneration of his faculties as much as the facts of his last case. What sets this interpretation apart from others is that the focus shifts from the external to the internal, from the adventures to the character himself. Unlike the source material, this is not the usual pastiche of Holmes solving the unsolvable.

Instead the film’s conceit is that the magnifying-glass-using, pipe-puffing Sherlock is fabricated, a legend born of Watson’s prose. The true story is the one the viewers watch unfold. This device allows Mr Condon to weave in some meta-humour and a few postmodern touches—there is an amusing film-within-a-film moment using Nicholas Rowe, famed for playing the title role in Barry Levinson's "The Young Sherlock"—and also gives the director the opportunity to explore the protagonist from new angles. Historically, Holmes’s appeal has in part been his inaccessibility: his cool detachment and formidable intelligence have led audiences to admire and marvel at his superhuman attributes. In "Mr Holmes" they are invited to delve into his human side and an ailing genius’s lonely decline. This reincarnation has been controversial, too, because of a lawsuit. Though the majority of Conan Doyle’s "Case-Book" stories are now in the public domain, later work published between 1923 and 1927 is still protected by American copyright laws.

The Conan Doyle estate recently filed a suit against the film's co-distributors Miramax and Roadside Attractions, Penguin Random House, which published Mr Cullin's book, and Messrs Cullin and Condon themselves for copyright and trademark infringement, citing an elderly Sherlock as a derivative work and so still their intellectual property. After an age of stylised portraits, the refreshing perspective of "Mr Holmes" successfully renders a literary god mortal. In the process, it has ended up becoming as intriguing off-screen as it is on-screen. Mr. Holmes (Film) - TV Tropes Mr. Holmes You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share WMG Mr. Holmes is a 2015 drama/mystery film directed by Bill Condon and starring Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes . It is based on Mitch Cullin's novel A Slight Trick of the Mind. In post-WWII England, the 93-year-old Holmes lives in retirement, tending to his bees and generally wishing to be left alone. It becomes increasingly clear, however, that his once-brilliant mind has begun to fail him.

Realizing this, Holmes becomes newly determined to solve one last mystery: recalling the details of the case that drove him into retirement 35 years earlier. Laura Linney and Milo Harris co-star as Holmes's housekeeper Mrs. Munro and her son Roger, respectively. The film has been praised for its old-fashioned take on the character, and for McKellen's brilliant performance in the title role. The film was released in the UK on June 19, 2015 and in the US on July 17, 2015. This film provides examples of the following: Adaptation Name Change : From Keller to Kelmot. Adult Fear : At the end of the film, Roger is repeatedly stung by wasps and is unresponsive for several days. He does get better, though. Anachronic Order : The film is set in the years following WWII, but contains flashbacks to a recent trip to Japan by Holmes, as well as 35 years earlier, to a case which Holmes was unable to solve. Animal Motifs : Bees and wasps. Bees are associated with benevolence and innocence (and near the end, Roger compares their three-person unit to a hive).

Wasps are malicious and deadly. Be Careful What You Wish For : Roger is fascinated with Holmes' " thing where he tells who you are and where you've been just by looking at you " and pesters him to do it to Mrs. Munro at one point. Holmes finally gives in and correctly states that she's taken the job at the hotel in Portsmouth, causing a rift between mother and son. Bitch in Sheep's Clothing : Mr. Kelmot appears to be a genuinely concerned husband at first, but as the case progresses it becomes clear that he has little empathy for his wife's sorrow and he's annoyed more than concerned about the change in their married life.

(Which isn't to say he has no feeling when she commits suicide, but if he had mustered up a bit more empathy she might not have decided that walking into a train was a better option than returning to him.) Bittersweet Ending : He solves his last case and finds a surrogate family of sorts so it isn't the Tear Jerker that it could have been, but we're still looking at the imminent death of one of the most brilliant and cunning men of his generation, and the realization that if he does manage to live a couple more years, he is fast succumbing to dementia and will become but a shadow of his former self. It's not about Holmes getting better, it's about finding peace in the little time he has left. The spots in the diary, the frantic search for hope with natural remedies and the moment where he falls out of bed and cries for help are played brilliantly by McKellen and underscore just how tragic growing old really is. Still, it is better than the outright downer ending of the book, where Roger dies, Mrs.

Munro in all likeness will leave Holmes alone once again and Sherlock Holmes is forced to acknowledge that the precious logic he has devoted his entire life to is unable to fully investigate the depth of the human soul and is not a key to personal happiness. And, of course, he is going to die soon. Break the Haughty : In the past, the younger Holmes is perfectly certain of his brilliance. His last case utterly breaks him and causes him to go into self imposed exile. Character Development : Holmes' last case changes him dramatically, stripping away much of the old confidence and swagger. Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You : Masada Umezaki's father was an Anglophile who claimed he'd met Mr. Holmes in Britain and couldn't return to Japan for mysterious reasons related to that. He sent his son a copy of A Study in Scarlet and never made contact again, which gave Masada a Holmes fixation. Deadpan Snarker : Holmes' doctor, just a bit. Madame Schirmer as well. Schirmer: Oswald my dear, are you this man's wife? Boy on armonica: No. Schirmer: You could be in disguise.

Driven to Suicide : Holmes' refusal of Ann Kelmot's request to go with him so that they could be 'alone together', so that she could have someone who understood her, resulted in this and broke Holmes entirely. Exact Words : As Holmes is teaching Roger how to work with bees, Roger asks him if he has ever been bit. Holmes somewhat huffily explains that bees don't bite, they sting, and adds that he has been stung over 7,800 times. Immediately afterward, Mrs. Munro nervously asks out of her concern at Roger's proximity to the bees, "Have you ever been bit?" Holmes just smiles and equably replies, "No, I have never been bit." The Faceless : Watson is either shown from the back or from the neck down. Fish out of Water : Holmes mentions feeling that he's outlived his time, before eventually changing his mind. The Fog of Ages : The film revolves around Holmes' failing memory and his struggle to recall the details of his last case before he dies.

Foreshadowing : Holmes reflects that Ann Kelmot's emptying of the Arsenic bottle, accidentally killing the innocent bee, is what Watson would call foreshadowing for what happened next - his own accidental role in Ann Kelmot's suicide. The opening of the film, in which Holmes warns a boy that he's about to antagonize a wasp, not a bee, foreshadows Roger's near-fatal mishap towards the end. Frameup : Ann Kelmot deliberately takes a series of actions that make it look as though she's planning to murder her husband. She forges cheques in his name, buys arsenic, inspects his will, and hands off the money to a rough man at a train station where she's checked which train is the express. She knows full well that Holmes is following her, but Holmes has himself realized that the rough man is a stonemason, the money is to buy headstones for her unborn children, and the arsenic is for herself. Green-Eyed Monster : Mrs. Munro grows jealous of the bond Holmes develops with Roger which is partly why she wants to leave his service if possible. Heroic B.S.O.D.

: After Ann Kelmot's suicide, it is revealed that Holmes fell into this and it required Watson to bring him back from the brink. Hidden in Plain Sight : Tourists flock to 221B Baker Street to get a look at the home of the famous Sherlock Holmes. Holmes lived across the street in relative peace. A friendly porter at 221B sends clients to Holmes when the need arises. I Should Have Been Better : Holmes alludes to this when he calls out Roger for being nasty to his mother, telling him to apologise at once or he would regret it for the rest of his life. Roger says that everyone says that and Holmes tells him that it's true and knows from personal experience. Infant Immortality : Played straight in the film with Roger, but averted in the novel. Innocently Insensitive : Reconstructed. Holmes says he's never liked or really understood his own emotions or those of people around him, preferring logic. He also knows full well this is why he's spent nine decades of his life alone, though it really only hits him during his last case when his obsession with logic cost the life of Ann Kelmot.

This is the main source of his Character Development , trying to balance sensitivity around other people. Intergenerational Friendship : Holmes and Roger. Inverse Law of Fertility : Ann Kelmot's inability to carry pregnancies to term drives her section of the plot. Large Ham : Holmes portrayal in the movie adaptation of his case. "Every plot twist came with the twirl of a moustache and ended in an exclamation mark." Line-of-Sight Name : When writing his letter to Umezaki, Holmes mentions that his father served the British Empire "from Malaya to the Arabian Peninsula" based on some books sitting in front of him in the desk. Literary Agent Hypothesis : In this film, many of the Holmesian trademarks (the Deerstalker cap, pipe, and even 221B Baker Street) were dramatic flourishes added by Watson and his illustrators in order to make the stories sell better. Indeed, a copy of A Study in Scarlet is seen, with John H Watson as the author. Lonely Together : Ann Kelmot makes this offer to Holmes. Later Holmes makes the same offer to Mrs Munro. Lying to Protect Your Feelings : Played with.

Holmes bluntly informs Umezaki that he'd never met Umezaki's father, and that the supposed meeting with Holmes was just an excuse to abandon his wife and son. After realizing why Watson fictionalized the Kelmot case, Holmes writes Umezaki near the end of the film and claims that he does remember his father and that he was a courageous British agent after all, just as Umezaki wanted to believe his whole life. Manly Tears : Holmes breaks down in tears when Mrs. Munro accuses him of only caring for his bees, which makes her pause and realize that he really is utterly distraught. Meta Fiction : Holmes spends the movie reflecting on the differences between his final case as told by Watson (your typical schlocky detective flick) and how it actually happened (two people trying to grapple with their own loneliness and mortality). This is the same subversion used in the film as a whole. My Card : Mrs Kelmot finds Holmes card while doing her husband's laundry, so knows Holmes has been hired to follow her. My Greatest Failure : For Holmes, the Kelmot case. His inability to fully grasp Mrs.

Kelmot's emotional turmoil and the resulting consequences drove him to abandon his work; the movie depicts his attempt to set things right before his failing memory makes it impossible. Never Got to Say Goodbye : Holmes to Watson, apparently. Holmes was angry with Watson over his using the Kelmot case as book material; they were estranged afterward and Watson died with Holmes not having an opportunity to see him before then. No Hero to His Valet : Mrs. Munro at first doesn't enjoy working for Holmes and believes he should be in a professional care home instead. Posthumous Character : Watson, who was "gone" three years after the Kelmot case. Reality Ensues : Neither the Royal Jelly nor the Prickly Ash do much to cure Holmes' deteriorating mind. Sherlock Scan : While he doesn't always 'do the thing' any more, he can still do it, to devastating effect. Socially-Awkward Hero : While Holmes doesn't immediately come off as this, he still doesn't always get human nature. Spared by the Adaptation : Roger, who dies from the wasp stings in the novel.

Spiritual Successor : Many have pointed out the thematic similarities between this film and Gods and Monsters , the previous collaboration between Bill Condon and Ian McKellen. Took a Level in Kindness : Holmes, in his retirement, is a patient, gentle man who enjoys the company of Roger in a way that he might not previously have done. Tragic Keepsake : The grey glove. It was actually kept by Watson, who hid it in his writing desk. The desk itself is one for Holmes; he later sits there to write to Umezaki about his father's fictionalized national service. Two-Faced : While in Japan, Holmes is shocked by the sight of a beautiful woman with burn scars on one side of her face. We then pan to the railway station sign to show he's just arrived in Hiroshima. The Unsolved Mystery : The main crux of the plot, but done in an odd way. It was solved decades ago, but Holmes can't remember how, only that the outcome was horrific. Mr.

Holmes ~ The Good in Movies Cast & crew Sir Ian McKellen re-unites with Bill Condon, who directed him to an Oscar nomination in 1998’s Gods & Monsters, for this mellow drama about an aging Sherlock Holmes attempting to recall his final case. Nothing of note really to see here, but moderately passable nonetheless. Now 93 years old, Holmes has retired to a small coastal village and enjoys tending to his beehives. Watson is no longer in the picture, and Holmes remains frustrated by the fictitious affectations (the giant pipe, the deerstalker hat, etc) Watson has propagated via a series of books he wrote about their various adventures over the years. With this in mind, Holmes sets about writing a “proper” chronicling of his final case, the one which caused him to retire. But the great detective’s legendary mind is finally beginning to falter, and certain details about the case in question (which plays out via flashbacks) remain just out of Holmes’ grasp. Ian McKellen is as captivating an actor as ever, and there is a welcome gruffness to his interpretation of Holmes.

The character conflict, involving Laura Linney as Holmes’ housekeeper and Milo Parker as her son, works better than the central mystery, which never quite comes to life as a driving narrative force. A principally nostalgic experience, Mr Holmes is at its most amusing when subverting Holmes-ian stereotypes, and a particular highlight in this area sees Holmes attend a theatrical showing of a film based on one of Watson's books. Nicholas Rowe, who played the title character in the underrated 1985 adventure, Young Sherlock Holmes , returns to the role for Mr Holmes’ film-within-a-film. Apart from this awesome cameo, there are no real surprises here, and the elegiac tone gets a little tiresome at times. But McKellen’s reliable skills as a performer prevent the movie from slipping into mediocrity. End of article marker Mr. Holmes - Movies & TV on Google Play Mr. Holmes Item added to wishlist. Item removed from wishlist. You will receive an email when your movie becomes available. You will not be charged until it is released. ( 1,393) Synopsis Mr. Holmes, of Sherlock fame, has one last case to solve at the ripe old age of 93.

The mystery has haunted him for fifty years. Now he must quietly slip out of retirement and pay a secret visit to his past in order to determine the future, in this intriguing and thoughtful suspense-thriller. My review 1 40 Wesley Morris As someone who neither hungers for yet another incarnation of this character nor understands why anyone would, I watched in subdued bafflement. Devan Coggan The mystery subplot lacks the ingenuity of the greatest Holmes stories, but McKellen excels, switching effortlessly between the reclusive beekeeper with a faltering memory and the elegant younger... Bilge Ebiri It's a gripping little tale, to be sure, but it's more than that. Somewhere in its tangle of timelines, false starts, and red herrings is a great truth about the unsolvable mystery of the human soul. Bob Mondello Even those who've read the book can be startled by what happens in Mr. Holmes, while they're being moved by McKellen in a role he's come to late, but with his customary elegance. Susan Wloszczyna [An] intriguing if only semi-satisfying Sherlockian enterprise.

Stephen Whitty The best of it, as in Condon's other movies, are the details of emotions, fleeting but just as quickly caught - true concern camouflaged by flashes of impatience, unutterable despair masquerading... Critic reviews Wesley Morris As someone who neither hungers for yet another incarnation of this character nor understands why anyone would, I watched in subdued bafflement. Full Review Devan Coggan The mystery subplot lacks the ingenuity of the greatest Holmes stories, but McKellen excels, switching effortlessly between the reclusive beekeeper with a faltering memory and the elegant younger... Full Review Bilge Ebiri It's a gripping little tale, to be sure, but it's more than that. Somewhere in its tangle of timelines, false starts, and red herrings is a great truth about the unsolvable mystery of the human soul. Full Review Bob Mondello Even those who've read the book can be startled by what happens in Mr. Holmes, while they're being moved by McKellen in a role he's come to late, but with his customary elegance.

Full Review Stephen Whitty The best of it, as in Condon's other movies, are the details of emotions, fleeting but just as quickly caught - true concern camouflaged by flashes of impatience, unutterable despair masquerading... User reviews L. Sieu November 1, 2015 SEE THIS MOVIE! Mr. Holmes is a masterfully crafted movie worthy of multiple Academy Awards. You will find no gimmicks or clichés here in a storyline that successfully and seamlessly interweaves contemporary issues in a beautiful cinematography and meaningful dialogue. This is a beautifully shot movie, with its multiple subplots contributes to its poignant and haunting conclusion. Each and every character has their own depth delivered with economy which does not burden or patronize the viewer: truly masterful storytelling based on the novel "A Slight Trick of the Mind" by Mitch Cullin. We have come to expect this quality and integrity from director Bill Condon (Dream Girls, Kinsey, Gods and Monsters). Mr. Holmes is a moving account of a culmination of the experiences of its characters which were chosen with economy and purpose which delivers depth that will leave us moved, touched and inspired.

Ian McKellan portrays an aging Sherlock Holmes who is suffering from memory loss and fragility as he struggles to learn a very personal karmic lesson by revisiting the case which forced him into retirement. This is perhaps Sir Ian’s personal best performance. Full Review Kevin Carney November 2, 2015 On another subject I would give this movie higher marks. The acting was fine, camera work and such fine… the problem for me was the subject matter and the vessel it was delivered in. I truly enjoy SH genre and variations on the theme. So when a movie comes a long related to SH I am going to jump on it. This movie has more to do the ‘rewards’ of old age and less to do with SH. It is a reminder that we all age and some of us will have a path that we will forget we are on, where we have been or where we are headed, only for moments of clarity that terrify us into remembering just how lost we are… This movie took my beloved SH and pushed that reality in my face. And left me wishing I had passed. The good news, in time I’ll probably forget I watched this… the bad news I might watch it again..

SPOILER FROM HERE OUT: SH is an old guy that has forgotten a case. Rather than solving it, he is just trying to remember it. Full Review Tasha Howell December 3, 2015 I am a huge fan of Ian Mckellen... but this movie didn't channel my view of Sherlock Holmes at all. I feel like this was trying to insert feelings of remorse or guilt that a dying man is likely to fall fallible to as they look over their last days... but it was all so underwhelming. The plot was not well considered, his personality was completely off- everything that makes Sherlock was cut to pieces as something to feel guilty for or ashamed of. The revelations of his cases were boring, with a slow lead up to its climax. I wanted to love this movie, as I have loved nearly every rendition of Sherlock but It felt like a movie about a dying old man that slapped on the title of 'Holmes' for effect. Full Review Rebecca DeLaTorre January 6, 2016 An immortal and infallible character made mortal and fallible. Perhaps the most human Sherlock I have seen and I am a fan of the character.

It surprises me to see so many knee-jerk reactions to the concept of Sherlock at some point losing his edge, especially with the popularity of the Cumberbatch version suffering mental illness and the Laurie version having being a limping, pill-popping madman. I suppose some fans don't want their heroes revealed to be nothing more than people. I loved the film and am grateful it was made. Full Review Douglas Detweiler December 10, 2015 I liked reading the Doyle's original stories and some film/tv adaptations of SH (especially those with Jeremy Brett). The stiff, unapologetic, neurotic, narcissistic, and slightly off-putting character of SH and his methods at solving a case almost completely encompass the essence of SH for me. However, all this movie did was take the character, disembowel almost all of the original value and throw an ill-fitting suit on the remaining macabre mess. The acting and everything was not objectionable. If you have a story to tell, do it without damaging other works. Too many people only know SH from the abominations of the 3 most recent films supposedly starring the character which is a shame.

Full Review Fenrir Fire November 22, 2015 If you have an "all talk, no action" type of movie persona - watch this immediately! It has everything you could really want from a smaller debut. Top-notch actors, performance, logical story, twists & turns, as well as a tear-jerker ending, (of which I was surprised to see). The locales are beautiful and the sunny over-tones looked immaculate in hd. I will watch this again next summer, when there's a colorful vibe to match this movie. It has a dark moment or two, but nothing an adult can't handle. It is intelligent enough for Ian's acting talent, as well as Mr. Holmes intellect. A+ Full Review Owen Marshall April 17, 2016 One of McKellen's Best! Why has no one ever cast Ian McKellen as the Great Detective before? He is absolutely perfect in this role both in flashbacks to the case which brought on his retirement and as a man watching the inexorable fading of his considerable faculties. The writing is top notch, and I find myself thinking that I have never read or watched a more definitive ending for Sherlock's cases.

Full Review Gustavo Veloza December 7, 2015 Loved it! This film goes against the fact that SH has always been depicted as the "Always strong, rock solid mastermind that solves every case he's bestowed upon". This film makes him human, SH would after all age, lose his friends, and his memory. That sort of frailty is something, us, the audience rarely get to see and it was spot on. The film might not be a masterpiece but it is amazing and I, personally, LOVED IT! Full Review Simon Says October 30, 2015 Classic Rarely in this day do we experience eligance accommodate with truth. When everyone would have you believe the lies in fiction as truth, comes a fictional character in real life with the truth of old age. The young have so much to learn and the elders have such an incredible amount to give. Be kind to those around you, for you came into this world alone and you shall leave this world alone. There is no other way.

Full Review flamepaininass November 23, 2015 Thank you Thanks to whoever wrote the spoiler...If I had watched and THEN learned it was about memory loss, I would have been crushed...can't handle that topic at this time. Full Review Al Bordeau November 15, 2015 Hoping for better, got blah. Great actors over acting is never a good thing. Linney is believable, but Ian McKellen missed badly. Full Review Cinda Landes November 21, 2015 Mr Holmes Intense in a few areas and one feels intense sadness over what happens as an icon becomes senile,but it didn't satisfy my taste for more "who dunnit". Full Review Darhar M. December 19, 2015 Wonderful Movie Without spoiling it for fans of Sherlock Holmes this movie was both wonderful and tragic yet honors the spirit of an aging Sherlock Holmes with dignity. No other actor could have pulled this off. My opinion only of course. Vinay Chandra November 26, 2015 Not the usual mystery, but a beautiful, moving portrait of an elderly Holmes.

Full Review Andrew Britton November 18, 2015 Wonderfully subtle, quiet and intelligent movie unfolding a side of Holmes we haven't seen before. Ian McKellen is always a pleasure to watch. The young boy is the charismatic equal of Mr. Holmes, with a strong show by Ms. Linney to round out the main cast. Cursedr R January 5, 2016 Meh Not a convincing Holmes..(even during lucid flash backs) Full Review Sarah Loftus November 18, 2015 Well acted A bore for my kids, kind of hard to follow, especially if you go for a pee . They did enjoy just a bit of rewind. ..thank the gods for dvr Full Review Bernard-Marie Mendes France October 27, 2016 The Incredible Sleuth Another Academy-Award winning performance by Ian McKellen. Beautifully written and directed. A must see for any Holmes fan of any genre. Full Review H Lewis April 25, 2016 Incredible There are no words that are enough to capture the beauty of this movie. I so loved this story. Should be a favorite for Holmes lovers everywhere.

Full Review Kris Kenshin January 7, 2016 I love sherlock so much and the scenery is so beautiful but the actual story is just blah Full Review eddy martinez November 4, 2015 Mr Holmes Well written. It is like sitting down in front of a warm fire place and reading an Excellent Novel Full Review Chris Weaver November 14, 2015 This movie is amazing. Thank you Ian McKellen for doing such a great job with a character so grand. Dean Gregory July 22, 2015 Mr. Dean Gregory Home-User Florence Susan December 13, 2016 Just not a fan of mysteries! This looked special. The acting was, if I remember correctly! :) Christie Brown October 30, 2015 Mr Holmes Loved it. Should've played on pbs masterpiece where the audience would've appreciated it more. Matthew Cody Ortt December 16, 2015 A fantastic spin on a classic character! Ian McKellen is extraordinary, as usual. Loved this movie! Damon Barry November 14, 2015 Beautiful It's about mortality and atonement, beautifully done.

Larry Queen October 30, 2015 This is the "Who will remember William Weston" version of Sherlock Holmes. Ethan Carter May 6, 2016 Enjoyed it It not for people who don't like slow paced movies Linda Bunde March 24, 2016 I LOVED this film...; I'm a fan of the main actor...and movies similar to this as well. :) David Kinney November 4, 2015 Very good One of my favorite movies of summer very different . Debbie Mann January 4, 2016 Mr.Holmes Fitting way to end Tracey Deakin February 5, 2016 Classic!

abo mohamad alharesy December 28, 2015 Not good Very bad Jimmy Nellans November 14, 2015 Mr Holmes Drama Deborah Carson December 10, 2015 Mr Holmes Drama William Verner November 14, 2015 Sherlock Holmes best Store ever for years sincere East a ever Yoda Deltoro November 12, 2015 Intersting he solved a case of his own memory Ashley Wilson October 20, 2015 Ashkwilson92@gmail.com Kelechi92 Peggy Goodman November 7, 2015 Mr.holms A very good movie a must see ‘Mr. Holmes’ Review: Ian McKellen Plays an Aging Sherlock | Variety Print February 8, 2015 | 07:15AM PT Of diminished mind and body, the world's greatest detective rallies to solve one last mystery in Bill Condon's intimate, elegiac Sherlock Holmes tale.

After hitting a couple of commercial highs (“Dreamgirls,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”) and one major artistic low (“The Fifth Estate”) in the major-studio trade, Bill Condon makes a welcome return to more intimate, character-based fare in “Mr. Holmes,” an elegiac portrait of the once-great detective as a senescent old man — arthritic of body and foggy of mind, yet unwilling to go gently into that good night. A graceful film that seems happy to proceed at roughly the pace of the honey that drips from its central character’s apiary, this faithful adaptation of Mitch Cullin’s 2005 novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind” may disappoint audiences seeking a ripping good Sherlock Holmes mystery, but should delight genre buffs fond of such earlier revisionist Holmes yarns as “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” and “Young Sherlock Holmes,” and even attract some younger viewers curious to see the old guy from “Lord of the Rings” and “X-Men” (aka Ian McKellen ) slip into the skin of the world’s most famous sleuth.

The newly rehabilitated Miramax should see profitable arthouse returns from its planned 2015 release in partnership with Lionsgate subsidiary Roadside Attractions . If Condon seems like particularly good casting here, it’s because, in its theme of faded celebrity, and its central dynamic of an eminence grise, a young protege and a stern housekeeper, “Mr. Holmes” carries more than a faint echo of “Gods and Monsters,” the director’s 1998 Oscar winner about the last days of “Frankenstein” director James Whale (also played by McKellen). And while “Mr. Holmes,” which was adapted by screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher, is ultimately a softer, sunnier film, it shares with its predecessor an acute sense of a dying man struggling to delineate fact from fantasy as he writes the final chapter of his life. The Holmes we meet early on in “Mr. Holmes” is very much a fallen idol, aged 93 and long living in relative anonymity in a Sussex farm house, far from the prying eyes of the fans who once crowded the entrance to his Baker Street home, spurred on by the fictionalized Holmes tales published by his erstwhile partner, Dr. John Watson.

The year is 1947, and Holmes whiles away his days tending to his bees and indulging another hobby, botany, under the watchful eye of his widowed cook, Mrs. Munro ( Laura Linney ), and her 14-year-old son, Roger (Milo Parker), who grooms himself in Holmes’ image. But as might be expected, Holmes’ hobbies are no mere passing fancies, but rather attempts at jogging his weary mind. Already showing the signs of short-term memory loss (call this “Still Sherlock” if you must), Holmes has taken to herbal remedies like royal jelly (hence the bees) and the more exotic prickly ash — an item rare enough to have occasioned a recent trip to Japan, where Holmes plucked it from the still-smoldering hillsides of Hiroshima. Holmes longs to recover one memory in particular, that of the final case he worked on as a detective some 30 years earlier — a case involving an aggrieved husband, Thomas Kelmot (Patrick Kennedy); his depressive, childless wife (Hattie Morahan); and a strange musical instrument, a glass armonica, with possible occult powers.

Above all, it was a case in which Holmes got something wrong — wrong enough to hang up his magnifying glass for good. If only he could remember what the hell it was. Now it is Holmes who is setting pen to paper in an effort to set the record straight, about his exploits in general and the glass armonica in particular, and to give himself peace of mind while he still has mind to appease. While the good detective himself hobbles about with a cane, “Mr. Holmes” the movie glides smoothly back and forth across decades and continents as it follows these disparate plot strands through to their eminently logical conclusions. In Japan, Holmes is guided on his journey by the cheerful Mr. Umezaki ( Hiroyuki Sanada ), who claims to be a fellow herbalist but harbors his own ulterior motives that only gradually come to light. In the London of the past, Holmes tails the mysterious Mrs. Kelmot in an attempt to uncover her secrets. And in the Sussex of the present, busily writing away in his attic study, he struggles with each successive sentence to recall what exactly happened next.

As in Cullin’s book (where “The Glass Armonicist” became a full-fledged novella-within-the-novel, complete with its own title page and chapter headings), the nesting of stories within stories creates a nifty hall-of-mirrors effect, climaxing in Holmes’ visit to a cinema screening a film adaptation of the armonica case, based on Watson’s bastardized account of it. In truth, neither the armonica story nor Holmes’ Japanese sojourn is especially suspenseful or surprising, and might seem even less so were it not for the scrambled chronologies with which they unfold. Rather, the more vital subject of “Mr. Holmes” turns out to be our need for stories themselves and, in particular, the role of fiction as an escape from the pain and loss of everyday life — not least the compound horrors of two world wars. Only by his stubborn pursuit of the truth does Holmes come to understand the value of literary invention, from deerstalker hats and curved-stem pipes to our need for happy endings.

McKellen is predictably superb as Holmes, perhaps a touch too stentorious and Gandalf-y at times, but very touching in his sense of the old logician betrayed by his own logic. And Linney, in her third teaming with Condon (after “Kinsey” and “The Fifth Estate”), does beautifully understated work as a simple but proud woman trying to make sure she and her son have a future. The filmmaking itself is among Condon’s most elegant, with d.p. Tobias Schleisser’s widescreen lensing capturing the Sussex countryside in all its verdant splendor, and fine period detailing from production designer Martin Childs and costume designer Keith Madden. Editor Virginia Katz makes seamless braiding of the film’s multiple timelines. Composer Carter Burwell’s richly orchestrated score adds the perfect note of gentle mourning throughout. Berlin Film Review: 'Mr. Holmes' Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (noncompeting), Feb. 8, 2015. Running time: 103 MIN.

Production (U.K.) A Miramax/Roadside Attractions (in U.S.) release of an AI Film and BBC Films presentation in association with FilmNation Entertainment of an Archer Gray and See-Saw Films productin. (International sales: FilmNation Entertainment, Beverly Hills.) Produced by Anne Carey, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman. Executive producers, Aviv Giladi, Len Blavatnik, Christine Langan, Amy Nauiokas. Co-producers, Greg Yolen, Paul Ritchie, Jack Morrissey. Crew Directed by Bill Condon. Screenplay, Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the book “A Slight Trick of the Mind” by Mitch Cullin.

Camera (color, Arri Alexa HD, widescreen), Tobias Schleisser; editor, Virginia Katz; music, Carter Burwell; production designer, Martin Childs; supervising art director, James Wakefield; art director, Jonathan Houlding; set decorator, Charlotte Watts; costume designer, Keith Madden; sound (Dolby Digital), David Bowtle-McMillan; supervising sound editor, Warren Shaw; re-recording mixer, Michael Minkler; visual effects supervisors, Sean Farrow, John Bair; visual effects producer, Renuka Ballal; visual effects, Phosphene; special effects supervisors, Neil Champion, Alistair Anderson; stunt coordinator, Jason White; associate producers, Shani Geva, Toby Hill; assistant director, Lance Roehrig; casting, Lucy Bevan.

With Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy, Roger Allam, Phil Davies, Frances De La Tour, Charlie Maddox, Takako Akshi, Zak Shukor, John Sessions, Michael Culkin, David Foxxe, Oliver Devoti, Mike Burnside, Nicholas Rowe, Sam Coulson, Frances Barber, Hermione Corfield, Kit Connor, Zoe Rainey, Eileen Davies, Colin Starkey, Sarah Crowden.

(English, Japanese dialogue) Mr Holmes review Mr Holmes: 'Sherlock as you've never seen him before' Star Rating 3 Telegraph Star Rating Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes with Milo Parker in 'Mr Holmes' Credit: Slight Trick Productions/Ed Miller Title Mr Holmes Title Foreign Title Foreign Title Star Rating 3 Telegraph Star Rating Actors Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan Actors Director Bill Condon Director Genre Drama Genre Synopsis The long-retired Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) looks back over his life and the cases that most intrigued him Synopsis Release Date 19-06-2015 Release Date Duration 103 mins Duration Rating PG Rating Country UK Country Tim Robey 18 June 2015 • 12:21pm Ian McKellen's twilight-years Sherlock Holmes is sweet and gentle of pace – perhaps a little too gentle for Cumberbatch fans Mr Holmes gives us a Sherlock we’ve certainly never seen before, and won’t again in a hurry. He’s 93, retired on the Dover coast, and starting to lose those legendary marbles.

And he’s played, both at this enfeebled age and 35 years before that, by Ian McKellen. Bee-keeping has become the ex-sleuth’s all-consuming hobby. McKellen, with that gluey and astonishingly resonant voice of his, sounds very much as though he’s been gargling honey for the bulk of a century. McKellen’s last collaboration with director Bill Condon was Gods and Monsters, 1998’s comitragic, whimsical portrait of the filmmaker James Whale. This film is as much a companion piece to that as it is a plumly timed tranche of Holmesiana, a witty codicil to the current craze. Adapting a 2005 novel, A Slight Trick of the Mind, by the American writer Mitch Cullin, Jeffrey Hatcher’s script is all about contrasting the “real” Holmes with the one of Dr Watson’s fabrication. It’s a pretend biopic, which imagines 221B Baker St’s beaky resident as a man impudently misrepresented by his myth.

“Penny dreadfuls with an elevated prose style,” Holmes sniffs of his literary exploits – by which he means a slight to his estranged old friend Watson, not Conan Doyle. In the film’s most in-jokey sequence, he even toddles along to a black-and-white matinee called The Lady in Grey – this is 1947, after all, tail end of the Basil Rathbone era – and watches himself played, in a joyous little casting coup, by Nicholas Rowe, the star of 1985’s Young Sherlock Holmes. Everything is off, histrionic and camped up, about the case he’s beholding on screen – his final one, twisted into hokey fiction. It involves a couple, touchingly played in Holmes’s real-life recollection by Patrick Kennedy and Hattie Morahan, who have lost their way after two miscarriages; some business with a glass harmonica; and a batty German music teacher called Mrs Schirmer.

You feel for Frances Barber, who vamps up this role nicely in the black-and-white film-within-a-film, because there’s no way she could go any higher or funnier with it than the other Frances – de la Tour – in the “genuine” flashbacks. There’s only one scene of her, but it’s in every way a de la Tour de force. Watson and Mrs Hudson are blurs in the background; brother Mycroft (John Sessions), too, gets a bit part. Holmes’s main companions are his Dover housekeeper, Mrs Munro (Laura Linney), and her son Roger, played in a very solid, unaffected turn by the young British actor Milo Parker. There’s nothing about the film that Conan Doyle fans, McKellen fans, Linney fans, and anyone partial to a lilting Carter Burwell score won’t relish. TV Sherlock fans – not necessarily the same constituency – may miss its jumped-up speed and ingenuity. This is Holmes intentionally slowed down to a hobbling, reflective, end-of-life pace: dare we call it refreshing? It’s a film to rummage around in, picking up old clues, considering their meaning, and turning them in your palm. Mr Holmes clip Play!

01:25 McKellen, a rummager par excellence, goes to town here like a one-man band playing all the greatest hits. His performance has a rich musicality, throwing out a host of baritone notes and making them harmonise: he can be sour and contemptuous, rheumy and self-pitying, a bit of a fraud. Responding to his nonsense with a kind of matronly exasperation, Linney does well with a soft, unpatronising regional accent, and buoys the film up as a perfect foil. You only wonder, given Holmes’ record as the most-filmed fictional character of all time, what this jaunt wants to add or say beyond jolly revisionism. Loneliness is a theme: but it was unforgettably explored by Billy Wilder, in his gorgeous, melancholy The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), and the various stories being interweaved here don’t come close to that in pathos.

The film aims for closure on all of them at once, but it gets a bit hung up on bee metaphors, and the big bee denouement – let’s just say they become murder suspects – feels like a curious dead end. After Jupiter Ascending and its already-notorious observation that “bees don’t lie”, it’s fair to say that apiculture is having a great 2015. And why not? It’s sweet, in a way, that Holmes’s very last case is imagined here, not as some character-defining swansong, but a bumbling, one-for-the-road affair – a nightcap. “Trainwreck” and “Mr. Holmes” Review - The New Yorker Anthony Lane Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in a new movie directed by Judd Apatow.CreditIllustration by David Saracino Near the start of “Trainwreck,” Amy Townsend, played by Amy Schumer, lies in bed and watches a man undress. He has to stand there, the poor sap, until she has finished telling jokes about his genitals. The two of them get down to business, which is concluded when she falls asleep.

She begins to snore, and the moral is: When it comes to guys and dolls, a doll can be just like a guy, and be none the worse for it. That is her right, and it brooks no contradiction. Or, as Amy herself puts it, in voice-over, “Don’t judge me, fuckers.” Your response to “Trainwreck,” which was written by Schumer and directed by Judd Apatow, will depend on how you read that line. Is it robust and plain-speaking, proud of its comic swagger, or is there something tight-mouthed in its imperative, with a hint of “or else” hanging off the end? Either way, the life of Amy is dished up for our inspection. She is a serial boozer, and, as if to highlight the fact, most of the wine she drinks is of a nasty urinous hue.

(Also, thanks to a tic of her natural speech, invaluable for her onscreen persona, Schumer sounds drunk even when she’s not.) Amy lives alone in New York, making out whenever she pleases and declaring, of her conquests, “Never, ever let them sleep over.” She does sleep over, one night, and is mortified at waking up on Staten Island and tottering home in a tiny gold skirt and scarlet heels. There is also a boyfriend of sorts, a slab of gym-toughened meat named Steven (John Cena), whose idea of dirty talk is to exclaim, “Let me fill you with my protein,” but Amy wouldn’t dream of staying true to him. One thing we can state, for sure, is that this woman cannot and will not fall in love. You’ll never guess what happens.

Amy is a writer for S’Nuff magazine, where the staff pitches articles like “Ugliest Celebrity Kids Under Six” and “You’re Not Gay, She’s Boring.” Despite her belief that “sports are stupid,” and that there are teams out there called the Cincinnati Thunder Wizards and the Orlando Blooms, Amy is assigned by her editor—a formidable turn by Tilda Swinton, encased in a sweeping wig and a fortress of makeup—to profile Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), a surgeon who specializes in sports injury. (Hence the yucky image of a knee sliced open to the bone; hence, too, the shoal of celebrities, milling about for no reason. LeBron James has some easygoing chats with Aaron, but, once Chris Evert, Marv Albert, and Amar’e Stoudemire show up, the namechecks become an embarrassment.) Needless to say, Amy seduces Aaron, whereupon—horrors!—he calls her and asks for a date.

It turns out that he is not just a sweetheart but a do-gooder, earning awards from Doctors Without Borders, and the scene in which he is praised for “changing the world” is the point at which “Trainwreck” mislays its sense of irony. “What’s wrong with you that you would want to go out with me?” Amy asks him, and the movie answers its own question, arguing that (a) there is nothing wrong with Aaron, and, ergo, that (b) she is O.K., too, just a lost soul in need of a loving home. You can almost hear her plea: “Be sorry for me, fuckers.” Are there any modern comedies that hold their nerve, and pursue their radical options to a bitter end? More than eighty years ago, the censor Joseph Breen was so appalled by the carnal candor of Barbara Stanwyck, in “Baby Face,” that he strong-armed Warner Bros. into cleaning up the ending and teaching the heroine a lesson, but Breen would not be needed these days. Though a movie like “Trainwreck” sounds filthy enough, it cleans itself up as it goes along—setting off at a rough lick, yet soon displaying signs of moral decency.

As in previous Apatow films, the temptations of togetherness eventually drown the siren call of the boudoir. Amy, though informed by Steven, “You’re not nice,” is nice enough to befriend a homeless man outside her apartment; her philandering is not that of a genuine free spirit but of a conscience wrenched out of joint by an equally faithless father (Colin Quinn), who now, as if paying for his sins, suffers from multiple sclerosis and resides in an assisted-living facility. Amy has a sister (Brie Larson), who has a husband and a stepson, and, fiercely though Amy mocks their domestic harmony, they have much to teach her, the end result being a long shot, late in the proceedings, of all four of them gathered for a group hug. And that, as it were, is Amy’s final instruction: “Be happy for me, fuckers.” So much for the promise of the title. “Trainwreck” sticks to the rails. The new Bill Condon film, “Mr. Holmes,” finds Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) in the dusk of his life.

The year is 1947, and he is ninety-three, long since retired to the south coast of England. The sea, where he bathes, is reached across soft pastures. Attended by a housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her young son, Roger (Milo Parker), Holmes devotes himself largely to beekeeping. More and more, he is stung by lapses of memory, each of them marked in his diary with a rueful dot, and he recently travelled to Japan in search of a rare plant with rejuvenating powers. You can understand his fear. Were he no longer in his right mind, he would not be Holmes at all. One case, from his past, is a cause of particular vexation. Thirty years ago, a woman named Ann Kelmot (Hattie Morahan) was reported by her husband to be straying—whether into mischief, madness, or illicit love was not yet clear. Holmes, assigned to help, followed Ann, spoke to her, and brought light to the mystery and murk, yet the outcome was far from satisfactory. “I must have done something terribly wrong,” he tells himself.

The movie makes a big deal of this, but Sherlockians will hardly be surprised, since, on the page, wrongness and regret flickered around his exploits from the start. There were many occasions on which he arrived too late to prevent an unfortunate death. “Mr. Holmes” is a curious beast. It has three time frames: not just 1947 and the Kelmot affair but also a flashback to Japan, where Holmes’s guide (Hiroyuki Sanada) discovers the precious plant in the ruins of Hiroshima, no less. This intrusion of the brutally real has been tried before, first by Arthur Conan Doyle himself, who set “His Last Bow” on the brink of the First World War, and then by films like “Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon” (1943), in which Moriarty had to be stopped from selling military hardware to the Nazis. The difference is that Basil Rathbone’s Holmes was an ageless being, to be spirited through time without a wrinkle, whereas McKellen—dapper in his top hat, circa 1917, then riven and slowed by the ensuing years—is nothing if not mortal.

The conceit on which the movie rests is that Holmes was a real person who walked the earth, and that his adventures were transcribed by Watson, who, as Holmes says, “made me into a fiction,” tweaking a few details along the way. (His actual address was changed to 221B Baker Street, “to mislead the curious.”) As for Conan Doyle, he vanishes into air. In short, there is plenty here for postmodernists. They will squeak with joy at the sight of Holmes entering a cinema and watching an actor play “Sherlock Holmes,” in a hokey black-and-white movie that never existed. (Another twist: the actor is played by Nicholas Rowe, who took the title role in “Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear,” thirty years ago.) To what end, however, has this cleverness been brewed? When Holmes collapses, dropping a glass paperweight to the floor, does the wink to “Citizen Kane” mean that we are trapped in a Wellesian quest for identity? Not really. The atmosphere that enfolds “Mr. Holmes” could not be more sedate.

It belongs to what a friend of mine calls the toot-toot genre, which includes any period film or TV drama that starts with a shot of a steam train. The music betrays not a flutter of anxiety, and most of the backdrops pacify the eye, preferring pastoral quietude to those dim London streets, strangled in fog, that proved so vivifying to Holmes in his prime. As for the central puzzle, it falls to pieces in your hands. Condon prepares us well, strewing the screen with closeups as if to demonstrate how an object, under the hero’s gaze, is transfigured into a clue, and yet the secret of Ann Kelmot, once revealed, makes no practical sense. In truth, “Mr. Holmes” is not Holmesian at all. It is Jamesian, as shown by a wonderful encounter between Kelmot and Holmes—an attraction of opposites, you might say—on a garden bench. McKellen is peremptory and sleek, whereas Morahan (whose Nora, in “A Doll’s House,” made such an impression at bam last year) is clothed in dove gray and emotionally aflame.

Ann reaches out to Holmes for solace, and he offers her logic in return. Likewise, when young Roger is hurt Holmes’s instinct is to summon medical aid before informing the housekeeper. “I’m his mother!” she howls. The movie reproaches him for that chill, and, indeed, he reproaches himself, but who wants a warmhearted Holmes? He is not a counsellor but a huntsman, and, without him, who would lead the chase? ♦ Anthony Lane has been a film critic for The New Yorker since 1993.

Question: Who played the title role in the 2015 film Mr Holmes?
Answer: IAN McKELLEN