Mr. Holmes

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, some disturbing images and incidental smoking
Run Time: 104 Minutes
My Rating: 2/5
So today my wife and I saw Roadside Attractions' Mr. Homes starring Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings Series), Laura Linney (The Truman Show), and newcomer Milo Parker.  The film tells the story of a retire Sherlock Holmes who decides to spend the rest of his days in his home in Sussex with his housekeeper and her son.  However, as he spends time there, he is haunted by his last case made famous by his partner Watson. Unfortunately, Holmes' memory isn't quite as it used to be which leads to even more anguish as Sherlock tries to tell the true story before he dies.
So this film was very interesting and definitely not what I was expecting it to be.  This is definitely not your average Sherlock Holmes film, which is ok, but I just want you to be aware of that before watching.  This is a completely different Sherlock Holmes. Here, Sherlock doesn't have the quick wit and the high intellect, but he is more quiet and contemplative.  It appears as if Sherlock has lost the drive he once had. Though this gives the film a new perspective of the man Sherlock, it also creates a slow-paced drama with not a lot of substance.  The film tries to tell multiple stories at once and with the slow-pace of the film, it makes the film hard to watch and the true meaning of the film lost until the last few moments. It makes the audience question why the film was even made in the first place and even the ending isn't as satisfactory as one would like.  It all just seems jumbled together.
Though the film has its flaws, its true saving grace is the cast.  Ian McKellen does a spectacular job as Sherlock Holmes.  In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing him actually play Sherlock again if the script was better.  I truly believe that Ian McKellen has a good shot of an Academy Award come next year. He truly is amazing in this and I hope that he gets a little recognition for it.  The other cast members do great as well and if it weren't for them, this film would be completely unwatchable.
Overall, this film was just ok.  I probably wouldn't watch this film again, but that is just my opinion. If you like more dramatic films, then this is definitely for you.  If you are Sherlock Holmes fan, I warn you that this is not the Sherlock Holmes that you are accustomed to and you should be careful before spending too much money on it.  With all that being said, though the film falters at times, it has incredible acting and a great lesson to be learned.

Thanks again for reading!!! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!