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| Sherlock Holmes |
Every Sherlock film is invariably weighed in the same nostalgic spirit of Victorian England of old. But Guy Ritchie had changed all that with his first installment of the master detective's bravados, at least on screen, by taking the lock, stock and barrel of Sherlock Holmes through nifty FX and stylised sequences of neo-baritsu.
In this second installment, The Game of Shadows, the formula which proved so successful earlier is strictly followed. Robert Downey Jr. in a long line of outstanding artists who played Holmes, and his interpretation of the character, is undoubtedly one of the best and he proves it once again with his charming, quirky mannerisms and a very proper British accent. Jude Law too proved to be a worthy sidekick of the sleuth and his gentlemanly fists showed to be no less formidable than the cannon he uses to blow down an entire stone tower.
The two most interesting characters were of course Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's elder brother and Prof. Moriarty, Holmes greatest nemesis and his equal perhaps in everything apart from the chess board. Played by Stephen Fry and Jared Harris respectively, they were a treat to watch. The interactions between Holmes and Moriarty have been brilliantly scripted. The film gave us glimpses of the Sherlock in Conan Doyle's works, who did most of his work in the mind.
Not that he isn't as smart in the film, but only if the plot wasn't so grand. James Bond could have also had a go here, saving the entire world from a war of gigantic proportions, unlike the smaller issues which, in the novels, the clients would invariably bring to 221B Baker Street.
The film is not a faithful interpretation of the canon. Neither is it a faithful interpretation of 1900s England. What it is, is a great new avatar of our beloved Holmes who has gone through so much for so many years; surely he can shrug a few special effects off now.
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