Sherlock: A Study in Pink

"I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research." ~ Sherlock

Sherlock, how can I even begin to sing your praises? There’s something you need to know about me, in case you’re a new reader to the blog – I’m a little obsessed with all things Sherlock Holmes. Okay, make that more than a little. I cut my BBC-drama loving teeth on Granada Television Sherlock Holmes series, starring the inimitable Jeremy Brett. For me, Brett is Holmes, and no one before or since his interpretation has come close. Now, I found a lot to enjoy about the Robert Downey Jr.-led Sherlock Holmes picture last Christmas (click here to read my review). But having seen the first episode of Sherlock, created by Steven Moffat (the Doctor Who showrunner!) and Mark Gatiss, the big-budget movie pales in comparison. I have finally found an heir worthy to stand in the shadow of Jeremy Brett’s interpretation of Holmes. Benedict Cumberbatch, you are a freaking genius.

In some respect I feel completely inadequate to review the first episode of this series, because it was so, so brilliant and I loved it so much. People, this show is so genius it brought tears of joy to my eyes on more than one occasion, I kid you not. It’s going to take many, many viewings of this episode for me to even begin to come close to fully grasping and appreciating the way in which the showrunners and actors brought these iconic, beloved characters into the 21st century. There are so many brilliant little nods to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characterizations, so many wonderful humorous touches, and absolutely inspired dialogue that each subsequent viewing of this episode will be a miniature journey of discovery, I’m sure.

A Study in Pink was inspired by an original Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet (one of only four novel-length Holmes adventures penned by Doyle). Here’s the story summary from the PBS website:

Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman, The Office UK) is back in modern-day London after serving in the war in Afghanistan. His therapist, convinced that Watson is plagued by violent memories, urges him to express himself in a blog. But nothing much ever happens to Watson, and it's not that he's haunted by the war — he longs for it. Enter an eccentric roommate — one Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy). He plays the violin when he's thinking, sometimes doesn't talk for days, and has a dubious career as a self-described consulting detective. When what appear to be serial suicide cases surface in London, a desperate Detective Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves, The Forsyte Saga) reluctantly consults the freakish Sherlock. To Sherlock, a crime spree is like Christmas — only made better by the possibility that these crimes may be the work of a devious serial killer. The game is on, and before it is over, Sherlock will put his life on the line — all to keep from being bored to death. Sherlock is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and is co-created by Doctor Who producers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. (One episode; 90 minutes, TV-PG)

Possible spoilers from this point on...

First of all, there’s an eerie sense of symmetry to the introduction of Dr. John Watson. When Doyle first penned the character, it was entirely plausible to have a former army doctor be a veteran of the Afghan wars – and once again we’re at a point in history when that is true. Now, if you’ve been living under a rock or you willfully ignored all news related to the casting of the upcoming Hobbit films, you may not know that Martin Freeman, playing Watson, is going to be Bilbo Baggins. There’s a moment at the very beginning of the episode, where Watson is sitting silently on the side of his bed after some particularly horrific post-traumatic stress induced dreams, where he looks very hobbit-like. Maybe I was just projecting…? *g* Either way, the more I see of Freeman, the more I think he’s a brilliant choice to play Bilbo.

And he’s obviously not just a brilliant choice to inhabit Middle Earth – he’s a fantastic Watson. Throughout the history of Holmes appearing on-screen, Watson has too often been doomed to appear increasingly buffoonish, the comic sidekick if you will. Freeman’s incarnation of Watson is a dream come true. He really comes across like a former soldier. He’s sharp, astute, and disciplined, and there’s a part of him that he struggles with just a bit that loves risks, the adrenaline rush that comes from finding oneself in a life-or-death situation. AND he’s a blogger, and I know it pretty much goes without saying how much I loved that. Watson’s struggles with his memories of his wartime experiences are extremely well portrayed in my opinion, quite realistic. I thought it was fascinating that he starts out the show with a limp and a hand tremor, issues that Sherlock pegs as psychosomatic. I really enjoyed the process the show takes Watson through, as he works through those issues and through his new friendship and partnership with Sherlock he finds he’s learning to function in the “real” world again.

Now, what to say about Sherlock? Benedict Cumberbatch, I hardly knew ye. I’ve always liked Cumberbatch (for one thing, his name is fantastic!), but until last night I never classified him in the brilliant actor, or even favorite actors, category. I cannot stress this enough. Like Brett, Cumberbatch was born to play this incarnation of Holmes. He owns every scene he appears in, takes clear delight in the character and the dialogue, and is utterly and completely engrossing and unforgettable. He has the manic swings that really defines Holmes in my mind (thank you for that expectation, Jeremy Brett!). His energy and the almost child-like delight he takes in a challenge (“Serial killer! It’s like Christmas!”) is at once completely absorbing and laugh-out-loud hilarious. The show does a great job of incorporating modern technology into Holmes’s repertoire of investigative tricks – I really love the fact that he’s addicted to texting, and the use of pop-up “text bubbles” throughout the show was such a funny touch.

As Sherlock, Cumberbatch is by turns selfish then kind, manically energetic then lethargic, and always, always supremely intelligent, constantly spouting a steady stream of incisive, witty one-liners. Sherlock is constantly after his next “fix” – nothing is more dangerous for him than boredom and lethargy. He craves a challenge – and we’re given the best hint of what’s to come at the conclusion of this episode (nice nod to Moriarty, people!). He has a perfect foil in his brother, Mycroft, who still works for the British government, only for a change he isn’t simply an older, more set in his ways version of Sherlock. Played by show co-creator Mark Gatiss, this Mycroft is tightly wound, practically neurotic, but clearly as driven in the end of his own means as is his brother. I’m very curious to see where they take the relationship given that Mycroft seems to make a regular thing of keeping his brother under surveillance. The moment at the end of the episode when Mycroft and Sherlock come face-to-face for the first time in the series was HILARIOUS. I loved when they started talking about stressing “Mummy” and “can you imagine what Christmas dinner was like?” Hysterically funny stuff, as was Watson’s somewhat crestfallen reaction to the realization that Mycroft was Sherlock’s brother, and not the sinister criminal mastermind he first seems to be.

Sherlock’s reluctant associate on his investigations is Detective Inspector Lestrade, played by Rupert Graves. After seeing his rather unsavory turns in the just-completed seasons of Inspector Lewis and Wallander, can I just tell you it is so nice to see him finally playing one of the good guys?! Turns out he’s actually capable of that, LOL! It’s really interesting to see a character of Sherlock’s caliber, who’s so freaking high maintenance, interact with modern police. Many view him as a potential threat, a loose cannon, and rightly so – but others, like Lestrade, recognize his brilliance, even though his methods are unconventional and he’s oh-so-difficult to stomach, and his limitless potential.

A few notes about some other cast members…Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock’s landlady, is played by actress Una Stubbs. I’m not really familiar with any of her previous work, but the way the show sets up her relationship with Holmes and Watson had me in stitches (“I am not your housekeeper!”). She’s going to be a great member of the core cast, as despite her affection for Sherlock (due to getting her husband put to death on some charge in Florida, LOL), one can see where her unconventional tenants will test the limits of her patience. The villain of this piece is perfectly played by Philip Davis. Davis has appeared in Collision, Doctor Who, Miss Marple, and Bleak House, and really the man seems to excel at playing creeps. I really enjoyed his showdown with Sherlock, it was interesting to see him get under Sherlock’s skin.

The look of this show is just spectacular. I loved everything about the sets and costumes (Benedict can rock a scarf, just sayin’!), to the innovative way the filmmakers let us “see” how Sherlock thinks. The show is fast-paced and thoroughly modern, but very, very true to the spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creations and his writing. And the music – oh my how I loved it! Both David Arnold and Michael Price have credit for the show’s music on the IMDB, and I’ve got to say they did a fantastic job. The music is bright and vibrant, the perfect accompaniment to the action on-screen. There are moments, flourishes in the music that reminded me of Sherlock’s origins in Victorian London. The score is definitely cinematic in scope and an integral part of fleshing out Sherlock’s world as the sets and actors.

I can already tell my biggest problem with this show is that this season is only three episodes long! Needless to say I cannot wait till next week. If you watched this episode, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so bring on the comments! And if you didn’t – well, what are you waiting for? PBS is streaming A Study in Pink online here through December 7th.

There’s so, so many more things I could say about how much I LOVED this show, so many more observations I’ll have to make after subsequent viewings – but I’ll leave it at this. It goes without saying that I would LOVE to discuss this, so comments are MORE than welcome on this post, especially. *g* Sherlock is the crown jewel in what has been a pretty spectacular Masterpiece Mystery season. I can’t wait till next Sunday!

PBS made the fantastic poster image on the left available to fans of their Facebook page for download. You can snag that image here (perhaps make it your Facebook profile picture like I did...just a suggestion!).

Now, any post where I'm discussing the one and only Sherlock Holmes at length just wouldn't be complete without a little nod to the man who started my obsession - the lovely Jeremy Brett.

Sherlock happily contemplating his latest incarnation...

I like to think that if he was still with us, he'd be pleased with Sherlock...

• For another review of A Study in Pink, check out Sherlock! A review of A Study in Pink: PBS Masterpiece Mystery!
• Read Charity's review: Sherlock: A Study in Pink

Sherlock Holmes

Possible spoilers…

I have to confess, I went into the new Sherlock Holmes movie with relatively low expectations. I’m an inveterate Jeremy Brett-IS-Sherlock Holmes fan, so the news that Robert Downey Jr. would be taking on the role was greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism. No one else can seriously compare to Brett in my view, end of story, period, the end. I’d say I was intrigued by the idea of the movie – I like Robert Downey Jr. well enough, and Jude Law is, well, JUDE LAW, but the movie was being directed by Guy Ritchie. I mean the guy married MADONNA for goodness’ sake (that does not gain one points in my book, just sayin’). However, color me shocked on all fronts – I loved this movie. Downey may not be “the” definitive version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, but his take on the iconic character is the most fun and entertaining that I’ve seen in, well, ages. And I loved Law’s take on Watson – refreshingly, here Watson is mind-blowingly competent for once, and the movie gives you a good sense of the Holmes/Watson friendship, particularly the sacrifices Watson had to make in his personal life in order to make that friendship work. Downey and Law have a really wonderful best friends chemistry on-screen, and seeing that friendship play out is a big part of what made the movie so enjoyable for me.

The look of the film is spectacular. I loved every single thing about the way Ritchie presents his darkly foreboding vision of Victorian England. He gives the atmosphere of the movie a real gothic flair. I also loved the costumes – Downey and Law each wear their respective suits really well. And it’s nice to see Sherlock sans the deerstalker hat that’s become such a part of the character thanks to previous films. Here Holmes is a somewhat more bohemian dresser which fits with the character’s somewhat slapdash personal habits from the stories. Mark Strong’s costumes give his character, the villainous Lord Blackwood, a suitably Dracula-like flair. The only real punches of color in the film as regards costumes belong to Holmes’s muse, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). The shocking bursts of color in her costumes represent well, I think, what her character does for Holmes in the film (that is, shakes him up terribly!). Oh, and the Hans Zimmer score is just fantastic - definitely one of my favorites by him, full of cool themes and Holmesian flourishes. Probably my favorite work by Zimmer since the Pirates films.

This version of the Holmes story returns much of the character’s energy to the screen that’s lost or “toned down” in earlier film adaptations (like Basil Rathbone’s take on the character). Brett’s take on Holmes does a good job of balancing the more refined, aristocratic points of the character’s personality with his tendency towards rather manic bursts of energy, particularly in the middle of a chase. This is seen especially in the early Brett films, since as the series progressed the actor’s health grew progressively worse and the effects of those health problems can be seen on-screen. In 2009 much of the gentlemanly veneer Holmes has worn for the past 100 or so years is ripped away, and we get to see all of the character’s energy and brilliance on full display.

Which brings me to Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes – I LOVED every second of his performance. Downey’s Holmes is brilliant, eccentric, energetic, manic, selfish, mannerly, sensitive, and hopelessly inept at personal relationships. He’s extreme in all respects, but in the best possible way. One of the best aspects of how Holmes is portrayed in this movie is that you get to see how the detective thinks. Credit for successfully pulling off this not inconsiderable feat goes to both Downey's acting and Ritchie’s direction. Seeing the way the great detective’s brain views the world is not only fascinating, but it goes a long way towards explaining why he finds “normal” (haha) people so frustrating to deal with (and vice-versa). In addition to the really extraordinarily well-done depiction of Holmes’s mental acuity, this take on the character doesn’t shy away from any of Sherlock’s more sensational habits and skills. We get Holmes the drug addict, the fighter (fist-fighting, plus he’s quite handy with a cane), the amateur scientist, the disguise expert, and the violin aficionado.

Holmes’s ever-present friend and roommate is of course, Dr. Watson, whose film portrayals have ranged from the buffoonish to the competent (but never, ever approaching Holmes’s equal!). Jude Law’s take on Watson ranks as one of my favorites, not because of how it relates (or not) to the source material, but because it gives you such a great sense of the genuineness of the Holmes/Watson friendship. This movie comes at a rather trying time for the long-time residents of 221B Baker Street, since Watson is planning to get married. Of course marriage is going to alter some of Watson’s priorities, and that’s a change that the rather narcissistic Holmes is loathe to accept, which leads to some really funny scenes. I really liked how Law’s Watson is really competent, kind, loyal, and conscientious – he knows he’s not as flashy or quick-witted as Holmes, but he’s also not going to be taken advantage of (not without a fight, anyway!).

When I first saw the previews for Sherlock Holmes, I had somewhat mixed feelings toward the apparent steampunk direction of the storyline. It seemed as though Holmes was going to go all Van Helsing-like in this story, fighting baddies who can apparently raise themselves from the dead. The baddie in question is Lord Blackwood, played by the fantastic, fabulous, oh-my-gosh-his-voice-is-so-amazing-I-could-listen-to-it-all-day Mark Strong. Love him, in case you couldn’t tell. Strong is just terrific in this film – he’s scary, intense, evil, and wickedly smart, all in all a worthy adversary for Holmes. (He’s also gorgeous, weirdly crooked teeth notwithstanding. But that’s neither here nor there.) ;-) To speak to Blackwood’s methods – yes, he’s into all sorts of wonky spiritualism which fits well with the dark, gothic atmosphere of the movie. But the final confrontation at the end of the film neatly brings things back into Holmes’s most beloved area of expertise – that of a case solved through logical, well-ordered, scientific reasoning. I thought it was nicely done, and a touch I didn’t quite expect given the apparent tone of the movie. While I enjoyed the entire film, the concluding scenes are what really sold me on Downey as Holmes.

Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is the one ever-so-slightly missed opportunity in this movie in my book. Adler is such a fascinating character in the Holmes canon. She's the only woman who ever managed to gain the detective's genuine admiration. All other women were only interesting if they brought a fascinating problem Holmes's way, while Adler was the only one whose personality, mind, and capabilities fascinated him. This time around Adler is a little more than an American "adventuress," now she's a spy/thief for hire. When Adler and Holmes meet, sparks fly (I loved the moment when Holmes tries to hide her photo!), and it's clear that in this Holmesian universe the two have a passionate and complicated past. McAdams and Downey have some nice on-screen chemistry, and the characters' reunion raises tons of questions, like how did they meet, why were they separated, etc.? It's such an interesting premise, to place an iconic character like Adler on the wrong side of the law, but I just don't feel like the script did her justice. I wanted more context for her character, but perhaps that will be supplied in the promised sequel. The final scene between McAdams and Downey is very well-played, and I look forward to seeing the relationship develop in Holmes #2.

There's a few minor characters that I simply must mention. Eddie Marsan, last seen in Me and Orson Welles and earlier this year in Little Dorrit, is the perfect Inspector Lestrade to Downey's Holmes. He's Holmes's friend, but he's also enough of a by-the-books policeman to get aggravated with the detective's sometimes unorthodox methods. Kelly Reilly, who also made a brief appearance in Me and Orson Welles, plays Watson's fiancee Mary Morstan. She at first catches absolute hell from Holmes for "stealing" away Watson, but in a refreshing turn of events she very classily rises above this and recognizes not only how much Watson regards Holmes's friendship, but how much the too really need each other. The scene in the hospital was extraordinarly well played. Hans Matheson makes a brief appearance as one of Blackwood's cronies, the aptly named Lord Coward. Matheson is quit good at playing bad guys as he previously appeared as Alec D'Urberville in Tess on Masterpiece Classic earlier this year. James Fox also continues his practice of making a guest appearance in just about everything by playing Blackwood's father, Sir Thomas.

This is a seriously fun movie, was for me anyway. I may go see it again if time and finances permit. And I can not wait for the sequel this movie promises - the introduction of Moriarty (did I let that slip? *wink*) is beautifully done. Can. Not. WAIT. :)