"Rendezvous"

This is obviously the best commercial of all time. I don't see it being surpassed, in my lifetime at any rate! :)

John Carter

Yesterday afternoon I went to see John Carter. I'm a sucker for big sci-fi epics, and was quite curious as to what this film was about, exactly, because I thought Disney did such a crap job marketing it. Seriously, the studio trailers told you nothing of substance which is a real shame because not only was the movie pretty good, but apparently this property is arguably the grandfather of modern science fiction (the Edgar Rice Burroughs series of Mars novels first appeared in 1912) -- and I can't be the only massive Star Wars fan that had never heard of this, right? The shoddy marketing campaign for this film -- inexplicably refusing to capitalize on the story's place in the canon of classic science fiction -- makes absolutely no sense. And I have to think that is where a large portion, if not most, of the blame lies for the movie's poor performance at the box office. Because John Carter was a pretty entertaining flick, which surprised me after the ho-hum promotional push.

All of that said, I'm not going to be able to resist making this review a little tongue-in-cheek, as I found some of the spectacle rather humorous. But I don't view that as a detraction -- it reinforced by overal favorable impression of the film as being fun...because after all I don't watch as many films as I do to think (all of the time, anyways, ha!).

As the movie opens it introduces us to a Mars that is apparently a wasteland, with only two proper cities on the entire planet. The first is led by some guy named Sab Than who looks remarkably like Dominic West (ha!), which led to my first "what the heck is doing in this movie?!" moment. Now for some inexplicable reason West has always rather creeped me out, which served him well in this role as Sab Than is CRAZY and power-mad. So Sab Than is picked to possess the magic blue electric energy weapon (seriously I have no clue what it was called) by the lead bald guy in a fluffy silver-blue robe called Matai Shang (Mark Strong). And this is the point where I start to bemoan Strong's career choices yet again, since this is a new version of the same villain he's played in at least seven films since 2007. Mark, you ARE BETTER THAN THIS! *sigh* Apparently Matai's character is something called a "Thern," which is some sort of legendary group that likes to go around facilitating the destruction of worlds (boo on them!).

So there you have the Mars (I just can't call Mars "Barsoom," sorry Burroughs) set-up, now cut to America where we meet John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is being followed by vacant-eyed men in suits and then ends up DEAD (or DOES HE??) after summoning his favorite nephew, Edgar Burroughs (Daryl Sabara, Spy Kids!), who turns out to be his heir. Edgar or Ned, as his uncle likes to call him, is given John's SUPER SECRET DIARY and this is where things start to get interesting. Carter was a Civil War veteran, very much a man without a country or cause because DANG IT, he's been burned by the world and his wife & kid are dead and WHY SHOULD HE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE ANYMORE?! (Side note: the Ned scenes in New York have something of a steam punk vibe to them after seeing the Martian technology...nice contrast.) Anyways, to make a long story short, John ends up in a cave full of gold which turns out to be some sort of alien way-station, because he kills one of those Thern peeps and then accidentally uses the pretty medallion the bald guy was carrying to transport himself to Mars.

Now I'm going to cut John a little bit of slack here, because when he is transported to Mars (only it takes him quite a while to realize he's on another friggin' PLANET...the four-armed green people weren't a big enough clue), he acquires the awesome super power of being able to LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND. Wait...there are only two cities...scratch the tall buildings part. *wink* (In 1912 fantastic leaping may have been cutting edge, who am I to judge?) So he hooks up with Tharks (the aforementioned four-armed green aliens), whose king Tars Tarkas (voiced by Willem Defoe) takes a liking to him, sort of as in the vein of a royal pet (that doesn't go over well). Now there is all sorts of clan in-fighting as Tars is faced with insurrection, and that's on top of family issues as his unacknowledged daughter Sola (voiced by Samantha Morton) is a clan outcast for holding radical views like NICENESS.

So John jumps around a lot, makes friends with with the giant bobble-headed dog-like creature (who is hilarious, and surprisingly useful), and then he meets Dejah (Lynn Collins), the warrior/professor-type princess of Helium, the "other" city that has been trying to holdout against Sab-Dominic-West-Than, and SPARKS FLY! But before I can talk about SPARKS, I should probably mention that Dejah's father Tardos Mor (Ciaran Hinds -- really! it's hilarious!) wants to marry her off to Sabs, because he is dopey enough to buy into the idea that an arranged marriage will buy lasting peace. Tardos is followed around by Kantos Kan, who is none other than James Purefoy! My reaction: 1) James what the HECK are you doing in this movie? 2) Why isn't this movie ABOUT you? 3) Thank goodness he gets one scene where he can be adorably snarky as ONLY PUREFOY CAN.

Look! It's a Purefoy!

Back to SPARKS. I really liked Kitsch and Collins on-screen. Kitsch was an interesting factor...there's something about him that holds me back from being completely over-the-moon for him, but his voice -- gah!!! There are moments when it takes on this wonderful gravelly quality and I MELTED. And I liked this touch of gentleman-like charm Kitsch actually manages to convey occasionally...helped keep Carter somewhat grounded as a 19th-century hero. He even goes for the angst factor, which comes up during his transformation into a Martian hero, and while it isn't the best on-screen angst I've seen it certainly isn't the worst. One has to give Kitsh credit, he really seemed to throw himself whole-heartedly into this project. As for Dejah -- while I can't speak to how Collins's interpretation compares to the source material, she is very much in the vein of Princess Leia -- smart, sassy, and capable (and occasionally sporting a completely ridiculous wardrobe!).

Dejah is of course the impetus for Carter to START CARING ABOUT PEOPLE AGAIN...I mean MARTIANS...and DO something with his life, all in the best heroic journey/science fiction/adventure story tradition. I really liked the world-building here -- Mars is appropriately bleak and desolate, with pops of color in its cities and the inhabitants' clothing. I even rather liked the green Thark aliens. :) The costumes were this interesting hybrid of minimalist futuristic and ancient Roman soldier garb, which was rather interesting because because it was unexpected (Purefoy as an alien/Roman soldier? Yes, I'll take it.). Two of the three writers have Pixar work in their history, which perhaps explains the well-paced action and the overall feeling of energy that pervades the film. Yes, it has its cheesy moments, but at least it has fun with them. :) And I loved Michael Giacchino's score -- big, sweeping, at times romantic -- it was grand.

John Carter clocks in at a little over two hours, but director Andrew Stanton keeps the action moving at a brisk pace so there were no apparent lags in the forward momentum, for me at any rate. Knowing next to nothing about the specifics of the storyline, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained. It is unfortunate that those with no knowledge of the film's antecedents are probably going to feel like it is derivative (no thanks to the WORTHLESS MARKETING), but just knowing that this series of stories inspired countless writers and films made me appreciate Burroughs's influence in a way I'd never bothered to think of before. And the end of the film was absolute PERFECTION for a romantic sap like me. :) SPOILERS: Knowing that Carter spent over ten years desperately search for a way to return to Mars and his ONE TRUE LOVE just killed me. Kitsch sold me on Carter's single-minded quest. Gotta love a man who doesn't let a little thing like love separated by time and space hold him bac. *wink* All told, a lot more fun than I ever expected. :)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy trailer

I'd heard some buzz about the upcoming film adaptation of John le Carre's novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but hadn't really looked into the film until news broke that the teaser trailer was released today. Take a look:



Suddenly I'm very interested in this film. :) Cold War spies? Yes please!

The cast is amazing - Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Benedict Cumberbatch and Laura Carmichael, just to name a few.

Has anyone read the book? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Robin Hood

Random observation: I rather feel like the same people who designed the above poster also worked on this one...what do you think?

When I first heard that Ridley Scott was making a Robin Hood film, I was incredibly excited - especially when I heard that it would be somewhat similar - perhaps an unofficial sequel - to Kingdom of Heaven, which is my favorite Scott film. (Please, if you've never seen the director's cut of Kingdom, do so asap!) And then this teaser trailer came out, and my interest in the movie nose-dived. That has to be one of the worst teasers ever cobbled together for a major film. Thankfully for this movie I stumbled upon a much, much better trailer back in April when I was putting together this post - and my interest in the movie revived. :)

This is most definitley not your traditional Robin Hood story. It's a dark, intense origin story where Scott has attempted to place the character of Robin Hood in a very real historical context. Though not a true sequel to Kingdom of Heaven, it makes an excellent companion film (sort of the "homefront" to Kingdom's Crusade-set action). The film opens with Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston) leading his weary army back home to England, sacking French castles on the way. If you're expecting a traditional Robin Hood storyline, Scott dispatches that notion pretty quickly as Richard kicks the proverbial bucket and dies enroute. Robin (Russell Crowe) and his men (Little John - Kevin Durand, Will Scarlet - Scott Grimes, and Allan A'Dayle - Alan Doyle) are lowly archers and men-at-arms in Richard's army. With the king dead, the four decide to strike out for home. But their plans change when the come upon Richard's loyal lieutenant, Sir Robert Loxley (Douglas Hodge - almost didn't recognize him, he played Dr. Tertius Lydgate in Middlemarch), tasked with returning Richard's crown to England. Loxley and his men were ambushed and massacred, and he tasks a reluctant Robin with returning his sword to his father, Sir Walter Loxley (Max von Sydow) in - wait for it - Nottingham. :) Robin & company assume the identity of knights in order to make their way home easier - and of course Robin assumes Loxley's identity.

I'm going to stop with the story recap here (that's probably enough of an introduction, anyway) and delve into the characters and acting for a while. I'll save Robin and Marion for last. :) Back in England Richard left behind a very selfish, immature younger brother - John, played by Oscar Isaac - with serious mommy issues. Eleanor of Acquitaine is played superbly by Eileen Atkins. She's regal and powerful and has a wonderful screen presence - an unexpected jewel of a performance. John is, of course, a disaster in the making, and as soon as the crown settles on his head he goes full steam ahead with his plans to tax, tax, tax. Isaac's performance is interesting and makes you wonder how John would've turned out if he hadn't grown up knowing he was viewed as so obviously the lesser brother. William Hurt makes an interesting appearance as the loyal William Marshal, pushed aside by John for disagreeing with his taxation schemes. Marshal is a rather interesting "bridge" character - thorughly loyal to the crown, he also has a very realistic view of the crown's shortcomings when dealing with its subjects.

It's absolutely tragic that this is the only picture I could find of Mark Strong in character as the villainous Godfrey. It really doesn't do the man justice, just so you know. As I discussed with Lori and then some other friends on Facebook, if this movie couldn't feature Richard Armitage as Sir Guy, there's no one I'd rather see stand in the role of Robin's nemesis than Mark Strong. Ever since appearing as Septimus in Stardust, Strong has become the go-to guy to play villains and you can't turn around without seeing him in a new project - Sir John Conroy in The Young Victoria, Lord Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes, and now upcoming appearances in new sci-fi franchises like the Green Lantern. While he makes a habit of playing evil, morally repulsive characters, can we just take a moment to appreciate this:

The man is gorgeous, no? Look at those soulful eyes. *swoon* Give me a second to scrape myself off the floor and we'll get back to the point of this post....okay, yeah, Godfrey. Excellent villain. Strong quite simply owns the screen every time he appears. Intense, magnetic, evil, and brilliant, Godfrey is a worthy villain in the tradition of all on-screen Gisbornes.

While Strong delivers in spades, I have to admit to being disappointed in Matthew Macfadyen's appearance as the Sheriff. Now I have a long history of loving Matthew's screen appearances (click to read my reviews of his performance in Little Dorrit), but in Robin Hood he appears nearly unrecognizable (the hair was gross people, I just need to say it) and for maybe, maybe all of about five minutes of screentime. REALLY?! It was a bit disappointing to say the least. However, I have got to give Matthew credit for giving this largely thankless role a slyly comic turn. In fact, if Ridley Scott ever decided to make a sequel - and frankly, the end of this movie begs for one - I think Matthew's take on the iconic Sheriff of Nottingham role would be a highlight.

Last but certainly not least, this brings us to Robin and Marion (Cate Blanchett). I had serious reservations about Crowe and Blanchett's casting in such iconic roles, but both performances blew me away. I've always been rather ambivalent about Russell Crowe - while I think he's inarguably talented, and I've enjoyed his performances in movies like Master and Commander, I've never been nuts about him like so many people I know. And I've never, EVER gotten the whole Crowe-is-a-dreamy-heartthrob thing until this movie. Oh my word. Excellent job playing the whole strong, man of few words, incredibly charismatic and intelligent type. Wowzers. :) I will say that I thought Robin's backstory and connection to Sir Walter was just a little too convenient, but all things considered it worked.

Here Robin's lady is no maid, rather the widow of Sir Robert Loxley. Married as a self-described "old maid" for only a week before Robert left for the Crusades, Marion has spent ten years trying to keep her father-in-law's estate going, which is a largely thankless job in the face of crippling taxes and thievery from what I'm going to call the "Lost Boys of Sherwood Forest." Like Marian in the lately lamented Robin Hood television show, Blanchett's Marion is a fighter, but infinitely more mature and seasoned by circumstances. I really loved Blanchett's portrayal of Marion, though I do think her fight scene at the end of the film was rather poorly thought out and generally unnecessary (though it did allow Crowe and Blanchett to enact their own version of the famous water kiss in From Here to Eternity, LOL!). Oh, and before I forget, the "Lost Boys" really, REALLY needed to be explained better. Their appearances felt rather random.

I wasn't expecting such a strong romance to develop in this movie. After all, it is a Ridley Scott film, chock-full of the requisite battle scenes and political intrigue. But Crowe and Blanchett have some crazy on-screen chemistry that I never expected to see and it works really, really well. When one brings together two actors of that caliber sparks are bound to fly, right? :) This film gives us the most mature, grounded, real Robin and Marion love story that I think I've ever seen brought to life. The relationship between these two characters grows as much or more with a look than dialogue, and I just loved that. Watching the two of them get to know each other and appreciate each other's character and strengths is absolutely wonderful to see, and the way Crowe looks at Blanchett can steal your breath - he's so. freaking. HOT. in those scenes.

I love Scott's ability to bring this time period to life. It's gritty and violent (though in keeping with the film's PG-13 rating miraculously bloodless), but there's a wild beauty to the scenery that you just want to lose yourself in. I also thought Marc Streitenfeld did a good job with the score - prior to this, I am not familiar with his work. Ridley Scott and company have crafted a fascinating exploration of Robin Hood's origins, but the last five minutes or so of the film will, if you're like me, leave you desperate for a sequel. That's when the storyline heads into more traditional Robin Hood territory. Given how Ridley Scott has set up this world, and the life Crowe and Blanchett have brought to the iconic Robin and Marion roles, I would love to see how this team would continue their version of the Robin Hood legends. After all, King John has to see sense and sign that pesky Magna Carta... ;-)

Upcoming movies edition, part two

I figure it's been a couple of months since I've spotlighted upcoming films I'm interested in seeing in theaters, so another trailers post is long overdue. :)

First up is The Back-up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin (YUMMY!! Sorry, had to get that out of my system...). I don't mind Lopez in the right movie (she stars in one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies after all, The Wedding Planner), but O'Loughlin - love him. It's all that stupid show Moonlight's fault. This one opens tomorrow.



Coming 5/7 is Iron Man 2, and this one I cannot wait to see people! I love me some Robert Downey Jr. Enough said. :)



The following week brings two very different movies I'm interested in seeing. First up is Robin Hood - now, I was just telling my friend Kaye the other day that I wasn't all that excited about this movie for some reason, but that was before I just discovered this trailer online. Russell Crowe, Matthew Macfadyen, Cate Blanchett, AND Mark Strong?! Now I have to say I'm excited... :)



I posted the trailer for Letters to Juliet a couple of months ago, but I'm so excited about this movie I think it's worth sharing again. It's opening opposite Robin Hood and I'm pretty sure it will get clobbered at the box office opposite a Ridley Scott pic but doesn't it look amazing?! It just doesn't get any classier than Vanessa Redgrave, does it? And oh my do I love Christopher Egan. :) Can't wait!



And finally, and I have to admit I feel a little silly admitting I want to see this, we have Prince of Persia: Sands of Time opening the last Friday in May. Not only does it have a ridiculously long, Pirates of the Caribbean-esque name, but Jake Gyllenhaal plays the title character and never fails to crack me up when I see this preview. This movie also features Brit Gemma Arterton, who has appeared in Lost in Austen, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Quantum of Solace (as the rather unfortunately named Strawberry Fields, LOL).



Well, since that takes us through the end of May I think that's enough movie excitement for this installment... :)

The Young Victoria

I have been waiting probably about a year to see The Young Victoria. It finally opened around here on Christmas Day, and I went to see it with two friends on New Year's Eve. It was well worth the wait. It's costume drama and spectacle at its finest. :) When I was in college I went through this phase where I was really interested in Victoria and Albert. This was most likely spurred by the broadcast of the Victoria & Albert miniseries in 2001. That miniseries is a much more comprehensive look at Victoria's reign, and stars the aptly named Victoria Hamilton as the Queen (she's appeared in everything from Pride and Prejudice as Mrs. Forster to Lark Rise to Candleford) and Jonathan Firth (brother of Colin Firth!) as Prince Albert. However, for a shorter but equally enthralling glimpse at the early years of Victoria's reign, The Young Victoria can't be beat. :)

Emily Blunt gives, I think, one of the best performances of her relatively short career, transitioning easily from the teenage princess to young monarch and bride. Not being too far removed from the actual age Victoria was at the various points depicted in the film probably helped, too. Blunt is by turns spunky, vulnerable, and perfectly regal. Victoria's childhood is really incomprehensible to view, by today's standards or any other, really. Coddled in the extreme and sheltered from all outside influences by her mother the Duchess of Kent (played here by Miranda Richardson) and her mother's confident/probable lover Sir John Conroy (played by the delish Mark Strong *wink*), Victoria was raised in a bubble and it's really quite a testament to her character that she turned out as well as she did IMO. As the only heir of her uncle, William (wonderfully played here by the talented Jim Broadbent), Conroy and her mother made numerous futile attempts to get Victoria to sign papers authorizing a regency should the king die before she comes of age. Thankfully, the young princess withstood the tremendous pressure being brought to bear against her. I've got to say, the role of Conroy is probably the most distasteful bad guys I've seen my beloved Mark Strong play. The man is presented as so utterly amoral, so politically calculating and cold-hearted, the scenes showing his attempts to manipulate Victoria are rather chilling.

Rupert Friend's performance as Prince Albert was probably the surprise of the movie for me. I didn't know the guy had it in him, acting-wise. (Anyone think he's a dead ringer for Orlando Bloom?) He first gained notice in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice where he played Wickham. I have to confess, I placed him in a pretty-face-but-no-substance acting "box," and goodness I was wrong. The man has some serious potential. He and Blunt have terrific on-screen chemistry, which certainly helps and is needed when portraying a classic love story like Victoria & Albert's. This film drove home the point once again what a miracle, really, their love story was considering the restrictions and manuevering that their lives endured. The were pawns in the chess game of European politics, and there's a great little scene in this film that takes place shortly after Victoria and Albert first meet, where he urges her to find a husband who will play the politics game with her. And indeed that's what the pair of them did eventually - joined forces, mastered the rules of the game, and became formidable players in English and European politics.

Besides Mark Strong, another old favorite of mine makes a fantastic appearance in this movie - Paul Bettany does a fantastic job playing Lord Melbourne, Victoria's first prime minister. Melbourne was apparently quite a character, obviously adept at manipulating people in order to see his ends met. It's interesting to see how this works negatively when a young and very loyal Queen Victoria refuses to accept new election results that see Melbourne thrown from power. This leads to the first really tumultuous period of her reign when she falls drastically out of favor with the British people. It's a harsh lesson, and her subsequent marriage to Albert sees his influence helping her learn to better walk a political tightrope. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Albert confronts Melbourne about his rather condescending attitude towards him - not only is it historically interesting, but it's a very well-played moment between Friend and Bettany (the former really holding his own against the latter). This is followed by one of Bettany's strongest scenes in the film, when he admits that Albert could prove to be a valuable ally and partner in Victoria's reign. For a character like Melbourne, such a moment was humbling I'm sure, and Bettany played the scene really, really well.

The Young Victoria is sure to be a lock come Oscar nomination time for costumes and set design. Every little thing about the movie just looks spectacular, it's a positive visual feast for the eyes. Speaking of feasts, the banquet scene early in the film celebrating King William's birthday is an amazing spectacle. The richness and opulence in that scene alone is mind-blowing, even more so when you think of the traditions and discipline and planning that would have gone into such an event. I've also got to give a nod to the gorgeous score by composer Ilan Eshkeri. He's responsible for Stardust, one of my favorite film scores. And while TYV doesn't have quite the unique themes and flourishes appropriate to a fantasy film, it's a beautiful work nonetheless.

This is a movie that definitely leaves you wanting more - more story, more of Victoria and Albert's lives. I love their love story, and this movie more than delivers beautiful, heart-stopping look at the beginning of their legendary love affair. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend both come out of this movie winners, delivering strong, memorable performances. This is particularly the case for Friend - Albert was, I think, really a Renaissance man, and a man of character and deeply held moral convictions. In many ways he is responsible for the advancements for which the Victorian Age is known. For Friend to be able to portray that in such a compelling way speaks well of his talent and acting future. Oh, this reminds me - another of my favorite moments in the movie is when we get to see Albert ever-so-gently engineering a tentative reconciliation between Victoria and her mother. Really, after the way she's treated by her mother it would be easy to understand if Victoria never wanted to see her again. But this effort on Albert's part, and seeing Victoria and her mother come to terms with each other is quite well done and moving. It was a powerful reminder to me of how much easier it is to hold on to grudges and wrongs, but the strength it can take to just come to terms with the past is another thing entirely.

Two books I highly recommend if you're interested in learning more about Victoria and her family are Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold M. Packard and Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey. Packard's book is especially interesting because you get a look at how Victoria engineered her children's marriages and gained the moniker "Grandmother of Europe." For someone who so resented being a manipulated "chess piece" in political dealings, she and Albert apparently had no qualms about doing the same thing to their children, sometimes with quite tragic results. It's a fascinating book.

The Young Victoria is a wonderful film, beautifully executed on all levels, and well worth seeing whether you're interested in the history or just in the mood for a great love story. :)

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. :)

Sherlock Holmes

Okay, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this...this movie still scares me just a little. But I do have a couple of observations to make:

1. Mark Strong is the villain!
2. Jude Law is Watson (WEIRD casting IMO, but the moment where Watson complains about Holmes being a slob was HILARIOUS).
3. Eddie Marsan is Inspector Lestrade! This is GENIUS! (In case you missed my previous blogs - LOL - Marsan was the fantastically quirky Pancks in Little Dorrit.)
4. Robert Downey Jr. just because he's RDJ (I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he's playing Holmes).
5. MARK STRONG IS IN THIS MOVIE (did I already mention that?)!!

Edit: Video removed from YouTube, post updated 8/18/11.