Today is a fine day for me! I managed to do just about every activity which generates fun and laugher within 24 hours! (Apart from sex. Any takers?)
Sherlock Holmes the movie!
Rachel McAdams is hot.
As foreseen, the dialogue is more impressive than what would be expected of an ordinary movie. This is most normal, considering that it is THE FREAKING COOL AND KICK ASS Sherlock Holmes we are talking about here. You may not have noticed, but I am a great fan of the fictional man. I read a great deal of Arthur Conan Doyle when I was a tiny cute young boy. Three years ago. Three Sherlock Holmes novels, a couple of his short stories, and if you would allow me to say this, his best works- the Professor Challenger series.
Yes, I find Professor Challenger more engaging than Sherlock Holmes. So sue my pants off. However, that being said, I do have a great deal of respect for the non existent detective. You might have noted that I stress a great deal on the fact that Sherlock Holmes is fictional. That is not for you but for my hopefully present sanity. Somehow, somewhere at the back of my mind, I regard Sherlock Holmes as a person who once lived. That is what is so amazing about Sherlock Holmes- he is somehow believable despite all his outrageous adventures and uncanny powers of deduction and observation.
However, the movie is what batted this self indulging misconception of mine out of the park. When one reads a book, one conjures a mental image of the character. I assure you my mentally conjured image of Sherlock Holmes looks nothing like Robert Downey Jr. Mine would be much more suave. I read an article on the Wall Street Journal Mobile (Whose subscription I have stopped and application deleted off my Blackberry because of its unfortunate move in attempting to make me pay for use.), an interview of Robert Downey Jr. He mentioned that the Sherlock Holmes he intended to portray was a more violent one and so he did, as can be seen from the film. Well, not that I really give a rat’s ass as to whether the actor and director wishes to add a couple more degrees of violence to the film.
Who I really wish to speak of here, is Dear Watson. I seriously regard Jude Law’s job in the film to have been carried out magnificently, or at least tastefully. I always, always cringe when I hear John Watson being described as (in Now Words) a nerdy, bespectacled doctor. Why, even book covers portray paintings of such a character. I never knew how the idea of such a weak John Watson ever spread, but I do have an inkling as to how this idea was conceived- John Watson was constantly being overshadowed by a smarter, more masculine, more successful colleague. Such an unfair comparison kills the image of the poor doctor. Many disregard the fact that he was an ex soldier and a goddamn ex rugby player. Would YOU dare to fight a bespectacled rugby player? Point made.
In this sense, I find Jude Law highly satisfying in this film. Now back to our main character here. Robert (Yes, we are on first name basis. Robert, if you see this, call me.) is going as strong as ever. You can mob him for turning your Sherlock Holmes into an action hero, but he. Will. Whoop. Your. Ass. He is Iron Holmes. (Sherlock Man first came to my mind, but that’s just wrong.) The best part of all in Robert’s acting in Sherlock Holmes would be his eyes. If you haven’t noticed, grab the DVD and watch his eyes. Just his eyes.
The chemistry between Jude Law and Robert Downy Jr. is better than I would have expected as well. I thought the movie would go through production hell with Robert going, “Hey, I’m the main character. Why is Jude here better looking than me?” Nah. It’s just that the faces of these two simply didn’t seem to look right on the same big screen. But I was wrong, unnaturally. I liken these two’s relationship to The Odd Couple by Neil Simon. It just seems so right it seems wrong.
Guy Ritchie being the director of Sherlock Holmes seemed all wrong at first, especially after watching RocknRolla (Half of it, at least. I watched in in my hotel room in Japan in the middle of the night before changing to Chun Li. Something which I regret and will regret forever) But I changed my mind after the movie. With everything getting all London-y and Guy Ritchie-y you know it’s the right combo.
Oh, and you won’t like the ending. If you do, there’s something wrong with you. Cuz the ending ain’t an ending.
Well, whatever suits your taste. This movie ought not to be taken too seriously, even if it is good stuff. Don’t expect it to be a movie that would be made by a hardcore Sherlock Holmes fan. Heck, the plot isn’t based on any of the books in the first place. Just enjoy it. Oh, and did I mention Rachel McAdams is hot?
Heh. My friend said she saw a lot of homoerotic subtext in the Holmes-Watson relationship (in the film, at least). I'm not sure what I think about it, personally.
ReplyDeleteOh! And it's worth noting that in the Doyle books Sherlock Holmes DID fight a lot and beat the shit out of people, only it wasn't shown on camera, as it were, so the violent aspect of the film isn't far off.