'Mr. Holmes' Review: Ian McKellen Plays an Aged Sherlock in Performance-Showcase Drama

Re-writing the Sherlock Holmes canon has long been a pastime for filmmakers and other storytellers; in fact, the Great Detective’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, even did it himself, undoing a 1893 “fatal” plunge over the Reichenbach Falls in 1901 so there could be more Holmes stories to the benefit of both the public and Doyle’s purse. “Mr. Holmes,” like many other new-school riffs on Sherlock (see also Laurie R. King’s “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” mystery novels), takes place in his later years after his retirement.

Based on Mitch Cullin’s novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind” and adapted by screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher, the film is set in 1947, as England recovers from WWII, and a 93-year-old Holmes (Ian McKellen) lives in retirement in Sussex with both his mind and body failing at the end of a long life. As Holmes’ memory grows more and more uncertain, the best-known detective in the world is faced with solving the greatest final mystery of his career: What’s happening to him, and what’s to be done?

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Director Bill Condon and star McKellen have worked similar terrain in 1998’s “Gods and Monsters,” where McKellen played the real James Whale, director of “Bride of Frankenstein” and other classics. As Holmes, though, McKellen gets to make a meal of his performance — strong and resolute in flashback but feeble and frail in the film’s present day — even as he spins familiar Sherlockian cliches until they’re dizzy. McKellen’s Holmes never wore a deerstalker hat, and as for his infamous pipe? “I prefer a cigar,” he notes with an apologetic shrug.

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There’s a lot of to-do about a 1917 “Last Case” that sent Holmes into retirement, as well as Holmes’ interactions with his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (a harried-but-heartfelt Laura Linney) and her son Roger (Milo Parker), who keeps pumping Holmes for more stories from his colorful past. The film is a mix of detective skullduggery and more dramatic and emotive moments, with only the occasional jump or jolt of disconnection as the film moves between unraveling the long-forgotten case prickling at Holmes’ mind and the here-and-now concerns of his aging body.

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The film leaps locations, time periods, places and styles, whether Holmes is surveying the blackened wasteland left after Hiroshima or sneaking into a theater playing a fictionalized version of his own exploits. Cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler (“The Fifth Estate,” “Hancock”) gives what must have been a small-scale production a big, epic look and feel that still finds space for nuances and smaller moments. Carter Burwell’s score also sets the mood appropriately, with the film’s long, loving shots of the fields, forests and shores of Sussex also aiding the film substantially. Credit is also due casting director Lucy Bevan for finding a supporting cast that includes familiar (but not too-familiar) faces like Frances de la Tour (McKellen’s co-star on TV’s “Vicious”) and Roger Allam in small but key roles.

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Ultimately, “Mr. Holmes” feels a little too interior and small-sized to fit the big screen as fully as one might hope; while every Holmes saga doesn’t need the snappy zip of the BBC’s updating or the boom-and-doom of Guy Ritchie’s Robert Downey, Jr.-led take on the character, the undeniable fact is that there’s a lot of longeurs and pauses in the pacing here that sap some of the energy from the film as it winds its way to the end of the many mysteries Holmes has to either resolve or cope with.

Still, after his recent string of what feels like too many comic-book blockbusters, social-media memes and chat-show appearances, it’s nice to see McKellen in a role that actually demands — and rewards — his acting abilities; “Mr. Holmes” may not be the biggest or boldest recent updating of Sherlock, but McKellen’s performance alone is almost reason enough to see it on the big screen.

19 Books That Scored Better Movie Titles, From 'Cruel Intentions' to 'Die Hard' (Photos)

Who says Hollywood ruins books? Sometimes the movie title improves on the original.
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"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)

The classic film about how angels get their wings is based on a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern called "The Greatest Gift." What was first a self-published booklet turned into one of the most beloved films ever, and earned five Oscar nominations.
Various
"Cape Fear" (1962, 1991)

Joseph D. MacDonald's "The Executioners" has had two big screen adaptations -- one in 1962 starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, and one in 1991 from Martin Scorsese. In both bases they went with the title "Cape Fear."
Various
"Dr. Strangelove" (1964)

It took Stanley Kubrick a while to settle on a title for his take of Peter George's satirical novel "Red Alert." He ended up with one of the most unique titles in film history: "Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
Various
"Apocalypse Now" (1979)

Many filmmakers attempted to bring Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to the big screen, but it wasn't until Francis Ford Coppola set it in Vietnam and renamed it "Apocalypse Now" that the narrative finally got a successful adaptation.
Various
"Blade Runner" (1982)

Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" left some people scratching their heads, but Philip K. Dick's short story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?" -- on which it is based -- would probably have just added to any confusion.
Various
"Manhunter" (1986)

Hannibal Lecter had his big screen debut before "The Silence of the Lambs." Thomas Harris' first novel, "Red Dragon," was directed by Michael Mann and retitled "Manhunter." Brian Cox played Lecter.
Various
"Stand By Me" (1986)

Stephen King is best known for his horror/thriller stories, but with a different tone than most of his work, "The Body" was changed to "Stand by Me" in an attempt to reflect that.
Various
"Die Hard" (1988)

The team behind "Die Hard" changed more than just the title of Roderick Thorp's "Nothing Lasts Forever." John McLane was originally Joe Leland, Hans Gruber's name was Anton, and it was McLane's daughter office he got stuck in, not his wife's.
Various
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988)

The source material for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" had a darker tone than the eventual film. "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" saw Roger Rabbit murdered, and his ghost hires private eye Eddie Valiant to find his killer.
Various
"Field of Dreams" (1989)

Nearly 70 years after Shoeless Joe Jackson's baseball career ended, most people probably wouldn't recognize the name, the take on W.P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe" was renamed "Field of Dreams."
Various
"Goodfellas" (1990)

Nicholas Pileggi's true-crime book "Wiseguys" was renamed by director Martin Scorsese. However, the nickname of "wiseguys" is mentioned in the final film.
Various
"10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

Based on William Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," the adaptation starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger brought things to the present day and gave it a more timely title, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Various
"Cruel Intentions" (1999)

Choderlos de Laclos' "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" got a direct adaptation in 1988, but was given a modern spin with "Cruel Intentions," which starred Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon.
Various
"The 13th Warrior" (1999)

"Eaters of the Dead" was the original title for John McTiernan's adaptation, but author Michael Crichton supposedly was so disappointed with the film they changed the name.
Various
"O Brother, Where Are Thou?" (2000)

This very loose adaptation of Greek poet Homer's "The Odyssey" from the Coen brothers changed many details to fit their trademark style, including the title to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Various
"Adaptation" (2002)

Coming from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, changing the title of "The Orchid Thief" to "Adaptation" was tame. Rather than telling the story of an author's search for a rare flower, Kaufman instead told the story of his struggles to adapt "The Orchid Thief."
Various
"There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Upton Sinclair's 1920s novel "Oil" served as loose inspiration for 2007's "There Will Be Blood," a much more dramatic title for the oil tycoon story.
Various
"Slumdog Millionaire" (2008)

The rags-to-riches tale that gave Dev Patel his start was inspired by the novel "Q&A" by Vikas Swarup in 2005. "Slumdog Millionaire" went on to win eight Oscars including Best Picture.
Various
"Carol" (2015)

The 1952 romance novel by Patricia Highsmith was later published under the title "Carol," which is the title of T0dd Haynes' Oscar-nominated 2015 movie.
Various