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Jul 16, 2015 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

In the years following the end of WWII, the Great Detective (Ian McKellen) has retired from solving mysteries to raise bees on an English farmstead. As his health fades, his housekeeper (Laura Linney) becomes his reluctant caretaker and, in turn, old Sherlock Holmes becomes a role model for her young boy. There’s one task Holmes desires to complete before passing on: to write a memoir that dispels the inaccuracies portrayed about him in the popular tales—such as the deerskin cap and pipe-smoking—and lays out the facts of his final case, but he’s unable to remember the details.

Fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories will undoubtedly relish in the way Bill Condon’s film—adapted from a 2005 novel—plays with canon. Non-aficionados may be disappointed with the dearth of actual mysteries. Save for one near the film’s end, the cases in Mr. Holmes aren’t so much solved as their solutions are simply remembered. (The little boy seems to stick around only for the purpose of jogging Holmes’ memory.) McKellen and Linney are consummate performers, and the framework is unique; however, there’s a feeling that much more could have been done with the premise.

www.mrholmesfilm.com

Author rating: 5.5/10