Mr. Holmes (2015), PG, ★★★

Sir Ian McKellan as the retired Sherlock Holmes.

"Elementary, Dear Watson."

Sherlock Holmes is a particularly interesting character to follow because of his intelligence and charm that delights not just readers but also viewers of some of the movies and the show, Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are mixed with me as I enjoyed the first movie for what it is but it became over-stylistic in the sequel. However, the question to the readers is: how would you imagine Sherlock Holmes? Or better yet: what do you think of Sherlock Holmes when he is living like an older adult? As we examine the intimate portrait of Sherlock Holmes himself, even though the result does not reach the greatness of a character study, it is a perfectly fine movie to watch on a rainy afternoon witnessing a charming performance by Sir Ian McKellan.

Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) is a retired 93-year-old man from detective work. He has been living in peace and immortalized by the work of his former partner, John Watson. He lives in a home in Sussex with his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her son, Roger (Milo Parker). Holmes is a returning from a trip from Japan with a jelly jar from an unusual plant to gather with his memories, as he is trying to recollect the details of his last case. Roger takes an interest in Holmes when they both go outside and wants to help to regain the memories from the last case.

Holmes, at one time, is visited by a Dr. Barrie (Roger Allam), who knows that his memory is failing and suggests that he is to be placed at a home, but he refuses. Holmes continues to spend time with Roger as his mother disapproves simultaneously. She is set to take on a new job at a hotel but he does not want to leave Holmes. As he is weakening one day and passes out, Mrs. Munro freaks out and does not want Roger to spend any more time with Holmes. It is going to take a lot of strength and intelligence to balance Holmes's personal life with the case.

A nice subtle friendship with the elderly Holmes. 

This is a nice movie but it does not start a genre to catapult movies that take a memorable character and see what he is up to in the elderly stage of his life. However, it is a subtle piece of memorabilia in which we see an interesting kid and an elderly person have an interesting friendship with one another.  Holmes is a character that has brains that are sort of made of iron but he is challenged with his own personal "Kryptonite". He is starting to decompose and makes him re-think about his remainders of his life and how it will impact the kid and his mother.

Ian McKellen, again, gives a riveting and complex performance to try to solve a mystery with a decaying mind slowly going into the pitfalls. But, he prevents to let his mind slip away into vacuous air. He re-thinks of what was going on in the mystery and also we witness how he gets the jelly jar in the first place. Laura Linney, with not much to do, plays the routine mother that worries about him, her life and her son. Even though she gives a nice performance, it is sort of an uninteresting character.  But, it is Milo Parker who steals the show providing the nuance of a kid who wants to develop a bond with an elderly character as his life is sort of predictable. He and McKellen have wonderful chemistry.

Director Bill Condon is a filmmaker that has an inconsistent filmography raging from Gods and Monsters, who also starred McKellen, to the languid and exhausting Breaking Dawn: Part 1. Part 2 was not as bad as everyone says it is. But, even though the film lacked a more structured narrative between the flashbacks and the present, nevertheless, it is all interesting, the movie needed more sharpness from a few other characters and from the dialogue. But, this is a movie that is pleasant to watch as Sir Ian McKellen create an excellent portrayal of Sherlock and watch him do what he does best. This is a humanized and intimate movie of a character having intellect but with realistic and life-threatening interferences behind him.

***