Sherlock Holmes, a once-famous and successful London detective is retired at age 93. After reading his ex-partner Watson’s publication of their final case, Holmes decides to write one in his own perspective. Holmes sets on a trip to recall the memories regarding the case of a young married woman who died. ‘Mr. Holmes’ hits theaters on Friday, July 17. The film was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Mr. Holmes is a 2015 crime drama mystery film directed by Bill Condon, based on the 2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind written by Mitch Cullin and featuring the character Sherlock Holmes created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film stars Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes, Laura Linney as housekeeper Mrs. Munro and Milo Parker as her son Roger. Set primarily during his retirement, the film follows a 93-year-old Holmes who struggles to recall the details of his final case while his mind begins to deteriorate.
RogerEbert.Com rated the film 2.5/4. IMDb rated the film 7.6/10 based on reviews by 2,868 users. Metacritic gave the film a Metascore of 66 based on reviews by 34 critics. It received 22 positive reviews, 11 mixed reviews, and 1 negative review. Rotten Tomatoes rated the film 85% on its Tomatometer with an average rating of 6.9/19 based on 106 reviews. It received 90 Fresh reviews and 16 Rotten reviews. Its Audience Score is 70% with an average rating of 3.7/5 based on 10,944 user ratings.
‘Mr. Holmes’ stars Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes, Laura Linney as Mrs. Munro, Milo Parker as Roger Munro, Hattie Morahan as Ann Kelmot, Hiroyuki Sanada as Matsuda Umezaki, Patrick Kennedy as Thomas Kelmot, Roger Allam as Dr. Barrie, Phil Davis as Inspector Gilbert, Frances de la Tour as Madame Schirmer, Colin Starkey as Dr. John Watson, Nicholas Rowe as "Matinee Sherlock," Francis Barber as "Matinee Madame Schirmer," and John Sessions as Mycroft Holmes.
The film was directed by Bill Condon and edited by Virginia Katz. The producers of the film are Anne Carey, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman. The screenplay is by Jeffrey Hatcher. The story is based on the novel, A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin. The film features music by Carter Burwell. Cinematography is by Tobias A. Schliessler. The production companies behind the film are Al Film, BBC Films, FilmNation Entertainment, Archer Gray Productions, and See-Saw Films. It was distributed by Miramax and Roadside Attractions.
Laura Linney at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on December 2012.
Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:
“Even those who've read the book can be startled by what happens in Mr. Holmes, while they're being moved by McKellen in a role he's come to late, but with his customary elegance,” wrote Bob Mondello from NPR.
“The best of it, as in Condon's other movies, are the details of emotions, fleeting but just as quickly caught - true concern camouflaged by flashes of impatience, unutterable despair masquerading as simple grief,” wrote Stephen Whitty from Newark Star-Ledger.
“Mr. Holmes adds another version of the beloved character to the Sherlock canon; less a mystery solved than a character explored, fascinating in many small ways thanks to superb work from McKellen,” wrote Linda Barnard from Toronto Star.
“McKellen is masterful, in a multilayered tale that navigates the no man's land between memory and fiction,” wrote John Anderson from Newsday.
“It's a fairly compelling tale, but the intrigue we expect of a Holmes story is conspicuously lacking, even with three different mysteries unfurling onscreen,” wrote Patrick Dunn from Detroit News.
“The film's plots are soft and flimsy, and they don't mesh as gracefully as they might, but they do serve as an adequate trellis for Mr. McKellen's performance, which is gratifyingly but unsurprisingly wonderful,” wrote A.O. Scott from New York Times.
“McKellen is brilliant throughout, his piercing blue eyes revealing the gallantry of youth and the sadness of a life's worth of memories slipping further away,” wrote Miriam Di Nunzio from Chicago Sun-Times.
