Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mark Strong, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Genre: Mystery, Adventure
Runtime: 128 min

Released on the first day of Christmas, “Sherlock Holmes” revives the classical story of the famous England detective, in a new and refreshing manner. Although most of us have been expecting a witty movie, filled with Holmesian deductions, the outcome is an explosive battle of minds. So be prepared to be surprised by the dashing plot, to be amused by the witty dialogues and to learn some fighting techniques.

The entire plot is built around a mystery case, in the center of which stands the occult killer Lord Blackwell, who after being caught by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for killing five women, is convicted to death, not until he discloses his dark ambition of ending "the world as you know it” to a logical but uncertain Holmes. The movie has the perfect scene for such a mystery plot: late-Victorian London, found on the verge of industrialization. The Tower Bridge under construction and the giant pillars on the streets confer London that same gray and gloomy atmosphere found in the novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The actors who give life to the legendary characters are: Robert Downey Jr. as the shrewd Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law as the reliable companion Dr. Watson, Mark Strong as the malefic Lord Blackwood and Rachel McAdams as the enchanting Irene Adler. More than surprising, Law and Downey Jr. do a terrific job as the Holmes – Watson couple, their dialogues being an endless source of amusement, mostly to the fact that they bicker as an old married couple. In his short appearances, Mark Strong plays the perfect dark villain, wrapped in a mystery aura. Rachel McAdams, although not stunning, portrays “the (only) woman” who outsmarts Holmes, in a believable and charming manner.

What makes this interpretation of Sherlock Holmes different from others is the way in which director Guy Ritchie envisions the famous detective and the way he makes him act, conferring the movie a more dynamic pace than its predecessors. So 2009 Sherlock Holmes is eccentric - plays violin at three in the morning and conducts experiments on Watson’s dog, uses the laws of physics and anatomy to master a fight, is charming, is a meticulous observer and, most of all, he is an astute reasoner.

If you expect to see a middle-aged Sherlock Holmes smartly dressed and wearing a cape, than this is not the movie for you, but if you want to be surprised by very realistic special effects and by a Sherlock Holmes who has the brains, charms and looks to get out of every situation and to save the day, than you have to see this “Sherlock Holmes” movie.

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