Holmes is the story on Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) who’s a far cry from what Watson fictionalized him to be. Holmes doesn’t really wear a big woolen hat called a “Deerstalker” or smoke a pipe…he prefers a cigar. Instead his sport is bee-keeping, irony of the sting of old age, the value, of life, especially when haunted by some past mistakes that cost others…well, theirs.
Apparently Holmes was a real man who walked about…his adventures transcribed by Watson, who made him into fabrication. The film is divided into three films, thus a story in a story, inside another story…the main thread being the older Holmes with his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her son (Milo Parker) who is fascinated by the writings of Holmes, often reminding him where he left off in a chapter. Holmes of course, elderly and losing his memory, worried he’ll forget how to end his book or worse, not ever finish it.
There seems to be some puzzle to the story which we hope to piece together, even a subplot on Queen bees and their colonies, that eventually and not-so-neatly ties into a tragedy. Yet, despite an elegant and steady film, rather than connecting the puzzle, the pieces fall to the floor. There’ a clear message about guilt and fabrication, or in other words, ‘white lies’ being acceptable. McKellen’s performance is masterful, wry, charming and tortured. Ripe for the sting of an Oscar nomination. ♕ ♚ ♛