Sherlock Holmes

‘Sherlock Holmes’ is an active-packed thrilling criminal drama, directed by Guy Ritchie.This movie is all about Detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner Watson.They both come together to solve the serial killing mysteries.They are assigned a task to capture a serial killer, Lord Blackwood, who’s also a follower of black magic and is causing havoc all over England.This occult "sorcerer" has already killed five women and is about to kill the sixth victim, any moment.The legendary sleuth, Holmes, manages to capture him, but under some mysterious circumstances, the culprit makes a comeback from his grave and continues his killings.Inspector Lestrade calls Holmes back for his help in the investigation.The Sherlock Holmes video signifies how Holmes starts his investigation and unravels the hidden truths. At last, all clues lead him to a mesh of black magic, murder and deceit.During his exploration, his former lover Irene Adler visits him.Irene has come into Holmes’ life with a secret agenda, which is why he has to save himself from her deadly embrace.

Before I begin to exhume through the layers of another storybook adaptation, I’d like to mention the plight of the so called purists. One cannot imagine their reaction to the release of the new Sherlock Holmes movie. The beleaguered director was bold enough to take up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpiece and its protagonist and reinvent him.

And, this idea has worked magnificently; much to the delight of Guy Ritchie and his cast and crew. He was able to grasp the gist of the genius detective’s mental makeup and reinvented layer upon layer into a man, who could solve crimes and get into bar fights with the same intensity. Thus is born the modern day version of Sherlock Holmes, backed to the hilt by the affable Mr. Watson. In a perfect casting coup, the gangster movie specialist - Guy Ritchie, managed to cast the maverick actor Robert Downey Jr. as the crime-fighting sleuth from 221B Baker Street.

In the role of Dr. John Watson, the suave British actor Jude Law is just amazing. With such a strong cast in place, the onus was entirely on the script and the camera to do its magic. And that is exactly where this movie scores, the hearts of movie-goers would applaud Guy Ritchie and his Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot. Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes is something like a flawed genius. With the panache for solving complex cases easily rivaled by his panache for drinking and getting into brawls, Robert Downey Jr. adds some extra shades.

It gives credibility to the director’s vision of the character. The intelligent, quirky and sometimes maniacal detective is matched by his suave, dapper and a rather curt partner, Dr. Watson, chalk and cheese, the two of them. Jude Law pulls off a credible outing in the movie as Dr. Watson; the cultured and traditional man, whose cool demeanor is the perfect foil to the manic-depressive Holmes. The interpersonal chemistry between Holmes and his ex-flame Irene is pretty evident and between the two of them, there is a very palpable tension, which adds to the somewhat sordid appeal of the movie.

Rachel McAdams is a fine actress, no doubt, but her role of Irene Adler needs more depth, in order to be more convincing. Coming to the plot, this movie sees Holmes and Watson on the verge of moving apart, after arresting the notorious Lord Blackwell. Watson is going to marry Mary Morsten but Blackwell’s ghost resurfaces and thus begins the proverbial cat and mouse chase. The final confrontation scene atop the unfinished Tower Bridge is the cherry on this beautiful, multi-layered cake of mystery and pristine screenplay. And before you say goodbyes, the shadow of the arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty is seen lurking in the background, gracefully curving to one of the most anticipated showdowns in the history of crime-fiction and motion pictures as well.