Mr. Holmes

This movie is based off of the book "A Slight Trick of the Mind" by Mitch Cullin.

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What It's About:

Sherlock Holmes (that's Mr. Holmes to you)  retired from his crime solving ways thirty years ago and has settled down in a nice cottage with his housekeeper and her son. Yet when Holmes starts to lose his greatest treasure, the powers of his memory, his becomes obsessed with remembering the details of his final case. This case, which pushed him to retire, must not have had the happy ending that Dr. Watson chronicled...if only he could remember. With the trials of old age and the help of a boy, Mr. Holmes works to solve his most important case yet.

Why You'll Love It:

• It's a sweet story overall. It is predominantly regarding Holmes' fondness for a boy with a keen mind, as well as his bees. It is more of a character study and look at the reality of humanity and aging, and that even an "untouchable" character like Holmes is not immune to these things.
• If you're looking for a film with a little bit of mystery but without a complicated plot that you have to intently follow, then this is a good one for you. It contains elements of mystery, but doesn't feel like a mystery film.
• Sir Ian McKellen, Hattie Morahan and Laura Linney are great in their roles as usual. McKellen pulled off the demeanor and characteristics very well and was enjoyable to watch.
• The costuming and makeup is subtle, but well done. At each moment you know what is going on and what time period, but you don't sit there going "this is the elderly version of Mr. Homes," which is great.

Why You Might Want To Skip It:

• It doesn't have the fast pace and quick wit of the other contemporary versions of Sherlock Holmes. So, if you are highly attached to versions such as Guy Ritchie's films (ft. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law) or the BBC show (ft. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) rather than the books, then you are likely to find this slow.
• There is minimal mention of Holmes' relationship with Watson, and what little is mentioned is mostly of a negative nature.
• If you have strong opinions about the character of Sherlock, you may find aspects of the aging character difficult. Although Sir Ian McKellen is good in his role, I'm not sure I'm 100% sold on him being Sherlock Holmes. This however is based on my personal perception of the character, and is no real fault of his own.
• It's not the clearest who the target audience is for this movie. Although partially marketed by as a mystery film, it is more of a character study than anything else. It feels like it is masquerading under the "mystery" label in order to appeal to a larger audience.

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There's nothing particularly wrong with this movie, and I didn't dislike it...but I didn't really enjoy it either. It just felt like something was missing the whole time and that I was watching it to pass time. Decent movie to watch when it's on TV or to rent for an evening.