Liked it
Film Review of Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows: A Daunting Villain, a Newly Married Couple, Two Shady Ladies, and an Undaunted Detective in Nineteenth-century England
Audiences worldwide admire the derring-do of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s dauntless Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Audiences experience real heartbreak at the duo’s setbacks and real joy at the duo’s successes. As with all cherished events and pivotal happenings, audiences undoubtedly will remember forever who they are with, where and when once they get to the last minutes in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”, director Guy Ritchie’s dramatic, quirky, savvy sequel to “Sherlock Holmes”.
*****
theatrical release poster (Fair Use, via Wikimedia Commons)
*****
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a British-American period action mystery film.
Are anarchists or nationalists detonating bombs in Europe in 1891? Are they acting under conviction or duress? The world’s super-detective solves all despite a super-villain’s brains, brawn and bucks in A Game of Shadows, written by Kieran and Michele Mulroney; produced by Susan Downey, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, and Lionel Wigram; directed by Guy Ritchie. Cinematography, editing, and music were respectively by Philippe Rousselot, James Herbert, and Hans Zimmer.
Based upon The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (1859-1930), the film follows Sherlock Holmes. It runs 125+ minutes. It was released by Warner Bros. on December 16, 2011 and in Blu-ray and DVD on May 14 and June 12, 2012.
The movie begins with Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) abandoning Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) to thugs. She exchanges a package for Dr. Hoffmanstahl’s (Wolf Kahler) letter. Sherlock clears an auction hall and grabs the letter before the package explodes. Sebastian Moran (Paul Anderson) kills Dr. Hoffmanstahl.
Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) berates Irene for losing the letter and loving Holmes. He poisons Irene. Holmes vainly waits elsewhere for Irene.
Holmes accompanies Watson (Jude Law) to a Shush Club stag party. He gives the letter to Gypsy fortune-teller Simza (Noomi Rapace). He leaves with Watson for Watson’s wedding to Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly).
Moriarty brags about killing Irene and planning to murder the Watsons. Holmes catches the Brighton train. He defeats Moriarty’s thugs after pushing Mary into a river, for rescue by Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry).
Holmes and Watson accompany Simza from Paris to Claude Ravache’s (Thierry Neuvic) headquarters. Claude confirms that Moriarty has anarchists planting bombs. Claude kills himself.
Explosions near the Paris Opera kill Alfred Meinhard (Thorston Manderlay). Holmes purloins Moriarty’s diary from Meinhard Munitions. Watson rescues Holmes from Moriarty’s torture chamber.
Simza’s brother Rene (Laurence/Laurentiu Possa) endures surgery to impersonate an ambassador. He fails to kill a peace summit attendee in Switzerland. Moran kills him.
Mary decrypts Moriarty’s diary, from Moriarty’s coded “The Art of Agriculture”. Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) holds Moriarty’s assets. Moriarty imagines Holmes dying because of a torture-wounded right shoulder. Watson observes Holmes and Moriarty falling into the Reichenbach waterfall. But Watson subsequently receives a package with Mycroft’s underwater-breather.
The movie ends with Holmes — camouflaged on an armchair – adding a question mark after “The End” to Watson’s biography.
A Game of Shadows offers audiences compelling performances, impressive filming, and riveting plots.
*****
Copyright: Monday, July 16, 2012, by Derdriu.
*****
*****
Derdriu, Excellent summary of this suspenseful film. I’ve already seen the film and thus find your summary to be accurate, entertaining, and interesting. The duo of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are compelling and wonderfully cast — as well as everyone else in the film — in their quirky roles. It’s so fun to see this dynamic duo through Guy Ritchie’s distinctive lens.
Appreciatively, Stessily
Stessily, The trio of Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Guy Ritchie delivers a win-win film each and every time. Also, I like the addition of Noomi Rapace — who worked so impressively with impressive Michael Nyqvist in the filming of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy — to the cast of this latest fast-paced, idiosyncratic, quirky, savvy film by the one and only Guy Ritchie.
Respectfully, and with many thanks for appreciating the film and liking my review, Derdriu