Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sherlock Holmes - movie

Finally watched the movie Sherlock Holmes after two years. The movie was something I wanted to watch for a very long time and couldn't do it till last weekend. I have always been a big fan of Doyle's Holmes series from my college days, thanks to my friend Koi. The movie was really impressive, one for its plot and second, the portrayal of 1890s London was really awesome and excellent, it did really transport the viewer to that era. The aura around Moriarty was maintained till the end and was a nice build up towards the upcoming sequel. The sequence involving Holmes, Watson and Watson's fiancee was well executed and of course a tribute Doyle's writing to involve wit in every possible situation.

There were certain situations in the movie, which in my opinion were not Doyle like and more cinematic, like Holmes trying to be more comical for no reason. Nowhere in the novels/short stories is Holmes ever made to look silly, he has always been a man of reason behind every action of his. I also missed the exchanges between Holmes and Watson where Holmes would make Watson do the deduction and then confront him with the missing facts, these situations were really something everyone looks forward to in the short stories. Also, the prominence given to Irene Adler as Holmes's love interest is also something I didn't like, as it is not loyal to the story line and also the character of Holmes. But these were minor quirks considering the fact that watching Sherlock Holmes on the big screen was exciting enough to ignore these fallacies.

Another major boost the movie was in the form of background score from Hans Zimmer. The usage of violin in those scores really underlines the fact how much a violin can convey the sombre mood more than any other instrument, but again I am just a ignorant music listening novice. The music was really an integral part in making the movie an excellent watch and once again proves what a great composer we have in the form of Hans Zimmer.

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