The story is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and rising detective son. But then he finds himself haunted by an unsolved 30-year old case. Holmes memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife. Written by

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Jennifer Lynx from United States
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When I first heard that Ian McKellen landed the role of Sherlock Holmes in a film about the end of the great detective's life, I knew he would be perfect for the part, and indeed, he was. "Mr. Holmes" (2015), based on a novel by Mitch Cullin called "A Slight Trick of the Mind", is a delightful film, full of humor and sadness as Mr. Holmes revisits his last case, and finds his memory isn't quite what it used to be. He has retired to his cottage by the sea and taken up his well known hobby of beekeeping or apiculture. With him are his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her son, Roger (Milo Parker), a precocious young boy. The on screen dynamic between these three is astonishing. More is conveyed in one glance than could be said in lines of dialog.

The sets were detailed with precision, the scenery was vibrant and gorgeous (except one scene which was perfectly moody and dark), and the cinematography was stunning. The score was perfectly understated and captured the sentiment of the scenes with finesse.

"Mr. Holmes" is a very different kind of Sherlock Holmes story. It is sentimental without being saccharine and I believe it is a fair representation of the greatest detective in fictional history. The movie is set to be released in Great Britain on June 19 and in the U.S. on July 17. I recommend it highly.

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apstylianou
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Let's get to the point, Mr. Holmes is a huge cinema achievement with such ambition and its so good to see Sir Ian McKellen steal the show in his fantastic pitch-perfect portrayal of the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Ian McKellen played the role so perfectly, to me, he reaches the same level as the greats like Basil Rathbone and Benedict Cumberbatch and he should be getting an Oscar buzz for this brilliant performance. Yes, I really think its that good.

The characters also had deep and complex personalities and they were all well developed that you get to care about them and think about them often throughout the story. There is also a tone of drama, emotion and humour that also really works altogether for the film, the other actors did a great job too and for those reasons, this is one film to buy a ticket for a seat to sit down with your popcorn, drink and snacks and watch with interest.

This is a film that will please Sherlock Holmes fans everywhere, as it did me.

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conan-2 from Sydney, Australia
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Ian McKellen plays Sherlock Holmes as a 60 yo and a 93 yo. Both are excellent as without layers of makeup he gets the physicality of both roles perfect.

This movie is all about Ian McKellen and his acting ability... and it is a masterclass. Laura Linney is fine in this very small cast, though I question whether she was right for the role. Too upright and groomed for a middle aged war widow. Not her fault, but she was meant to be the foil for the son who is bright and full of potential and she is offering to bring him to Portsmouth to follow in her footsteps.

Beautifully shot, lots of external shots and small cast show off the small budget But the acting is superb. Definitely bound to be a favourite in the boutique cinema.

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Tessa Pilbeam from United Kingdom
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No spoilers, I promise The first thing that struck me about this movie was how different it is to other adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. It is very far from Robert Downey Jr's interpretation, which I thought was very good. It is so similar to Conan Doyle's books (even with Watson's romanticised twists on things) that I would advise fans of the BBC's Sherlock to steer clear, as it is a very different Holmes to the one they love.

I would recommend this for a 10+ age group, as anyone younger may not understand the complex messages that are being conveyed - they also might find two scenes in particular too frightening.

Ian McKellen is an outstanding actor, and this performance shows it. He is engaging throughout the entire run time and provides us with some very touching moments that leave us thinking long and hard. The story is very intriguing, and the ending very satisfying, even if it is a little heart-breaking.

I conclusion, I suggest you go and see this film if you are a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Austin S. Russell from Blandon, PA
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When I first heard that they were making a new Sherlock Holmes movie with Ian McKellen playing an older Sherlock, I was instantly hooked. The posters and the trailers made me even more hyped for the film. Then came the problem. I looked up the film and the closest theater that was playing it was approximately 45 minutes away. So, with some convincing, and both myself and my mother's excitement for the film, we left at 9am on opening day to go see the film. So, after all this effort to see this film and all the excitement, was the film as good as we expected it to be?

Mr. Holmes follows a 93 year-old Sherlock Holmes as he lives retired in a Sussex farmhouse with his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro and her son, Roger. Sherlock is trying to write the truth about his last case before he dies, due to John's embellishment of the facts, but he has trouble remembering how the case ended. With the help of Roger and some small tricks up his sleeve, he will write the truth about his final case and how it ended his career, but also let him know that he has a compassionate side as well.

I was so hyped for this movie, because who wouldn't be hyped to see Ian McKellen, the aging god of acting, playing one of the best known characters of all time? Of course, Ian McKellen did amazing as a 93 year-old and a 60 year-old Sherlock Holmes, and he did a great job at portraying the character in two different stages of his life: One when his mind was immaculate, and one where his mind cannot be trusted. Milo Parker as young Roger was brilliant. I wasn't expecting much, given he's a child actor, and those are usually hit- or-miss, but he really nailed the role.

Laura Linney, as well, did a fantastic job. I didn't really like her character for the first half of the film, but she redeemed herself by film's end. Hattie Morahan does a wonderful job as the woman that Sherlock is trying to remember about, and her character just does something so beautifully tragic that you can't help but feel somewhat sorry for her and sad at the end of the film. Hiroyuki Sanada plays a man Sherlock visits to get some weeds to help his memory, and also a man who has ties to Sherlock's past. He did a great job as well.

The cinematography and locations for shooting in this film are just breathtaking. Several shots of characters down by the beach look gorgeous, and the Sussex farmhouse in which Sherlock has retired looks beautiful at all times. The music in this film, done by Carter Burwell was also really moving. It was particularly light-hearted at times, but also very poignant when it needed to be.

The screenplay, written by Jeffrey Hatcher was quite well done. The lines all felt natural, and when at times dialogue needed to be told through exposition and such, it never felt forced like it sometimes does. It felt like a conversation real people could be having. I really liked the story and the mystery aspect of the film as well. It really worked on so many levels and it kept you intrigued and guessing right until the end.

I'd also like to mention the make-up used to age Ian McKellen even further for his role as the 93 year-old Sherlock. When he looks as he usually does, McKellen doesn't really look 93 yet. But, when he is done up in the make-up and such, he looks fantastic.

Overall, Mr. Holmes is a brilliant film and one that truly deserves to be a part of the Holmes canon. It nearly reduced me to tears by the end, and most movies where they are actually trying to don't end up making me sad at all. Ian McKellen was brilliant as Sherlock Holmes, and so was the rest of the cast. The music, the cinematography, the screenplay, the mystery and the make-up all were amazing and it elevated this film far higher than anybody could have truly expected. If you have one film to see this weekend: See Mr. Holmes, as it is a film that you must see to appreciate.

10/10. Grade: A+

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Alanjackd from United Kingdom
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What an awesome twist to a classic character. Very low burning to start and gradually boils to a blistering finale. I bet NOBODY sees the twist and if they do they are probably being untruthful. Brilliantly acted by the cast, including young Milo,who should become a regular screen presence( Let's hope he doesn't end up in a franchise mess).Beautifully filmed with little or possibly no over the top CGI,this should satisfy any serious movie fan. The use of close-up and panoramic camera work takes us right into the story and each character tells there own story to us. There were moments when I thought the plot was thinning but during the last 15 minutes all became clear.This movie shows us that any decisions we make can come back to haunt us but also that we may be over guilt-tripping ourselves.Storytelling at it's British best. This could not be made anywhere else in the world.At a time when the cinemas are full of so called "Blockbusters" this is a step to the side and proves that true art can be achieved without a clever computer programme.

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David Ferguson (fergusontx@gmail.com) from Dallas, Texas
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Greetings again from the darkness. Be honest � would you be excited to see a film if it were described as follows: "A grumpy 93 year old man struggles with his failing mind and deteriorating body as he tends to his beehives during retirement in a small coastal town". Chances are that synopsis would cause you to skip on to whatever else is showing at the theatre. However, a single revelation would likely change your mind � the elderly man is actually legendary detective Sherlock Holmes.

Ian McKellen stars and holds little back as he portrays the elderly Holmes trying to reconcile the past, the present and his failing health. And yes, there is one last case to solve � only it's the last case he actually solved 35 years earlier. Sadly, Holmes can't recall how that case ended, and the fictionalized version written by his friend John Watson offers no resolution.

We first see Holmes as he returns from an international trip � a trip that seems a bit out of place with the rest of the movie; at least until it circles back near the end of the film. In fact, we get quite a bit of back and forth between the present and past, and McKellen pulls off both the elder and much younger Holmes � though his performance as the faltering, frail one-time genius is Oscar caliber.

Laura Linney plays his housekeeper, but it's her son Roger (Milo Parker) who jells with Holmes and re-kindles that twinkle in the eye. The scenes with Roger and Holmes provide poignancy and humor, and also the dose of reality so necessary to a film focusing on a living legend.

Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters) directs the film, which is based on the novel "A Slight Trick of the Mind" by Mitch Cullin, and pretty quickly pulls the rug out from under us on the iconic deerstalker cap and the ever-present pipe. Still, only the staunchest, least-flexible fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character will be turned off by this mostly gentle and insightful look at aging � and a reminder that even fictional geniuses grow old.

Baker Street makes an appearance, as does the charred and blackened Hiroshima site, and a blurry Dr. Watson. Don't expect the frantic pace of Robert Downey, Jr or the elegant precision of Basil Rathbone and Benedict Cumberbatch. Instead, enjoy the subtle moments, the wry smiles and the valiant attempt to bring a mortal end to the seemingly immortal Great Detective � with a few clues tossed in for good fun.

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Hint523 from USA
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As a standalone film, one of the great charms of Mr. Holmes is that it can be viewed with equal level of enjoyment by two different types of people: the type who know nothing other than the basics regarding the character of Sherlock Holmes, and equally the people who have seen or read everything about him. It manages to appeal to both camps by being both a revisionist version of his stories, yet still keeping in the same spirit and not denying any of the prior literature.

Due to the fact that the film's metronome is a 93-year-old man losing his memory, the pace is unfortunately slow for the first half of the film. Having multiple flashbacks that omit information until necessary keeps the viewer guessing but also at times frustrated. In the meantime, the real entertainer is Sir Ian McKellen, who is not nearly as old as his character is in real life and yet captures the nuances of someone that age to precision, all while forming his own character of the titular Holmes. It's one I hope can make its way into the Oscar conversation yet is so much simpler I won't count on it.

The second half of the film picks up in pace as the 3 story lines all begin to start solving themselves, but more importantly Mr. Holmes (I don't think his first name is ever uttered in this movie) starts to realize a moral that he never quite came to terms with in all of his sleuthing regarding the truth and humanity. I've seen a solid handful of the countless Sherlock Holmes incarnations (he is the most commonly portrayed character in cinema) and there is something that becomes almost tragic about each one as you realize he is someone whose intelligence and wit makes him unable to live normally amongst other 'ordinary' people. As some subtext, it is perhaps a nice touch that Mr. McKellen is a proud member of the LGBT community, as there is reason to believe (although rarely outwardly said) that Sherlock Holmes may be gay himself. These are details you don't need to watch the story but can help enhance the nuance.

In terms of filmmaking, director Bill Condon and co. don't particularly do anything to motivate the situation other that just let the characters take care of business. Again, this is not a movie notable for having a quick pace, but it is never dull altogether either. The next movie I'll be watching is Gods and Monsters, the previous Condon/McKellen collaboration.

As you can see from how much I've written, I'm fond of the movie, enjoyed the numerous elements, and was left with a lot to think about. It's a small scale film and should be viewed as such, but is nonetheless enjoyable and is a nice spin on the iconic character.

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Bo Atdrinks from United Kingdom
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This BBC film has an aged Sherlock Holmes, in failing health, living in retirement in the country, and trying to remember his last case.

Shakespearian thespian and British Knight, Sir Ian McKellen, plays well, and convincingly, the eponymous detective, both in his later years, and in flashbacks to his last case. The veteran actor had to prepare for the role by learning bee-keeping.

Mr. Holmes lives with a house-keeper and her son. New Yorker Laura Linney plays the house-keeper, fitting in well with the British thespians, and easily, and believably, conveys the circumstances of her character's situation as she interacts with both Mr. Holmes and her son.

The son is played by Milo Parker. His performance is just so breathtakingly superb that it is difficult to sum this up in words. Truly astonishing! Truly great!

Hattie Morahan shows great emotion in her small role, whilst Frances de la Tour's foreigner-role is so brief, but so good! There is a foreign element to the plot, apart from Miss de la Tour that is, that seems superfluous, however it turns out to be a nice sub-plot. The period-detail throughout the film is very good. Sadly, the film is marred by bad lighting and also blurry camera shots as the camera moves. This detracts, and distracts, but not greatly.

Despite it's UK rating of PG, this is not a film for children, but rather is more suitable for adults. There are moving and poignant scenes, and the film deals with matters of life and death. It is also necessarily slow, as the subject matter is the great detective in the Autumn of his years. 8/10.

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Russ Matthews (russellingreviews) from Sydney Australia
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"Human nature was something logic could not illuminate" - Sherlock Holmes

Walking into the cinema... An ageing Sherlock Holmes played by Sir Ian McKellen. No mystery, it is a must see.

Art-house* rating: 4 stars Cinematic rating: 4 stars Big question opportunities: 4 stars

Summary

Based on the Mitch Cullin novel, "A Slight Trick of the Mind", we get a rare glimpse into the life of an ageing legend. Set in post WWII England, Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) has retired to the country. In the beautiful landscape of Sussex, cares for his beloved bees and is cared for by his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her determined and investigative son, Roger (Milo Parker). As Mr. Holmes attempts to rectify Dr. Watson's fictitious portrayal of his life, he wrestles with the challenges of growing old and coming to terms with his final case. Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) and McKellen collaborate on an intriguing mystery that involves retrieving the facts of the past in the fading memory of an old detective.

Review

At a recent dinner party, I was describing the premise of Mr. Holmes to a friend and I quickly saw the fog of disinterest sweep over his eyes, because it did not include any CGI effects or explosions. Which was unfortunate, because in amongst the cinematic landscape of the season, this film was a breath of fresh air. Director Bill Condon provides a wonderfully crafted story and a beautiful cinematic backdrop to unlikely discussion points. With the overly used character vehicle, Sherlock Holmes, he engages the ageing hero in determining the fine line between fact and fiction and the value of the elderly. These topics may not get the average movie fan out of their seat on a Friday night, but they are woven beautifully in a character driven film of relationships and mystery. A rich and meaningful relational portrait is given his mentorship of young Roger, who is a fledgling sleuth and fellow bee keeper. Also, Condon seems to take joy in dismantling the mythology of the legend, as he demystifies every fictitious devise that Watson has added into the character of Sherlock Holmes. Condon continues to show his ability to provide fresh vision for story and characters. His only directing weakness is the time line continuance. There are three different time lines to consider and they can get a bit muddled, but it does not detract from the overall experience. Ultimately, he is able to effectively portray the past and the present, and allow Ian McKellen develop Holmes into an original and appealing depiction of the master sleuth.

Like 2014's Birdman, the audience has to come to terms with the notion of the ageing hero. Are the heroes of folklore and legend allowed to age? Sherlock Holmes cerebral abilities are unsurpassed in modern mythology and to consider him losing his mental faculties is disconcerting at first, but becomes endearing. Holmes' realisation of his own weaknesses and dependence on those around him opens fresh territory for this character and provides a humanity that is difficult to see in most of the portraits of the detective. Mr. Holmes is an entertaining and thought provoking film that provides a oasis in amongst the desert plain of blockbusters and sequels this season.

Leaving the cinema...

Admitting that seeing this film at the State Theatre during the Sydney Film Festival added to the experience, that did not diminish the value of this film. McKellen was brilliant, Condon is back to his directorial best and it was a refreshing take on a familiar cinematic character.

It is elementary, Mr. Holmes is a film worth seeing this year.

Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. Is life a mystery? (Colossians 2:1-3, 1 Timothy 3:16) 2. Why do we have to age? (Genesis 3, Ecclesiastes) 3. What value are the elderly in our society? (Proverbs 16:31, Job 12:12)

* What is an Art-house rating?

Written by Russell Matthews based on a five star rating system @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews #mrholmes

Ian McKellen took a course in beekeeping with the The London Honey Company prior to filming. He was not stung during filming.
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The film originally was titled "A Slight Trick of the Mind", after the Mitch Cullin novel it was based on, but the filmmakers changed it to the simpler and more accessible "Mr Holmes."
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Nicholas Rowe, who plays the Matinee Sherlock, had previously played the title character in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985).
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Ann is seen looking into the window of a taxidermist owned by Ambrose Chappell. In The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), James Stewart goes to a taxidermist called Ambrose Chappell to look for his kidnapped son.
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Ian McKellen didn't research Sherlock Holmes stories in preparation for his role. Mckellen claimed that he learned his lesson the hard way making the Lord of the Rings films that it was nothing more than a distraction knowing the source material and constantly questioning what changes were made for the script.
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Ian McKellen observed that it was easy for him to imagine Sherlock Holmes as a real person since the majority of the film is set during his own lifetime, and he could have met Sherlock as a boy in 1947 just like Roger.
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Sir Ian McKellen has worked with fellow "Sherlock Holmes" actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir Christopher Lee in "The Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" film series. He is also the second notable Marvel Films actor to take the role of Sherlock Holmes, after Robert Downey Jr.. Although, Benedict Cumberbatch playing Dr Strange would make him the third.
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The house that Holmes lives in is on the edge of Winchelsea in Sussex, a medieval walled new town built after old Winchelsea slipped into the sea near Rye. Winchelsea is a walled town about 40 miles from Seven Sisters where the beach scenes are filmed.
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Philip Davis, who plays Inspector Gilbert, also plays the taxi driver in the first episode of Sherlock (2010).
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Ian McKellen stated in an interview that his costume had very uncomfortable materials that chafed in the worst places. Because of this he is hesitant about reprising his role in future instalments.
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Fourth collaboration between Laura Linney and director Bill Condon.
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Bill Condon directed Ian McKellen in another role portraying an older man trying to overcome his failing mental faculties in "Gods and Monsters" where McKellen played James Whale. Laura Linney's unglamorous portrayal parallels that of Lynn Redgrave's in "Gods and Monsters."
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Ian McKellen and Hiroyuki Sanada had previously appeared in the X-Men film The Wolverine (2013), although they didn't share any scenes together in that film.
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Filming of the beach and cliff scenes take part in Seaford near the Cuckmere River, which also lends its name to the fictional train station that Holmes travels to.
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Sir Ian McKellen (Sherlock Holmes) previously worked with Frances de la Tour (Madame Schirmer) in the British comedy Vicious (2013).
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In Nicholas Rowe's previous film Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), the elder Watson was voiced by Sir Michael Hordern, who previously played Gandalf in the BBC Radio version of The Lord of the Rings. In his own portrayal of Gandalf, Ian McKellen worked with Martin Freeman, who plays Watson on Sherlock (2010). The younger on-screen Watson was played by Alan Cox, whose father Brian Cox appeared with McKellen in X2 (2003).
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To be screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2015.
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Director Bill Condon previously directed The Fifth Estate (2013) which starred "Sherlock" actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
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Ian McKellen has previously worked with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in The Hobbit trilogy. They star in Sherlock (2010) as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson
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Ian McKellen has worked with his close friend Derek Jacobi on such shows as Vicious (2013). Jacobi has narrated many of the Sherlock Holmes audio books. Due to the fact that the novels are told from the perspective of Dr John Watson it is fair to say that Derek Jacobi has played Dr John Watson.
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According to Holmes, he is retired for 35 years. Since the film is set in 1947, Holmes' last case happened in 1912. In the same line, Watson should have died in 1915, three years after this professional separation. As well as Holmes is 93 years old in 1947, it means that he was born in 1854. McKellen was 17 years younger than his character at the point of the movie.
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The fountain pen with which McKellen's Holmes is writing his memoire is a Parker first made in the early 1980s. Though Parker had a major presence in England from the period of World War I that particular pen did not exist in 1947. The mechanical pencil with which he marks the diary and the dip pen he uses to write the letter to Mr. Umezaki are correct for the time.
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In the opening scenes, where the train is passing through fields of crops, there are vehicle tracks in the crops that are made by modern spraying vehicles driving in parallel passes for spray boom coverage. This was not done in the 1940s.
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The film is set in 1947 prior to the nationalization of the railways, but the train in the opening sequence has the British Railways post-1956 crest on the tender and is hauling British Railways Standard Mark 1 carriages which were not introduced onto the railways until 1951. The engine hauling the train is an ex-LMS Railway Jubilee Class locomotive which would not have been seen in Sussex which was served by the Southern Railway in 1947.
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Holmes gets abrasions from a fall and says he looks like he was attacked by "the hounds of the Baskervilles." The novel was "The Hound of the Baskervilles."There was only one hound.
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One of the scenes where Holmes is writing up his memories of the old case as they come to him, he passes his pen from right hand to left, puts it down with the left, then when he picks up his drink with the right, a different camera angle shows the pen is in that hand between his fingers. Cuts show the two situations one more time each.
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During the scene in which Roger has brought Holmes magnifying glass to Holmes room, Holmes throws it to the floor and Mrs. Munro enters and picks it up, Holmes hair is alternately combed or disheveled from one shot to the next.
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Right at the start, the aerial footage of the steam train shows in some shots lots of steam billowing from beneath the train - one shot is cut in showing none, no sign of any at all.
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The Train in the opening sequence is made up of British Railways Mark 1 carriages in the post-1956 Maroon livery. When Mr Holmes alights from the train in the next scene at the railway station the carriage is in the British Railways pre-1956 crimson and cream livery.
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The mixer tap for the kitchen sink in the scene where Roger and his mum Mrs. Munro had an argument appeared to be too new / too shiny. It didn't look like something that would be around in 1947.
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When Holmes sees a black and white movie based on one of Watson's stories, the graphics look too crisp to have been made in the 1940s.
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AKAs Titles:
(working title) - A Slight Trick of the Mind
Brazil - Sr. Holmes
Spain - Mr. Holmes
Greece - �Ÿ κ��ιο�‚ Χολμ�‚
Italy - Mr. Holmes - Il mistero del caso irrisolto
Portugal - Mr. Holmes
Russia - �œи��‚е�€ Холм�
Turkey (Turkish title) - Mr. Holmes ve M�this Sirri

Release Dates:


Certifications:
Canada:G (British Columbia) / Ireland:PG / Netherlands:9 / Philippines:PG-13 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG / Switzerland:12 / UK:PG / USA:PG (certificate #49575)