Family Movie Night Column

Last week I finally got to see one of the movies on my list that is not meant for younger children.

The husband and I got everyone to bed a little earlier so that we could watch Sherlock Holmes , rated PG-13, in peace. It is one of those movies that is meant for adults and older teens;not to mention we did not want to have to explain everything to children too young to see the movie.

The story here is that Holmes is being frustrated by the apparent ghost of a

Kelly Reilly and Jude Law as Mary and Dr. Watson in sherlock Holmes. Picture from IMDb.com

dead adversary who means to control England. He is also being stressed by Watson who is moving to different premises and has found a girl he wants to marry. If that is not enough, a woman from Holmes’ past has come back. She is not seeking a renewal of the relationship but her total agenda is not clear.

Rachel McAdmas as Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes. Picture from IMDb.com

Guy Ritchie has not had good outings in the last few years. His movie, Swept Away, with his former wife, Madonna, was a total bust. Reviews for subsequent movies have been mixed. I was a little concerned that the director of the brilliant Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch was announced as the director of this new version of Sherlock Holmes.

In the end, I can see that I was wrong. Ritchie brought something that was needed. I enjoyed the quick cuts and the less than pristine lifestyle. He made Holmes into a genius who cannot always stop himself; a man who is a bit of a loner because of a broken heart and the inability to keep from speaking his mind. Forget that image that Basil Rathbone gave us as Holmes.

Robert Downey Jr. is taking his renaissance seriously and giving every role his full attention. Downey has always been this talented. It is his addictions that kept him from focusing. Just watch him in Home For The Holidays with Holly Hunter. He is brilliant as the gay brother going home and having one sister happy to see him while the other looks down her nose. During that movie he was using heroin despite telling director Jodie Foster he was keeping it clean.

Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. As Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Picture from IMDb.com

The pairing of Downey with Jude Law is fantastic. They play well off each other, one of them always being slightly out of control. We see how each man depends on the other whether they like it or not. I think Watson likes those opportunities of action as much as he likes medical practice. And it worked. It all went together well.

I understand that filming for the sequel begins this fall. No word on who is playing Moriarty. I have read on the IMDb.com site suggestions that include Gerard Butler and Jason Stratham. Whoever Ritchie picks I am hoping does it grand.

 Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

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