Sherlock Holmes film review

Sherlock Holmes, released in 2009, is a mixed genre film, which include such genres as crime, action, and mystery. It was directed by Guy Ritchie, who also directed several other successful films such as Snatch and Lock stock and two smoking barrels. The film is set in London during the 1920’s, and is about a dark, and mysterious character (Blackwood, played by Mark Strong) who has mastered black magic and uses it for evil while Sherlock Holmes and partner Watson (played by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law) set out to stop his dextrous charade of murder and rebellious plots.

Before watching this film I was quite sceptical about it because I am a huge Guy Ritchie fan, and he usually directs British gangster films, which I absolutely loved, so him directing a sudden change of genre meant in my eyes he had a lot to live up to.

However, I feel he pulled off the film fantastically and gave his own personal twist to it, which I personally enjoyed. We can see the work of Guy Ritchie in some of the witty remarks that Sherlock Holmes comes out with, and it reminded me directly of some of the witty marks the main characters say in Snatch and Lock stock, which inclined me to watch the rest of the film.

The story line itself I thought was very clever and creative. The way the audience was mislead for roughly 5/6’s of the film I thought was genius, and the twist at the end was impressive. Lord Blackwood, the antagonist of the film, convinced the audience and the citizens in the movie that he could control black magic, and that he was a sorcerer of the dark arts. However, the twist at the end was that Sherlock Holmes discovered that they were all illusions, and merely a light display fooling the audience.

There is a very effective technique called ratiocination used throughout the film. It’s where the detective remains smarter than the audience giving the unfair advantage of seeing clues that us an audience cannot see, however, minuscule hints are dropped throughout, giving the audience a chance to solve the mystery. The use of this technique creates enigmas, tension, and suspense throughout the film right until the end, as the use of our unfair advantages keep us as an audience guessing right to the end of the film.

The end scene of this film is gripping in the way it is set on top of London Bridge, and at one point, there is a literal cliff hanger where Blackwood is hanging from a wooden structure.

There is a big opening at the end of this film for a sequel, which I feel would be fantastic and definitely something I’d pay to see as I enjoyed this film a lot. The way Sherlock says to Watson in one the last scenes “Case reopened!” means that there will surely be a sequel. The question is; will it match this film in its 

brilliance? Or will it be a disaster? That is one thing I am eager to find out.

I rate this film an 8.5 out of a possible 10.