Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Distributed by Warner Brothers
It’s hardly elementary, my dear Watson.
The sequel to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes is somehow bigger, smarter, and more surprising than the original. A sequel that doesn’t disappoint is rare enough in itself, but Guy Ritchie’s magnificently unique directing style merges with Robert Downey Jr.’s roguish charm to create a film that is at once chaotic and enigmatic — much like Holmes himself.
A Game of Shadows is a heavily adapted version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Final Problem,” and in both versions, Holmes comes face-to-face with the villainous but brilliant Professor Moriarty. Downey Jr. as Holmes is tenacious, obnoxious, incorrigible and utterly engaging, especially as he grates on the nerves of Jude Law’s Watson.
The overall production has astonishing attention to detail, painting a vividly grimy, soot-stained picture of 1891 London, then shifting focus on an international scale to elegant France, severely industrial Germany and the chilling mountaintops of Switzerland. As Holmes pursues Moriarty, played with a sneeringly delightful villainy by Jared Harris, the ever-shifting locations mirror the curious, cunning cat-and-mouse dynamic between them.
Fast-paced exposition follows the slow-motion fight scenes, which are brilliantly choreographed and executed, with Holmes’ running monologue guiding the audience through his thought process. There’s a tendency in this film to challenge the expectations of its predecessor, as Holmes’ carefully planned fights are often interrupted or derailed.
A satisfying trait of both Holmes movies is the gradual build up to a grand explanation. Everything has a purpose, and all will be revealed.
An exception to this rule was the death of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) early on in the film, which seems to serve no purpose. It’s frankly upsetting, because as a character she’s sharply intelligent and utterly selfish, which is refreshing in a female lead.
She’s more or less replaced by the gypsy, Simza, who has none of Adler’s fire. Noomi Rapace does a fine job with what she has, but Simza’s primary function is to listen to Holmes, which makes her a pretty poor substitute for Adler.
There are several noteworthy secondary characters. Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly) is a fairly ordinary character, but her decided mistrust of Holmes makes the little screen time they share very enjoyable. Her irritatable interaction with Holmes’ brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), is also wonderfully awkward.
Another creation of Conan Doyle’s, “the other Holmes” is not the adventurous type, but his mild way of speaking, his congenial sibling rivalry, and his habit of calling his brother “Shirley” make for some excellent one-liners.
However, the real focus of the movies is, and always will be, the friendship between Holmes and Watson. They’re the ultimate duo, the original bromance, and their habit of bickering while ass-kicking is incredibly entertaining.
The movie explores their bond further, as Moriarty tries to exploit this Achilles heel, and Holmes tries to stay one step ahead. Throughout it all, Downey Jr. and Law give very believable performances as best friends who really annoy each other, trading plenty of stiffly polite Victorian scolding, and not-so-polite yelling.
The final faceoff delivers a compelling twist.
The split-second analysis of fisticuffs between the Moriarty and Holmes’ is breathtaking. The whole frenzied debacle leads to a tension-riddled denouement, but like all great detectives, Holmes never gives away all his secrets. Ritchie spins an intelligent, twisting yarn that eventually reveals all — and yet manages to leave a lingering mystery behind.
