Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie (Madonna's ex) has done a fabulous job with one of the most adapted literary characters EVER! Apparently Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes first hit celluloid in 1900 in a 30 second long novelty film called Sherlock Holmes Baffled. 260 odd titles later, we have our most recent endeavors, including Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law (and modern day versions Sherlock and Elementary discussed elsewhere on my blog).

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows

I admit I am a sucker for Robert Downey Jr. He is just so darn likeable as Holmes and you have to love an American actor who can nail an English accent like that. Mmmmmm. And adding just the right amount of comedy to an action film is his specialty no matter which century he lands in. Well done!

Jude Law is great too as second fiddle Watson. He is the voice of reason, when reason seems unlikely and does a fine job of being perennially exasperated. The dog Gladstone is also one of my favourite characters, the poor thing, always being drugged or something. Odd that I would put the dog and Jude Law in the same paragraph, but there you are!

Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Watson

Both of these films are a wonderful updating of Sherlock Holmes for the new millennium.  Making the streets of Victorian London sufficiently grubby is a lovely change from some of the overly rosy sets we have seen in the past. And adding action sequences, slowed down for maximum effectiveness and pointing out clues at just the right time for those of us who need the signposts is brilliant.

Lovely sets but dirty enough for believability.

I saw the first SH in the theatre but waited to rent the second one until recently as I thought it couldn't possibly be as entertaining as the first. I am so glad to say that I was wrong and that I was pleasantly surprised by the sequel. "Two teacups up" for both of these films. I don't usually go for action flicks but set in Victorian London, and done this well, it was a treat. And I think my hubby, The Squire, was grateful to finally get a whiff of testosterone amongst my film choices!

Sherlock Holmes: [voice-over] Head cocked to the left, partial deafness in ear: first point of attack. Two: throat; paralyze vocal chords, stop scream. Three: got to be a heavy drinker, floating rib to the liver. Four: finally, drag in left leg, fist to patella. Summary prognosis: unconscious in ninety seconds, martial efficacy quarter of an hour at best. Full faculty recovery: unlikely.

Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood

Mark Strong plays the villain Lord Blackwood in the first outing. I love that they added some "hubba hubba" for those of us who still think of Mr. Knightley when we see Mark Strong. It's a pity he is the baddie, but still adorable!

Jared Harris as Moriarty

The villain in the sequel is played by Jared Harris as a truly creepy Moriarty. Good acting but not even remotely as appealing as Mark Strong. Sorry Jared.

Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler

Rachel McAdams does a creditable job as Irene Adler, part love interest, part...well...pain in the ass? Well done. A very realistic portrayal of many couple's relationships. Although the real couple are of course Holmes and Watson who are an old married couple, merrily bickering away. Makes you wonder how Guy Ritchie has such insight into marital squabbling doesn't it? Lots of fun and never a dull moment.

Dr. John Watson:Oh, how I've missed you, Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes: Have you? Why? I've barely noticed your absence.

Go ahead and watch these if you haven't already. Great for an evening of light entertainment. And your men will thank you for the nice change!

I may watch them both again in the near future. Cheers!

Stephen Fry- Actor of the Week

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is truly a national treasure in England. He is part of the culture of Britain at this point. I love him. He is such a wonderful combination of intelligence and vulnerability as well as being a fantastic actor. Comedy is his specialty, having started out in the Cambridge Footlights Club with Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie who both remain his dear friends to this day. Emma Thompson once described Stephen Fry as "90% gay, 10% other" but I say he is 100% fabulous!

His love of all things technological is well documented. He owned one of the very first Apple computers in the 80s and apparently has a collection of mobile phones. He is a regular on Twitter where he mostly hilarious but occasionally likes to bring attention to various charities and causes, the most recent of which is the campaign to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece.

Stehpen Fry as Oscar Wilde

In the film Wilde, he portrays Oscar Wilde himself. An obvious bit of casting, this one looks fabulous, and yet I have never seen it. Can anyone give us a recommendation? I think I'll hunt this one out. I love Oscar Wilde and I love Stephen Fry.

Oscar Wilde:  In this life there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it.

Stephen Fry as Inspector Thompson in Gosford Park

In Gosford Park, he plays the hilariously inept Inspector Thompson. There is so much going on in this film but even so, Fry's Inspector Thompson stands out. Comic genius.

Constable Dexter: Sir, someone's traipsed a load of mud in down here.
Inspector Thompson: Not now, Dexter, please.

Constable Dexter: Inspector, there's a broken coffee cup down here.
Inspector Thompson: Dexter, they have people to clear these things up. You get on with your own job.

Stephen Fry as Jeeves and Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster

Perfectly cast as the all knowing valet Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster, Fry and Laurie seem to be having the time of their lives filming three wonderful seasons of P. G. Wodehouse's dynamic duo.

Bertie Wooster: Tell me, Jeeves, were you always like this, or did it come on suddenly?

Jeeves: Sir?

Bertie Wooster: The brain, the gray matter. Were you an outstandingly brilliant child?

Jeeves: My mother thought me intelligent, sir.

Bertie: Well, can't go by that. My mother thought me intelligent.

Stephen Fry as The Duke of Wellington in Blackadder 3 with Hugh Laurie as the Prince Regent

Stephen and Hugh were together again in a few Blackadders. The episode above from Blackadder the Third is entitled Duel and Duality with The Duke of Wellington challenging the Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie) to a duel for taking advantage of his nieces. Of course it ends up Blackadder involved and mayhem ensues.

Duke of Wellington: There's only one way to win a campaign: SHOUT, SHOUT AND SHOUT AGAIN!

Stephen Fry as General Melchett with Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder

Stephen was also in Blackadder Goes Forth as General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett. Hilarious as usual. Must watch this again soon!

Blackadder: Remember you mentioned a clever boyfriend?

Nurse Mary: Yes.

Blackadder: I leapt on the opportunity to test you. I asked if he'd been to one of the great universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Hull.

Nurse Mary: Well?

Blackadder: You failed to spot that only two of those are great universities!

Nurse Mary: You swine!

Melchett: That's right! Oxford's a complete dump!

Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes

As Sherlock's brother Mycroft in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, we get to see a bit more of Stephen than usual. Thankfully for some strategic photography, not too much, as he walks around completely naked in one scene.

Mycroft Holmes: Good evening, Mrs Watson. I'm the other Holmes.
Mary Watson: You mean there's *two* of you? How marvelous! Could this evening get any better?

Stephen Fry as host of QI

When I have a few moments to myself and I need a good laugh, I find a snippet of QI on YouTube. I will warn you if you haven't seen this before, this is one of the most entertaining quiz shows around and will suck you into the Youtube vortex for hours. Feeling brave?



So hopefully this post has given you lots of inspiration for viewing (or re-watching) some of Stephen Fry's work, both period and modern. I know I am going to dig out some Blackadder at the very least!