Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie | 129 minutes | action | Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Kelly Reilly, Geraldine James, Eddie Marsan, William Houston, Gilles Lellouche, Affif Ben Badra, Gabrielle Scharnitzky, Paul Anderson, Christian Wolf- La’Moy, Dominic Kinnaird, Carsten Hayes, Roman Jankovic, Thorston Manderlay

Master detective Sherlock Holmes, sprung from the mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the end of the nineteenth century, has often been brought to the silver screen. In total, more than two hundred films have been made around his character; this makes Holmes the most filmed fictional character. Basil Rathbone has long been regarded as the ultimate Holmes interpreter. Between 1939 and 1946, no fewer than twelve films appeared in which he played the master detective. Later, among others, Jeremy Brett and Michael Caine also crawled into the role of Sherlock Holmes, but although they showed excellent acting, none of them really came close to Rathbone. The contemporary take on Sherlock Holmes that Robert Downey Jr. in 2009 in ‘Sherlock Holmes’ is already more of a step in the right direction. Downeys Holmes is a wonderful genius madman. Brilliant and unpredictable. The chemistry with Jude Law played Dr. Watson splashed off the screen. No wonder that a second film has now been released with the equally charming and crazy duo in the lead role. And let ‘A Game of Shadows’ (2011) be a lot more chaotic, more spectacular and above all more witty than its predecessor!

The story, written by Kieran Mulroney and his wife Michele, is set in 1891 and picks up where the previous one left off. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson hunt for Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), an unscrupulous master criminal who may be as brilliant as Holmes himself. When the Austrian crown prince is found dead, he appears to have committed suicide. At least that is the conclusion drawn by police inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan). Sherlock Holmes, however, suspects murder. He also thinks this murder is a small piece of the puzzle in a much larger conspiracy. A conspiracy that only one man can be behind: Moriarty. Traces lead to an exclusive gentlemen’s club, where Holmes and his brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) toast Watson’s last night as a bachelor. There, Holmes encounters the mysterious gypsy Sim (Noomi Rapace), who may have been involved in the crown prince’s murder and now threatens to become the next victim herself. Holmes narrowly prevents an attempt on her life. What follows is a manhunt across England, France, Germany and Switzerland with Moriarty Holmes always appearing to be one step ahead.

For a long time, the question was who would take on the role of Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis. The names of Brad Pitt and Daniel Day-Lewis were doing the rounds, but in the end it was the relatively unknown Jared Harris – son of the late Richard Harris and blessed with the same deep voice – who took on the role of Professor Moriarty. A surprising but wise choice, because Harris knows how to counteract Downey like no other. On the one hand, he is charming and articulate, on the other hand, he is slippery and a constant threat emanates from him. Both men are equally brilliant and intelligent. Director Guy Ritchie regularly lets them cross swords, with the scene in which the men try to checkmate each other, both literally and figuratively, stands out. In addition to Moriarty, a second new character is also a bull’s eye: Mycroft Holmes, played with verve by Stephen Fry, who is known as a big fan of the Arthur Conan Doyle books. Mycroft is possibly even more intelligent than his brother, but is too lazy to do anything with it. In contrast to the men, the women only get away with it. Rachel McAdams makes the most of her limited presence as the dodgy Irene Adler, but Noomi Rapace snowshers in her first Hollywood movie. Although that is certainly not her fault: female roles are simply of secondary importance in Sherlock Holmes stories.

Kelly Reilly is completely screwed up. She plays the fiancée of Dr. Watson, who is thrown from the train by a Sherlock Holmes dressed in women’s clothes in a crazy scene during her honeymoon. Like its predecessor, ‘A Game of Shadows’ also plays freely with the very close relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson. Ritchie mixes the traditional elements of the story with ultramodern action spectacle – a combination that some may never get used to – making ‘A Game of Shadows’ perhaps as indebted to Ian Fleming’s oeuvre as it is to Arthur Conan Doyle. The trick Ritchie often uses – showing the action in slow motion to show that Holmes always thinks three steps ahead – is actually quite nice, but somehow feels out of place. Maybe because Ritchie uses it too often? Just like the excessive gunfire and the many explosions are not quite in place. It is indicative that the film works best in less bombastic scenes, such as the aforementioned chess duel and the farcical scene in the train.

Despite the fact that there is sometimes too much reliance on action and spectacle, ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ has mainly become a film of dynamic interplay. Between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, with the former doing everything he can to thwart Watson’s marriage so that he can have the doctor all to himself. And between Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty, who is his equal in many ways and bombards him with razor-sharp venom. Don’t panic if you can’t follow this crazy story right away, because the dressing up, chases and skirmishes follow each other at breakneck speed. ‘A Game of Shadows’ is crazier, crazier, funnier and more immersive than its predecessor. Great family entertainment for the Christmas holidays. That’s promising for the third part that has already been announced!