Enola Holmes 2 Movie Review

Representation is a powerful thing. If we can see it, even if it is only in fiction, then we can strive toward being it in real life.

The new Netflix film, Enola Holmes 2, was released last weekend. This sequel to Enola Holmes takes place right after its predecessor ends. Our title character, the eponymous Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) has just opened her own detective agency. But being young and female does exactly bring in a tidal wave of clients.

The one person who does walk through the door is Bessie Chapman (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss). Her older sister Sarah (Hannah Dodd) is missing. Enola follows the trail to the Bryant & May Match Factory. The majority of their employees are women and young girls from the lower classes who are mistreated and underpaid.

With the help of her elder brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), and possible boyfriend Tewksbury (Louis Partridge), Enola must uncover the mystery of Sarah’s disappearance.

I like this movie more than I did the first one. Bringing together fact and fiction, the true story of the strike adds another dimension to the tale. I also enjoyed the slow-burning romance between Enola and Tewksbury. The “will they or won’t they” question is representative of Enola’s growth, but it is a secondary narrative to her investigation.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Enola Holmes 2 is available for streaming on Netflix.

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Enola Holmes Movie Review

Classic books were given the title of “classic” for a reason. However, that does not mean that a modern writer cannot put their own spin on the tale.

Enola Holmes premiered Wednesday on Netflix. Based on the series of books by Nancy Springer, Millie Bobby Brown stars as the title character. Raised by her widowed mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), Enola receives an education that is extremely unusual for a young lady in Victorian era England. When her mother disappears, Enola’s much older brothers come home to take charge.

Her oldest brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) is conventional in every sense of the word. Her second oldest brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) is more empathetic, but still concerned that his sister was not raised as she ought to have been. Before she can be sent to a school that promises to make her a proper young lady, Enola runs away to find her mother. Along the way, she meets a young aristocrat, Tewkesbury, (Louis Partridge) who is also running away and a new mystery is set at her feet.

I would categorize this movie as cute and empowering (if that makes sense). The message, I think, is the most important part of the film and feels very relevant for 2020. That being said, it is not without it’s flaws. However, it is one of those movies that is both fun to watch and an inspiration, especially for the younger female audience.

I recommend it.

Enola Holmes is available for streaming on Netflix.

Arthur and George Review

Arthur Conan Doyle is synonymous with mystery. His most famous character,  Sherlock Holmes has not left the public consciousness since his introduction in 1887.

The latest addition to Masterpiece Mystery is Arthur and George. Arthur Conan Doyle (Martin Clunes) is at a crossroads in his life. His wife had just died, there are rumors that he had an affair with a female friend, Jean Leckie (Hattie Morahan) and he is completely lost. The case of George Edalji (Arsher Ali) might just turn him around. George is the product of an Anglo/Indian marriage. His career as a solicitor has been completely ruined when he went to jail for mutilating local animals and writing obscene letters. Recently released from jail, George is looking to return to his previous life.

Called to George’s case by his secretary, Alfred “Woodie” Wood (Charles Edwards) Arthur agrees to take the case. Is George guilty of the accusations or is the real culprit still out there?

Beyond the bromance of Arthur and Woodie and the standard whodunit story, there are interesting elements. There is the life changing experience of loosing your spouse and the harshness of racism. There is also the question of reputation, especially in the Edwardian era, when one’s reputation was everything.

Fans of British television and Masterpiece will recognize several of the principal actors.  Martin Clunes (Doc Martin), Hattie Morahan (Sense and Sensibility) and Charles Edwards (Downton Abbey) have all graced our screens before.  The problem is that I found most of the first episode to be boring. It was only within the last ten minutes of the program did I feel like I was finally getting into the story.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

 

Mr. Holmes Review

In the world of literature and sleuthing, Sherlock Holmes is a legend.

In 2006, author Mitch Cullin, wrote what can be boiled down to a professional fanfiction in A Slight Trick Of The Mind.

The new film, Mr. Holmes, is based on Mr. Cullin’s novel.

In the late 1940’s Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) is 93 years old. Retired from detective work, he is content to live near the sea and enjoy his final years. His housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) is a war widow with a precocious and curious son, Roger (Milo Parker).  Roger develops a father/son like relationship with his mother’s boss, in spite of his mother’s fears. Roger also helps Sherlock to remember the case that ended his career.

Thirty years before, Sherlock was approached by Thomas Kelmot (Patrick Kennedy). His wife, Ann (Hattie Morahan) has changed since her two miscarriages. He wants Sherlock to follow his wife and figure out why Ann is not the woman that she was. Can Roger help Sherlock to remember the case and maintain his faculties as long as he can?

I was excited to see this movie. Sherlock Holmes is a character that is very much a fabric of our culture. But more often than not,  he is seen in his younger days, not as a man who knows that the clock is ticking. To be honest, the movie was a little slow for me. While I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and the marked different between the two periods in Holmes’s life that the film explores, it was not what I hoped it would be.

Do I recommend? Maybe.

Mr. Holmes is currently playing in theaters.