A funny thing happened on
the way to the movies this week, or rather when I got to the box office. The
movie I had intended to see, Me, Earl and The Dying Girl was not being
shown as advertised online for that night. My friend Tim had just told me I wanted
to see that movie and post a blog about it. As I’d driven across town to this
venue and there was a group of women meeting at my house, I decided I’d still
make it a one guy’s night out and bag a different flick, Mr. Holmes.
I’m glad I did. No
mistakes. This crime drama mystery directed by Bill Condon and based on the
2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind written by Santa Fe’s own Mitch
Cullin features an aging Sherlock Holmes (played by Ian McKellen, Lord of the
Rings “Gandolph”) living in retirement with his house keeper Mrs. Munro (played
by Laura Linney) and her young son Roger (played by Milo Parker).
The
film follows a 93-year-old Holmes living in his country estate, struggling to
recall the details of his final case while his mind begins to deteriorate.
In
1947, having just returned from a trip to Hiroshima, he starts to
use jelly made from the prickly ash
plant he acquired there in an effort to improve his failing memory. Unhappy
about his ex-partner Watson's
account of Holmes' last case, he hopes to write his own account, but is having
trouble recalling the details. As he spends time with Roger, showing him how to
take care of the bees in the farmhouse's apiary, Holmes comes to
appreciate his curiosity and intelligence and develops a paternal liking for
him.
Over
time, Roger's gentle prodding helps Holmes to remember the case (shown in
flashbacks) and why he retired from the detective business.
The
movie was based on autobiographical material from author Cullin’s life as a boy
who cultivated a relationship with a kindly and learned neighbor who gave him
access to one of the most complete collections of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
works.
Without
revealing more of the plot, as I’d hate to spoil it for you, my focus here is
multi-faceted. On the one hand it is a story that illustrates how genius can be
a blessing but also a curse when combined with what I’ve spoken about
throughout this blog, “men’s isolation.” The great rational and deductive
thinking ability of the Holmes character is thrown into relief when viewed as a
wall between he and the characters reaching out to him for human connection and
emotional resolution. His own emotional intelligence is portrayed as crippled
but not beyond recovery at age 93 and it is the boy Roger who creates that
bridge back to his own deeper humanity and personal redemption.
The
movie’s striking portrayal of the aftermath of destruction in Hiroshima is
timely as the recent 70th anniversary of the dropping of the nuclear
bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan has just passed with continued mixed feelings
about war, destruction and peace on a global scale. Through no intentional
effort on my part, the home I’ve now lived in for four years happens to have a
large picture window in the living room that perfectly frames the town and
laboratories of Los Alamos, home of the famous and infamous Manhattan Project.
The lights from that ancient volcano mountainside twinkle and dazzle us at
night.
As I
further reflect on the slowly unfolding plot of Mr. Holmes
I
wonder to what extent the inner workings of elder Sherlock’s heart as it begins
to open becomes the hologram for our society’s own gradual collective opening
to the pain and suffering we believe we both avoided and collided with
simultaneously.
And
if prickly ash is no guarantee we can remember what we’ve done and not repeat
history maybe this film can help us to bridge between our rational and
deductive powers to create and destroy and our hearts that can mend and heal.
I
heartily recommend viewing Mr. Holmes.
But don’t trust the internet (or just plain ole human error?) Call the venue
first to make sure it’s playing.
