<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Truly Eligible FIlm!
Review: Although one appreciates most of the Granada Sherlock Holmes series for its faithful evocation of the ACD stories, this hugely expanded and utterly loose adaptation of 'The Noble Bachelor' (surely one of the lesser adventures as even the purists must admit) scores as a weird, mostly brilliant and vastly improved version of the original tale.
To the flimsy story of the American bride-to-be of a nobleman, who goes suddenly missing on her wedding, we are given a Holmes who is ill and suffering from a singular grotesque dream that repeatedly plagues him, and a nobleman who may not be quite as noble. In this story the director has actually taken advantage of Brett's bloated and haggard frame to give us a haunted, beleaguered Holmes who must pursue a case if only to keep off his own demons. The story is rich with interestingly flawed characters that function as more than the usual mouthpiece of information. Even old Mrs. Hudson is given more depth with an affectionate glance at her quasi-matronly relationship with Holmes.
The film has been crafted with great visual flair, noticeably more than the short episodes of the series. Holmes' hallucination and his attempt to transcribe it into sketches make for some awesome viewing. There's a very stylish use of color and lighting (DoP David Odd), and the camera movements and cutting are often eye-catching. It's really the most 'cinematic' of all the Brett-Holmes series I've so far seen.
Some people may not like it as much since Holmes is not here the imperturbable sleuth, and most of the story moves along without him playing a very active role. A few scenes are contrived to the limits of credibility. But I thought it was all the same a very interesting and visually ravishing attempt to stage an originally mediocre story.
Rating: 
Summary: Blatant rubbish
Review: I am giving this film an extra star out of respect for actors Brett and Hardwicke, and for a few of the looney, arty camera shots that are used to conjure a bizarre tone for this overlong "Sherlock Holmes" story. However, there is good bizarre and there is bad bizarre. Good bizarre, as in other Brett/Holmes films such as "Wisteria Lodge" and "The Golden Pince-Nez," use unusual cinematography to add to the story's fun rather than distract from it. Bad bizarre, such as this mess, has no fun in it to begin with, and falls back on weird, disturbing images to compensate. For many years Jeremy Brett played the great sleuth with neurotic panache in well-made, tight, amusing films that stayed very close to the Conan Doyle stories on which they were made. Unfortunately, in Brett's declining years they put this fine actor in three stinkers ("The Master Blackmailer," "The Last Vampyre," and this, the worst of the lot) that took perfectly good Doyle stories and tried to drag them out to two hour epics by padding them with a lot of extra crap by modern screenwriters, all of whom for some reason decided that late Victorian London should be shown as an extremely squalid place filled with cackling hags, drunks, weird spectacled psychotics, suicidal gays, and Holmes himself going to pieces, sobbing and simpering most unlike the Holmes we all know and love. In keeping with the style of many television films of this era, this one seems jumpy, quick-cut, and random. After several scenes that each last all of five seconds, I begin to wonder where on earth the art of storytelling has gone. This overwrought bummer of a movie is best forgotten, and those wishing to enjoy a great Sherlock Holmes mystery might best go and watch "The Sign of Four," another long, bizarre story that has all the good qualities this one lacks: humor, plot, faithfulness to Doyle, fine production, and a great sleuth.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Little Holmes!
Review: Sherlock ain't looking so good, at least not at first! He's having premonitory nightmares, which Watson says is impossible according to the "new" Freudian dream theories. He's wandering the streets of London. He's disgusted by everything: pygmies! written requests for help! Watson's requests for him to eat! He even confesses to a sickened Watson about being grievious about Moriarity's demise, missing Moriarity's combination of science, crime and evil. Holmes has lost all interest--in anything--until a mysterious veiled woman drops off a note stating, "What about Helena and Maud?" The apathetic Holmes had entrusted Watson to handle the preliminaries of the Eligible Bachelor Lord Robert St. Simon's missing wife case; but the mystery woman's note jolts him, and off he goes! The overtone of the entire movie is more morbid and creepy than not; however, it is well worth watching. Some of the best features are watching Holmes' recurring premonitory nightmare unfold; and watching Holmes rise up from his state of utter disgust, drug abuse, starvation, nightmarish, reclusive illness to his shining, exuberant, egotistical, and compassionate crime-solving and victim-freeing state. The plot was a bit disjointed during the first third or so; however, it nicely jelled in latter. I was somewhat dismayed that the plot would allow the "missing" bride Hettie to reproach Lord St. Simon (her most recently wed husband) about his previous wives all alone, but by the end of the scene, one understands her need to have done so.
Rating:
Summary: Weird, Creepy & Good
Review: Sherlock ain't looking so good, at least not at first! He's having premonitory nightmares, which Watson says is impossible according to the "new" Freudian dream theories. He's wandering the streets of London. He's disgusted by everything: pygmies! written requests for help! Watson's requests for him to eat! He even confesses to a sickened Watson about being grievious about Moriarity's demise, missing Moriarity's combination of science, crime and evil. Holmes has lost all interest--in anything--until a mysterious veiled woman drops off a note stating, "What about Helena and Maud?" The apathetic Holmes had entrusted Watson to handle the preliminaries of the Eligible Bachelor Lord Robert St. Simon's missing wife case; but the mystery woman's note jolts him, and off he goes! The overtone of the entire movie is more morbid and creepy than not; however, it is well worth watching. Some of the best features are watching Holmes' recurring premonitory nightmare unfold; and watching Holmes rise up from his state of utter disgust, drug abuse, starvation, nightmarish, reclusive illness to his shining, exuberant, egotistical, and compassionate crime-solving and victim-freeing state. The plot was a bit disjointed during the first third or so; however, it nicely jelled in latter. I was somewhat dismayed that the plot would allow the "missing" bride Hettie to reproach Lord St. Simon (her most recently wed husband) about his previous wives all alone, but by the end of the scene, one understands her need to have done so.
Rating: 
Summary: Below average storyline
Review: The only way I can describe this story satisfactorily is to call it "Sherlock Holmes on acid". Sherlock is having nightmares that are actually premonitions of his next case. It's time to hang up the deerstalker when we see Holmes having psychic visions and running about the street in his nightgown. It's not only Sherlock Holmes who's having a bad day here...it's a great looking production, but the storyline and direction ensure that that the audience is just as confused as the Great Detective. As far as the two lead performances go, Jeremy Brett is in very bad shape here. He was unfortunately extremely ill in the last few years of his life as he was battling heart problems and manic depression. In this story, we can see the effects the damaging drugs he was prescribed were having on him...he is bloated, his movements are sluggish, and he has trouble getting through his lines without wheezing. It's a tribute to Brett that he was still able to continue as Holmes at this stage of his life, but it's hard to enjoy this story (and the follow up series, The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes) seeing this once vibrant actor at such a low ebb. Edward Hardwicke is in good form as Watson here. Since his introduction in The Empty House from The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (also available from Amazon on a single DVD and in the series box set), Hardwicke proved himself to be the one dependable and consistent element of the Granada Holmes series right through to its end. Changes in production staff, budgets, and Brett's health problems all impacted sometimes negatively on the series...but Hardwicke could always be counted on to give a great performance. He was really the backbone of the Granada series throughout most of its run and he deserves a great deal more credit than he usually recieves. I view this story more as an interesting curio than a serious addition to the screen adventures of Sherlock Holmes as produced by Granada. It's unfortunate that the series didn't end with The Master Blackmailer as everything that followed was mostly mediocre, and as tired and out of sorts as its star.
Rating:
Summary: Below average storyline
Review: The only way I can describe this story satisfactorily is to call it "Sherlock Holmes on acid". Sherlock is having nightmares that are actually premonitions of his next case. It's time to hang up the deerstalker when we see Holmes having psychic visions and running about the street in his nightgown. It's not only Sherlock Holmes who's having a bad day here...it's a great looking production, but the storyline and direction ensure that that the audience is just as confused as the Great Detective. As far as the two lead performances go, Jeremy Brett is in very bad shape here. He was unfortunately extremely ill in the last few years of his life as he was battling heart problems and manic depression. In this story, we can see the effects the damaging drugs he was prescribed were having on him...he is bloated, his movements are sluggish, and he has trouble getting through his lines without wheezing. It's a tribute to Brett that he was still able to continue as Holmes at this stage of his life, but it's hard to enjoy this story (and the follow up series, The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes) seeing this once vibrant actor at such a low ebb. Edward Hardwicke is in good form as Watson here. Since his introduction in The Empty House from The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (also available from Amazon on a single DVD and in the series box set), Hardwicke proved himself to be the one dependable and consistent element of the Granada Holmes series right through to its end. Changes in production staff, budgets, and Brett's health problems all impacted sometimes negatively on the series...but Hardwicke could always be counted on to give a great performance. He was really the backbone of the Granada series throughout most of its run and he deserves a great deal more credit than he usually recieves. I view this story more as an interesting curio than a serious addition to the screen adventures of Sherlock Holmes as produced by Granada. It's unfortunate that the series didn't end with The Master Blackmailer as everything that followed was mostly mediocre, and as tired and out of sorts as its star.
Rating:
Summary: Too Little Holmes!
Review: The trouble with the lengthened 2-hour Sherlock Holmes films with Jeremy Brett was that they often wound up boring. This one is pretty good, and a little spooky, but parts of it have too little Holmes.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of the macabre
Review: This adaptation extends far beyond the boundaries of the story it is based on, The Noble Bachelor. It does so brilliantly, serving as a fascinating character study of Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), as well as a hallucinatory gothic mystery-drama. Holmes actually ventures off from his religion of rational thinking, to sketch his bizarre dreams. Simultaneously, the background of Lord Robert (the eligible bachelor), Hetty, Maude, Helena and Flora unfolds. This film is a feast for the senses. Miasmic fog swirls throughout the dirty London streets, drunkards laugh madly with an overlay of dreamy music. Holmes and Watson must cut through the vices of the underbelly of Victorian society in order to find the missing Hetty, release Flora Miller, and expose the evil deeds of the eligible bachelor. Revenge finally reconciles the atrocities, and Holmes discovers the prophetic nature of his dreams. Devotees of Sherlock Holmes and gothic period works will love this film!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of the time
Review: This film left me cliff- hanging. The first time I watched it I couldn't go anywhere. I stayed right in front of my TV and watched. It is a confusing story for there are many people but they all connect in the end. Brett is one of my favorite people to play Sherlock Holmes. This is a treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A Sherlock Holmes Masterpiece
Review: This was the last of the full-length Sherlock Holmes films produced by Granada featuring Brett and Hardwicke. And it is also the best. Veering away from a more conventional approach, Eligible Bachelor (EB) features a more artsy and filmic approach by Peter Hammond, and in improving the original short story by Doyle, Trevor Bowen managed to wring out an exceptional script that turns the light hearted tone of the original into a dark, almost gothic masterpiece. Brett is at his best and considering his health problems at the time, his performance was just sensational. The production values were at its best and unlike the lackadaisal Last Vampyre, EB is gripping, and suspenseful till the end. As a full-length film, it is perhaps the best of almost all Sherlock Holmes filmes out there, atmospheric and authentic, but with the additional of the best Holmes and Watson ever to grace a screen. This may not the best place to start with Brett's Holmes, but it is certainly the pinnacle of an outstanding series that easily the better of 90 percent of all Hollywood films being released now. A Masterpiece.
<< 1 >>
|
