(film review) - Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. is on a role. After disappearing for a while as he has been in and out of trouble with the police and rehab for substance abuse issues, I do believe he is choosing good roles and he is on top form. If you haven't seen 'The Soloist', I suggest you go see it. But not only that film, he has been in 'The Incredible Hulk' and not only 'Iron Man 1' but the second instalment is out later on this year and the trailer looks excellent.

Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie is not your normal Sherlock Holmes. Guy Ritchie has injected his 'COOL' into this character. The same kind of COOL he injected in other films such as 'Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels', 'Snatch' & 'RocknRolla'. This film has you look at Sherlock Holmes as a strangely random and unorthodox genius. To me, Sherlock Holmes came across as batty. Batty being a bit crazy. However, with his acute eye for detail and his intelligence, his batty behaviour can only be described as someone who is so intelligent, that they often think at a rapid speed that their behaviour seems a little crazy for the onlooker.

Sherlock Holmes(Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner, Dr. John Watson(Jude Law) race to stop a human sacrifice conducted by Lord Blackwood(Mark Strong). With reason's to believe that Lord Blackwood practices sorcery the police imprison him and before they hang him, Lord Blackwood tells Holmes that 3 more deaths will occur after his excution. Dr. Watson pronounces Lord Blackwood dead, but 3 days later, they find his coffin smashed open and the body of a red haired Midget inside instead of Blackwood. Sherlock Holmes along with Dr. Watson must now try and piece together all the bits and pieces surrounding a red haired midget, Lord Blackwood, his sorcery, holmes' ex-acquaintance, her employer and a plot that will change the world forever.

I didn't know what to expect from this film. In all honesty, the trailer kind of portrays something else than what you actually see, but what you actually see is not what you actually expect. So in saying that, what you actually expect is something that, not only doesn't fit the film's trailer, but also doesn't fit the film, however, the film still comes across as watchable and enjoyable.

Sherlock Holmes in my eyes is a Deerstalker wearing, Pipe smoking detective with a partner who is a doctor, but in this version, he is a witty, intelligent and fast thinking detective with an acute eye for detail and nose for smells, who has a brotherly-love type of relationship with Dr. Watson who in his spare time does a spot of bare knuckled boxing. On the other hand Dr. Watson is also smart but comes across as a bit of a ruffian thug. I couldn't help thinking whilst watching the film that Dr. Watson, although he is a doctor, how comes he seems to enjoy fighting people? Throughout the film, it just seemed that Dr. Watson couldn't get enough of having a bit of a punch-up. You see in this film that, one cannot survive without the other.

How Guy Ritchie directs this film, you see the Guy Ritchie in it and if you do like Guy Ritchie films, you will definitely like this. It's Smart, Witty and funny. I do feel that it could have been a lot darker and sinister and possibly longer with a bit more action and twists, but what was seen was good and enjoyable. It even ended with the possibility of a sequel.

Go and see this film. In Cinema's NOW!
Trailer:

(film review) - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

It's been a while since I've seen the very talented and sexy Naomie Harris (corr), but she is back in a film that is a biopic of Ian Dury, the frontman and lead singer of British Band, Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
This film will not appeal to everyone as biopics are about people you follow or know of or about. If you know nothing about these people, you might find it either interesting or boring or might not even get the whole film altogether by switching off at some point and glaring at the screen until you see the credits. This film was a whole new experience for me and was also interesting, I'll explain my reasons why.

I had no idea who Ian Dury was let alone know who or what a blockhead is. His reign was before my time living, so I can only say, that I was in for a surprise nonetheless. The fact that Naomie Harris was starring in the film, that alone left me content and help make for easy viewing.

Ian Dury lived from 1942 - 2000 and died of metastatic liver cancer at age 57. Through his life he was battling with the debilitating disease of polio which had an effect on his lifestyle and his relationships with people around him. This is the main focal point of the film.
The film shows Dury (Andy Serkis) trying to make it as the lead singer of his band but failing badly. A lot of the failures were due to lack of focus and his attitude towards fellow band members. His personal battle with polio and his schooling, I feel often haunted him which made him act the way he did. Whilst being married to Betty (Olivia Williams), he fell for Denise (Naomie Harris) in which he got her to be the driver and manager of the band. He got to know her on a personal level and even lived with her whist still being married. However, his relationship with her was also as rocky as his marriage. As he was looking for that hit song, he was also trying to be a father to his two children in which he weren't around a lot.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads got their hit song and a string of hits in the end and started to rise to fame. In 1977, one of their many hits were called "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" in which the film's title derived from.

Without going into so much about the film, I actually enjoyed it. It was a decent watch although it did seem a little weird in places. Like I said, I didn't know who he was and like I also said, this film may not be for you at all, but the film had enough sex and real life drama's in it to keep me entertained. (Plus, I'm damn sure I saw Naomie Nipple. Mmmmm.) It wasn't an Eastenders storyline at all, far from it, but it was good to learn about someone I never knew of or about who made something of his life despite his disability. It shows that, if you have that drive, you can get what you want if you remain driven.

This is a fan film. For the fans. I watched it to learn who he was and because Naomie Harris was in it. So, if your a fan, you should enjoy this. Maybe you could explain the stupidly abrupt ending at the end which left me as baffled as a Nun waking up in a mental institution's cell.

Sound good? Then go watch it. Out Now!
Trailer: