Elementary (TV Series)

The new season has brought about a whole variety of TV shows to choose from. While former favourites like Dexter and Homeland are going great-guns with their latest installments, there is always that want to get addicted to something new and different. 

While it may not be different per say, but Elementary is probably the most awaited TV show of the present season. Taking inspiration from the British series Sherlock, Elementary places Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), rehabilitating from a drug and alcohol addiction, in modern day New York. The conventional Watson gets a rather drastic change of the female kind in Lucy Liu's Dr. Joan Watson assigned to keep a lookout on Sherlock by his father. To make matters slightly different we get two detectives in place of the famous Lestrad, with Captain Toby Gregson (Aidian Quinn) and Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill) playing second fiddle to the famous detective.

Elementary deserves credit for trying hard, but try as it might it just doesn't have the same mind frame that Sherlockhas. While Jonny Lee Miller is made to look edgy with his antics and his tattooed body, it is Lucy Liu in a very subtle role that commands notice. Obviously unlike Sherlock, Elementary has the job of keeping the audience happy for at least 12 if not 20 odd episodes. If only it would stop trying so hard as it did in the third episode which resembles the film Primal Fear from the get go. Another aspect of Elementarythat makes it less dark is that so far there is no Moriarty like figure that would really keep Sherlock on his toes. A hint did present towards the end of the third episode, but that too was dumbed down because it seems at this time Sherlock must have the upper hand in all situations. Nor is there a Mycroft Holmes, brother to Sherlock, who I hope will be introduced later in the series as well.

Everything aside, Elementary is a good enough modern take on the character of Sherlock Holmes. Moreover, with his eccentricities and obsessions he somewhat fills the void left by Monk when that series ended a few years back. Having the option of more thank 3 to 6 episodes does give the series liberty to bring in characters at a later date and hopefully that would make it more interesting.      

     

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles

It's world cinema with a difference. An age old story, a classic, one that is embedded in the minds of most children and adults around the world. The tale of Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles directed by Russian director Igor Maslennikov is a lovely adaptation of a much loved piece of literature.

Released on 21st May 2012 on DVD by Mr. Bongo Films, this Russian adaptation is a version that takes you back to the original writings. While it is not stylized like the new film version of Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr., nor is it "modern" like the British TV series Sherlock, it is reminiscent of the past in its approach.

There is no doubt that this adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is legendary and can withstand repeated viewing, but watching it in a foreign language (with subtitles) did bring about a new outlook to the entire proceedings. The background music, the photography, the locations, the overall feel with horse carriages and costumes seemed a bit more genuine and honest to the story (not that I dislike the new avatars).

Surprisingly enough the subtle humor and mystery doesn't die out in the adaptation either. It's all there and thoroughly enjoyable as well. I do have to admit that initially it did feel odd every time Dr. Watson introduced himself as someone from London in Russian, but then by keeping true to the story it does bring about a certain authenticity. The acting by all the characters, especially Vasili Livanov and Nikita Mihalkov, is very theatrical, although not over-the-top, and thus once again adds to the appeal of the film.

Starring Vasili Livanov (as Sherlock Holmes) and Vitali Solomin (as Dr. Watson), the story takes Sir Henry (Nikita Mihalkov), heir to the estate of the recently deceased Sir Charles Baskerville, to the countryside along with Dr. Watson while Sherlock Holmes stays back in London overlooking other matters related to the case. What follow is treachery, murder, love, heartbreak, and obviously a beast seen by a few and heard by many, the Hound of Baskerville. In short, it's typical extraordinary storytelling by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle full of suspense, mystery, eccentric characters, and that pipe smoking, deerstalker hat wearing detective par excellence, Sherlock.    

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of Baskervilles is cinema at its nostalgic best. If you are a Sherlockian then you will surely appreciate this adaptation, especially the moment when Sherlock makes his appearance for the first time half an hour into the film. If you love mystery and haven't read the books, give the film a try before watching any of the other adaptations and let it take you back to the original writings. If you love films in general, you will positively enjoy this world cinema-esq approach to the tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.                 

Rating 4/5 Stars for Authenticity, Acting, Nostalgia, and well I can never have enough of Sherlock Holmes. 

Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows

You would imagine that with Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes sequel hitting the screen around the time Sherlock the British TV series starts its second run, everyone would have had enough of the detective? Well, if you did, you would be wrong, because so powerful are the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that it seems there never can be enough of elementary deductions.

Sticking with the film, A Game of Shadows surpasses its predecessor on a number of levels. With no requirement to explain the intricacies of the different relationships or the format/technique (slow motion depicting Sherlock thinking future moves) in which Ritchie has shot both the films, more importance is given to the story. A Game of Shadows also over-shines other sequels in general because for a change the makers actually thought of naming the sequel something other than a simple "2".

The introduction of Sherlock Holmes' (Robert Downey Jr.) arch enemy, Dr. James Moriarty (Jared Harris), was probably the most important and correct path for the franchise. Where the first movie gave ample opportunity to Holmes to show off his powers of deduction, A Game of Shadows pits him against an equally intelligent, but by far a more influential nemesis. Herein lays the actual excitement. 

The good thing about both the first and the second film is that they can be appreciated even if a person is not well versed in the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Still, those who have read the books will enjoy the numerous references and story links throughout.

Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows is proof that a good story never gets old. A lot of the credit for the two films and the TV series goes to the makers for re-inventing the master detective in their unique ways. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law (Dr. Watson) compliment each other throughout the film with Noomi Repace's Madam Sizma Heron bringing a welcome change in the dynamics of the characters.

Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows is a must watch for any "Sherlockian" or one who expects his/her cinema experience to be enjoyable and entertaining.

Rating 4/5  

"A Nice Murder, That'll Cheer You Up"

So we have a Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) who blogs and a Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) who is rather fast at texting and uses the Internet as much as he uses his mind. I have to say that it takes guts to re-re-invent Sherlock Holmes. Guy Richie recently made Sherlock Holmes cool again with his blockbuster movie starring Robert Downey Jr., so it was interesting that the makers of the BBC series Sherlock decided to take another shot at the master detective.

It has pretty much all the elements that you find in the books of Sir Arthur C. Doyle. The famous residence, the typical Sherlock wit, the seemingly impossible to crack cases, Lestrade, mobile phones, computers, nicotine patches ... Oi! Wait a minute. Yes we have our first modern Sherlock.

The camera work and direction is wonderful. If only someone in India invested a bit into making series like this rather than the family dramas. The scale of the production is pretty huge too. Okay, not exactly Hollywood blockbuster huge, but pretty good for a TV series. The modernity of the series not only lies in the use of gadgets, but it oozes out in the direction and the look as well. For example, a text received by a character is not read out, but is simply shown on the screen in text format on the side. Similarly, when Sherlock thinks, his thoughts are displayed for the audience, rather than having him speak them out loud. In some cases when he does speak, they are there to highlight the main points.

What interested me most was that unlike the earlier adaptations the characters are no longer pure. We saw a similar trend with the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Here too, Sherlock is not someone you are likely to admire at first. He has his flaws and they are prominent enough to make him look more like an anti-hero for everyone around him including the audience. It’s almost like everyone in the series has skeletons in their closets just waiting to come out. Maybe a price they pay for being part of a modern and more complex world?

The first series was rather short. 3 episodes and that's it. Obviously like any good series the real test is once the initial novelty value has worn out. Will the makers be able to capture audience interest in the second and hopefully third series considering the fact that the whole modern feel will be a bit old by then? I surely hope that BBC continues with this series and that the 3 episodes were just a method of testing audience reaction, which from what I know has been largely positive. More importantly the producers should somehow continue to re-invent it further. Nevertheless, make sure you get your hands on Series One through BBC iPlayer or iTunes or by any other legal means possible.