Game of Shadows

Alright, I admit it.  It's a bit of a slow day at work, plus I think an occasional film review will do on my blog what watching them will hopefully do in my life: keep me happy.

I first got interested in human rights, and finding a way to work at it, when I read Romeo Dallaire's account of his time as commander of the UN forces in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994.  His account is incredibly harrowing and I can easily understand how much worse it must have been living through working towards the completion of the book over many months.  It is a terrifying testament to the fragility of the mind that one of their most gifted and upbeat researchers committed suicide just a short while before its publication.  I suffered a fairly serious emotional depression after reading it myself.

So, human rights work where I can, cinema for the rest.

Monday night just gone (19 December 2011 that is) I finally found myself with enough money to get a new Cineworld monthly pass.  It is a wonderful solace to me, being able to go and lose myself in a film; it always has been.  When I started to find the atmosphere of Lee Abbey a little claustrophobic, I started going to the cinema 2-3 times a week!  Just for the record, for those of you that don't know and might be interested: Cineworld does a monthly pass, which at the time of writing is GBP17.99 a month to include London West End cinemas and GBP14.99 a month otherwise.  Seeing as the usual ticket price after 5pm and at weekends is GBP8.20 (more if it's 3D), you only have to go twice and you've made your money back!  No-brainer in my opinion.

Having secured my new pass, I went to see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.

I am the first to admit that I'm easily pleased, but I loved it.  There are so many aspects that were wonderful to observe.  The first is the relationships: Holmes and Watson's partnership is treated very well.  It almost seems to approach homoeroticism, if not outright homosexuality, but each of their raging, testosterone-fuelled arrogances soon puts paid to any further thought.

Similarly, the gentlemanly respect between Holmes and Moriarty is a joy to behold and the addition of Moriarty's quiet, restrained demeanour that hides his simmering rage, is brilliantly portrayed by Jared Harris.

I'm trying very hard not to give away plot and ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it!

My only complaint is that a good deal of the subject matter is far too dark to be allowed a 12A rating.  I found some of it difficult to watch myself.  From my point of view, the distinctly comic element of Stephen Fry's appearance as Holmes' elder brother, Mycroft, was more than welcome.  The complexity is another problem.  By the time the full truth is revealed I can imagine many being rather lost, again thinking of those who are only just legally permitted to view it!  This was my complaint when viewing the first film: that Holmes' genius was only revealed at the end of the film - he appearing to be something of a bungler and buffoon until that point.  In the new film that problem is remedied, but not sufficiently to dispel the shades of complexity that we encounter at every turn.

My only other comment would be on the ravishing beauty of the gypsy woman, played by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (of "The Girl Who..." trilogy fame)...that's by-the-by anyway!

I hope I've given you a reason to see the film, without ruining it for you.  And I look forward to our next encounter in this ongoing interplay of shadow and light - that is, human rights activism and film review!