THE WACPINE OF ‘ENOLA HOLMES’
WRITING: 8
ATMOSPHERE: 7
CHARACTERS: 8
PRODUCTION: 9
INTRIGUE: 8
NOVELTY: 7
ENJOYMENT: 8
Jack Thorne's script for Enola Homes presents a surprisingly fresh take on a Sherlock Holmes story, from the viewpoint of his significantly younger (and seemingly more brilliant-minded) sister. It’s as much a character piece as a feminist manifest, set at a time when certain expectations dictated what young women were excepted to do and say. In that sense, Enola Holmes is a powerful social and political commentary, without being overly in your face.
Thorne constructs a fun, fast-paced adventure, and allows his protagonist to shine with her wits and courage, while still utilizing the Holmes brothers as important supporting characters. Somewhere under that quirky writing and historical feminist piece, there is also an intricately plotted mystery, presented excitingly and providing some of the finest sequences of the entire film.
The script confidently stands on its own two legs, while drawing inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle's source material. Those expecting a fully-fledged Sherlock Homes film will be disappointed. Then again, that is not the point of this movie at all. As a Sherlock Holmes mystery film, Enola Holmes isn't very good, but as a fascinatingly written character piece with important messages for contemporary (female) audiences, it's fine.
Enola Holmes expertly keeps up the historical setting with fines set design and cinematography. It's not a crime thriller or action film, but more of a fast-paced character drama with frequent spurs of lighthearted excitement, humour and sweet character moments.
What's great about Enola is that she isn't simply a female version of Sherlock, but a distinct character, with many similar characteristics and a very different emotional spectrum. Millie Bobbie Brown once again proves she is among the most promising up and coming actresses right now, because she is phenomenal. Surrounded by established co-actors, some of them among Britain's finest, Brown surpasses them almost entirely in most scenes she shares with them. It's also great how the film doesn’t weave a love story between Enola and Tewkesbury.
Despite numerous versions of Sherlock and his brother in all forms of media, Enola Holmes manages to give the two famous Holmes brothers another new spin. Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin slip surprisingly well into their literary characters, not trying to mimic what other actors have done. That being said, I am so used to seeing Benedict Cumberbatch's sociopathic Sherlock and Robert Downey Jr's action hero version, that this Basil Rathbone-esque version of Sherlock seems almost too normal. Claflin's Mycroft, meanwhile, is something of an unlikable villain here, helping distinguish him from, say, Stephen Fry's quirky version in the Guy Ritchie films.
This film is an ensemble piece and the circle is complete with Helena Bonham Carter, Fiona Shaw and Burn Gorman in fine supporting roles, as well as Adeel Akhtar in a refreshing take on Lestrade.
The editing and cinematography techniques are noteworthy; the jumpy editing and the documentary-style narration, which is lovely. I love the beautiful set and costume design and a beautiful soundtrack. The direction is what sets this film apart from many other takes on a Sherlock story. Still, some shticks in Bradbeer’s direction are inspired by some of the recent takes on the character.
The quirky and inventive techniques used to carry the story forward, Millie Bobbie Brown in a believable brilliant young woman of her time and a central mystery with many twists and turns keep this film going and help it stand out from the oversaturated field of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. That being said, the somewhat uneven pacing and lengthy moments lacking real plot progression, make the film feel longer than necessary.
We have seen multiple adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic literary creations but somehow Thorne and Bradbeer have managed to score a point by giving us yet another one that feels fresh and inventive. While Enola Holmes is less about the Holmes and more about the young, independent lady that Enola turns out to become, it takes enough element from Doyle’s' stories to feel like a Sherlock Holmes film.
The parties involved with the creation of this movie are intent on making a sequel (based on how the film ends) and based on the performances alone, I would watch one. This is a refreshing take on Sherlock Holmes, while still clearly being something completely different as well. One of the best Netflix original films in a long time.
WACPINE RATING: 7.86 / 10 = 4 stars
The movie is not a masterpiece but a fun and relaxing way to spend time with your family as it does not have any controversial elements so it can be watched with children. The fight scene when Enola and Tewkesbury are hunted by Linthorn and then his grandmother can be quite scary for younger children, though. Enola herself is an interesting and likeable character, and can be a role model for young girls as she is intelligent, independent and self-sufficient but at the same time compassionate and loyal to her friends. Mycroft Holmes comes across as unsympathetic protagonist, trying to control and smother Enola's vivacity and force her to conform to what the society demands of young ladies (which is totally unacceptable to Enola). Sherlock could have been more supportive of his sister, instead for the most part he allows Mycroft to kind of bully her. The behaviour of Enola's mum is a bit emotionally distant too, as she abandons Enola in order to force her to grow her independence and to stand on her own feet. In this way, she learns to take her own decisions and think for herself, and gets the makings of a good detective. There is also the pervasive motif of independence, modernity, progress and women's rights going throught the film, as Enola's mum is a feminist and she wants to form feminist and progressive ideals in her daughter too.
It is ironic that by changing her original plan (from finding her mother to saving Tewkesbury) and thus going straight against the advice she received from Eudoria (not to get distracted and especially not by men), Enola actually makes the progressive vote possible and in this way fulfills her mother plans, both for the country as a whole and for Enola as the champion of independence and progress. She also learns to follow her own intuition instead of sticking to the advice of others, even her mother's.
There's a demographic that this film is aimed and I'm pretty sure it's not middle-aged male. Alas, it didn't stop me from enjoying it a great deal.
The plot is aimed squarely at a teen demographic and follows a well-done follow the clues concept much in keeping with other Holmes stories.
The charm of this though is the first thing that got me. Millie Bobby Brown is a fantastic actor in Stranger Things but here she's getting to show her range. Quite astonishing that she's this good at such a young age. It put me in mind of Natalie Portman in Leon to see such assuredness - though the tone of the movies is world's apart.
There are some really fine performances from the supporting cast. Frances De La Tour (Rising Damp anyone?), the excellent Helena Bonham Carter, and an uncharacteristically strong performance from Henry Cavill. Perhaps it really is the DC material letting him down.
I welcome a sequel to see if they can make more of HBC or Cavill as the scenes with them and MBB worked best.
I'm too old to gush at the teen romance blossoming. And there were some scenes that took a little longer than necessary to execute bumping the runtime up unnecessarily.
The message about equality throughout is as subtle as a slap across the chops with a wet kipper... But the world is in flux at the moment and rightly this message needs hammering home.
All in all, I thought it was very well done and highly enjoyable. If it manifests as you'd hope and becomes the first in a series, then I await with bated breath.
8/10
This was fun and light-hearted for the most part. It was obviously intended for a YA crowd - look at the source material - and I think it succeeds in providing at that level. As an adult, I went in fully aware that it wasn't going to be the same as the BBC's Sherlock so I wasn't disappointed. As others noted, it was a bit predictable, but not enough to ruin it for me. I must admit that I am one who is not usually bothered by the breaking of the fourth wall IF it is used correctly. I felt, in this instance, this was done well and with enough moderation that I wouldn't have normally pointed it out if others hadn't already.
The story was engaging enough - remember this is from a YA book - and the majority of the main characters weren't entirely one-note. Yes, there were a couple of flat supporting characters, but let's be honest, both the Sherlock novels and all the TV/Movie adaptions contain plenty of flat characters as well. The cast was great for the most part. The guy playing Mycroft was a bit blah for me. He was nothing but stiff and angry even in moments were that wasn't really necessary. I will note that I loved seeing some actors pop up that I didn't expect. such as Helena Bonham Carter, I have loved her since Room with a View, and Susan Wokoman (Edith) - check out both Crazyhead and Chewing Gum if you liked her in this one.
Overall, my partner and I both agreed that we would definitely watch another if this ended up becoming a movie series for Netflix.
The Sherlock Holmes tales have inspired countless film and television adaptations, from BBC's Sherlock to the iconic Basil Rathbone movies. Something which the franchise has rarely delved into however is the realm of spin-off material. In some respects this is somewhat surprising, as the Sherlock Holmes stories feature a wide array of interesting characters outside of Sherlock himself. Enola Holmes focuses on the little-known sister of Sherlock and Moriarty, the titular Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), and is based on a series of books by Nancy Springer featuring the sixteen year old child sleuth.
One of my favourite aspects about this Netflix film is that it features a very unique spin on the detective tale. Instead of our lead interacting solely with the characters within the picture, Enola constantly breaks the fourth wall and gives various knowing looks to the camera. This fourth wall breaking style is something that has been utilised on a frequent basis on television (most notably in the sketches of Morecambe And Wise and in the sitcom Miranda), but it's rarely seen in the film. The Deadpool films and The LEGO Batman Movie of course do something very similar, but Enola Holmes is one of very few examples of cinema adopting this approach. It's a shame because it works extremely well, immediately making you feel engaged with the narrative, and inviting you as the audience to act as another character within the screenplay.
The film revolves around Enola's attempts to track down her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), who has gone missing, and along the way we meet a variety of larger than life characters who either knew Eudoria or connect to the mystery as a whole. My favourite of these encounters has to be martial arts instructor Edith (Susan Wokoma), whose status as Enola's first teacher and rather enigmatic stance in regards Eudoria's disappearance creates a certain level of intrigue which really adds to the movie's mystery tone. There's clearly a lot about Eudoria which we don't know; she's essentially a living cypher waiting to be unravelled, a puzzle waiting to be solved. She may not be physically involved in much of the narrative, but her presence is very much felt as this figure who keeps her cards very close to her chest.
When Eudoria does eventually show, it makes for a somewhat bittersweet moment. There's clearly a lot of emotional baggage left unresolved by their reunion, but both us as the viewer and Enola as our heroine are very much happy to see her appear safe and well. It's great that her return doesn't nullify the harsh disappearing act she made at the beginning without so much as leaving a note for her poor daughter. I think with plot points like this it's important to show that these scenarios are not simply just resolved by showing up again and giving a hug. Eudoria still abandoned her daughter, and left her wondering if she was even still alive. It's abundantly clear that Enola is hurt and upset by her own mother choosing to abandon her like she did, as it's reflected in Millie Bobby Brown's excellent understated performance, and I hope they explore this further in the upcoming sequel.
One of the clear highlights of this film is the casting of Henry Cavill of Sherlock and Sam Claflin as Mycroft. These two actors are excellent in their portrayals of these iconic characters, offering a substantially different and distinctive portrayal to the Sherlocks and Mycrofts that we are used to. In this film, Sherlock and Mycroft assume more of an antagonistic force, with the pair trying to locate Enola whilst Enola is trying to avoid them. Mycroft in particular is more villainous in his portrayal, as he displays a determination to place Enola in a finishing school for young ladies which Enola has no interest in attending. It's a fresh spin on characters who have been portrayed numerous times in multiple forms of media, and it means that this film stands apart from past works inspired by Arthur Conan-Doyle's stories.
This addition of more iconic elements of Sherlock mythology is however something I would have liked to have seen a little more of in the film. Whilst Jack Thorne's screenplay overall is excellent, with a highly engrossing sense of childlike whimsy, there are some noticeable absences of certain iconic characters within Sherlock lore. It's fun getting to see Lestrade (played brilliantly by Adeel Akhtar) trying to hunt down Enola at Sherlock and Mycroft's request, but it would have been nice to have seen John Watson incorporated into this story, as well as the likes of Moriarty and Mrs Hudson. Hopefully we get to see these characters feature in the sequel, as it seems odd to watch a film set in the Sherlock universe without them present.
One person I did not expect to see present was the actor Burn Gorman, who gets a decent sized role here as an assassin sent to kill Enola's new friend Twekesbury (Louis Partridge). Burn Gorman is best known for playing Owen Harper in Torchwood, and had seemed to somewhat disappear following his time on the show. Here he plays a character called Linthorn, and it's great to see him back. He's amazing in a role that is worlds away from Owen; here he's expected to play a colder and much more menacing figure, and he plays it with such a looming presence that he sends chills down your spine as a viewer. This is someone you really wouldn't want to cross in a dark alley, and it's a testament to Burn Gorman's acting talent that he manages to play both roles so convincingly despite of their extreme contrasts.
Overall, Enola Holmes is one of the highlights of Netflix's otherwise spotty cinematic track record. Jack Thorne's screenplay delivers a fun, whimsical and truly unique approach to the world of Sherlock Holmes, although the omission of certain characters from Sherlock lore can't help but feel a little noticeable as the film progresses without so much as a reference to these individuals' whereabouts. Enola Holmes is a highly engaging piece of filmic entertainment, and proof that it's about time more Sherlock Holmes spin-offs were made available to watch.
A film adapted from a young adult novel, so of course Enola Holmes will feel a little bit teen-like at times, including the looking-at-the-camera shtick that instantly reminds me to Dora the Explorer as well. As a young adult film it has the complete setup: bits of romance, bits of adventure, bits of rebellion-against-authority. When treated as such, it's an okay film.
But the problem is not that - the problem is, being a Netflix film, sometimes it can feel like a bit too tokenist. Like the a bit too on-the-nose portrayal of feminism with today's generic idea about woman's self individualism (and inclusion of Wollstonecraft) and anachronism like jujutsu in the United Kingdoms in 19th century (and I'm not sure if the word "feminism" already gained traction in the time period). Which is fine, if the film spends a little bit time on exploring what really bothered women at that age, or at least giving more screen time to Eudoria instead of through simple exposition.
Speaking of Eudoria, the ending is not too convincing, as it is revealed that Eudoria left Enola for her to choose and craft her own path. It felt like gaslighting and some sort of retcon to me. 1) Should a mother who left her daughter without giving any reason speak that way after raising her with supposed love?; 2) Did not Eudoria plan some sort of revolution with bombs and all - that Eudoria end up saying that Enola could change the world better than her, through a liberal, stereotypical "your love and kindness changes for the better" sort of made Eudoria look like an awful parent instead of a potential revolutionary. Netflix wants feminism, but it wants to play within the most convenient power structure, which makes this film - like many Netflix films that sell feminism - a bit too tokenist for me.
Review by mjBlockedParent2020-09-24T16:36:04Z
THIS MOVIE IS JUST SO MUCH FUN!! (◕◡◕:cherry_blossom:) I came for the stacked cast and because I'm a sucker for lighter period pieces. Henry Cavill is such a delight as Sherlock (I am looking DIRECTLY at it (º﹃º ) ), Sam Claflin is surprisingly convincing in the stereotypical uptight Mycroft role (I had to get out of the Finnick Odair headspace, oops), but the real joy is seeing Millie Bobby Brown shine as a lead. Newcomer Louis Partridge is ADORABLE too; their on-screen chemistry was great.
Once I got used to the constant breaking of the fourth wall (like, this was Dora the Explorer levels of fourth-wall breaking), it's such a fun watch. I'm trying to think of another adjective for fun, please bear with me. The jokes landed, and I was constantly giggling at Enola's interactions with all of the characters. Honestly, it just makes me want to read the books that this is based off of. While the plot is predictable at times, I think it stands well for a younger audience, which leads me to my next point: why was this rated PG-13? I would compare this movie to Emma Roberts' 2007 Nancy Drew film, which was rated PG and had the same vibes, just in a modern setting. In Enola, there's no cursing at all, and any intense scenes are few and far between, to the point that I would think it wouldn't have been too difficult to rewrite for a PG rating. Like, SPOILER: I was NOT expecting to see that one guy clonk his head and die like that. LMAO. AND THE GRANDMA SHOOTING MY BOY POINT BLANK? BRO. Either way, it's not really a complaint from me, just a note that this movie definitely is yearning to be a family feature, but not quite getting there if you have younger sensitive kids.
Anyways, give this one a watch if you're in the mood for a light, fun (I didn't think of another adjective I'm sorry) mystery that you can easily follow along. I appreciate the relevant themes of being seen in an environment that tries so hard to turn a blind eye. If you're a sucker for these cliches (me), this movie will definitely inspire you to chase your dreams or whatever LOL.