Mr. Holmes.

Once upon a time, Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) was England's greatest detective. His mind performed feats of deduction when it came to spotting minute details and combining them to form the big picture, which always ended up with the right solution. But now, at 93, Mr. Holmes is just an old man who has completely retreated, caring only for his bees. But in seclusion, the master detective must contend with his worst enemy yet: steadily advancing dementia. But before the veil of forgetfulness finally settles over his brilliant mind, Sherlock Holmes is desperate to solve the case that led him to quit being a detective thirty years ago. With the help of eleven-year-old Roger (Milo Paker), the son of his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney), the old man wants to put together the pieces of the puzzle he can still remember to finally find the truth. But does he have enough time to do so?

Sherlock Holmes is currently more popular than it has been in a long time. After Guy Ritchie's successful feature films, the modern TV adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in particular provided an extreme surge in popularity. Mr. Holmes offers another unusual twist on the familiar material, as the film visits the retired hero of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. Directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), Holmes has become a grumpy recluse who doesn't exactly have the sympathies of his peers on his side. Especially his housekeeper gets on his nerves with his bossy tone. But Mr. Holmes is also a broken man, desperately fighting against oblivion to finally find out the truth about his latest case.

Of all things, a young boy manages to break through the hard shell Holmes has built up around himself. An unlikely friendship develops between the two, which the superb Ian McKellen and the young Milo Paker (Ghostbusters) believably convey to the screen. It is thanks to them and the other actors that Mr. Holmes, despite some somewhat tame moments at the end, has become very rousing cinema that entertains rather in a subtle, restrained way and touches emotionally. However, suspense should not be expected here. That's what the other Holmes incarnations that are so rampant in various media are for. This Holmes is rather something for lovers of subtle dramaturgy, light humor and great acting.

However, very nice is the little allusion to the wonderful 80s movie The Secret of the Hidden Temple, in which Sherlock Holmes had to solve his first case as a schoolboy. The main actor from that film, Nicholas Rowe, can be seen here in a short sequence in the film version of a Sherlock Holmes adventure that Mr. Holmes is watching in the cinema. And if you pay close attention, you'll spot other allusions to the classic Holmes from 221B Baker Street. But primarily the story derives its appeal from the assumption that Holmes is a real-life figure who has become a myth through the novels of his friend Dr. Watson, who here seeks to prove his own greatness once again at the end of his life's journey.

If you appreciate quiet narrative cinema and want to see an outstanding Ian McKellen, you can't go past this unusual Sherlock Holmes variation. However, those expecting the pace, wit and suspense of Sherlock and co. may be disappointed by the aging Mr. Holmes. Nevertheless, there is from me a very clear: Worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp