Young Enola Holmes. This was surprisingly sweet
and enjoyable for what is basically a teen adventure tale. A Victorian Nancy
Drew of sorts with better martial arts. And two famous brothers. It is based
on the series of Enola Holmes Mysteries which I had never heard of because
they are for Young Adults which I left a long time ago. It makes me pleased
though to know that such a series exists. Bring them into the Sherlock Holmes
world and perhaps many will jump over to his stories. Enola is played by
Millie Bobby Brown who was sixteen when the film was made. She was also one
of the producers. How the hell does someone become a producer at 16? She
was also listed as one of the world's most 100 influential people by Time
Magazine. At 16? How does that happen? No wonder the world is slowly slipping
into chaos and anarchy but with terrific TV shows. Greta I get but a teenage
actress. Oh, she was the main character in Stranger Things. I loved that
show. How did I not recognize her in this. The British accent must have thrown
me. But she is in fact British. Anyway, she is very fetching in this. I could
see her in a Jane Austin adaptation.
And speaking of not recognizing people. I used to have an amazing ability
to remember faces - not names - but I could see someone on a subway and if
I saw them a month later in a restaurant I would remember them. I have lost
my super hero ability - now I barely recognize myself in the mirror. So I
was watching the TV show The Witcher and around episode four I thought to
myself, the Witcher sure looks like that guy who played Superman. And
it was. Henry Cavill. So in this one I am about halfway through the film
and it strikes me that Sherlock sure looks like the guy who plays the Witcher
who plays Superman. Henry Cavill again. The cleft should be an easy giveaway.
He gets around.
Ok - there is a film here which announces its teenage intentions and pretensions
early on with lots of cute touches and Enola speaking constantly to the camera
and making aren't I adorable faces. Well she is. She is the much younger
sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes who left the family home years before
and never went back, She has been brought up by her mother (Helena Bonham
Carter) to be able to think fast and hit faster. On her 16th birthday mom
takes a powder and the brothers return to put Enola into a Society Girl's
School where the girls are taught all the necessary skills in life - embroidering,
proper table manners and speaking oh so refined. Enola wants none of that
and escapes on a train where she meets a young Viscount (Louis Partridge)
who looks to be part of a Victorian Boys Band. He has also escaped his family
and it turns out someone is tracking him down to kill him. The killer is
played by the terrific Burn Gorman who was so good in Bleak House and who
I recognized from behind which is kind of weird.
So Enola goes to London - takes on various disguises - to look for her mother
using clues her mom left behind and then to save the Viscount. Sherlock and
Mycroft pop in from time to time. For what it is trying to be, it is quite
good - a slickly plotted adventure for the family - it is from Netflix with
excellent production values and a pristine period London. There is a sequel
in the works because this was one of the provider's biggest hits. A good
film to watch with your daughters. Then teach them some judo.
