A One Mann’s Movies review of “Enola Holmes” (2020).
Bob the Movie Man’s Rating:
Certification:
US: PG-13; UK: 12.
Sherlock Holmes never had a sister. But if he did, what adventures would Enola Holmes get up to? That’s the premise behind this Netflix feature. starring rising star Millie Bobby Brown.
Holmes’ from home. Henry Cavill as Sherlock; Millie Bobby Brown as Enola and Sam Claflin as Mycroft. (Source: Netflix).
A plot’s afoot.
Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) thinks she’s been named as such because it spells “alone” backwards. (But then, she admits, that it doesn’t seem to follow for either kcolrehs or tforcym!)
Enola has been brought up by her dearest mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) to be a strong and confident woman, free of the normal 19th century rituals of ladylike husband-seeking niceties: for her, it’s all mental gymnastics and martial arts. But when on her 16th birthday her mother vanishes, Enola sets out on a quest to find her. But Eudoria is a Holmes, and knows the value of clues and how to cover her tracks.
Of greater concern to Enola is her brother and ward Mycroft (Sam Claflin), who is intent on packing her off to the Victorian finishing school of Miss Harrison (“Killing Eve’s” Fiona Shaw). But while trying to escape from her brothers – not a trivial matter when one is the famous detective Sherlock (Henry Cavill) – Enola encounters a Marquess on the run (Louis Partridge) and adventure, intrigue and murder are on the cards.
A walk in the country for Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) and Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). (Source: Netflix).
Brown is a talent
Filming in this “Fleabag” style – where the lead is constantly breaking the fourth wall – requires a confidence in delivery that many young actors would struggle with. But not Millie Bobby Brown. Her asides and camera glances – while not quite as skillful as the astonishingly accomplished Phoebe Waller-Bridge – are nonetheless impressive and constantly entertaining. An underwater wink at the camera was particularly enjoyable.
So… actress – tick!
But perhaps more impressive to me was that the 16 year old – most famous for her role in “Stranger Things”, which I still haven’t watched – was also a PRODUCER of this movie. Which makes me think she is a serious person to watch in the movie business (if there ever is a movie business left after 2020). I read that she is the youngest person ever to appear on the annual list of the “world’s 100 most influential people” by Time magazine: so others agree!
Almost not needing to act you suspect! Helena Bonham Carter as Enola’s kooky mother. (Source: Netflix).
Great support
The supporting case are a broad array of British acting talent, with Henry Cavill being particularly appealing as Sherlock, Burn Gorman at his slimy evil best as a murderous henchman, and Sam Claflin being as anonymous as I always find him. (That’s a compliment by the way: whereas I see some actors and think “oh, there’s <<Tom Hanks>> again”, I never recognise Claflin until the credits role… he is a chameleon of the acting world).
But acting the socks off everyone else for me is Frances de la Tour as the Marquess’s grandmother. A deliciously twinkling and charming performance from an old dame of the screen.
Acting royalty from Frances de la Tour. (Source: Netflix).
Enola Homes: Ritchie revisited
The similarities with “Fleabag” are not coincidental, since the director is Harry Bradbeer; director of all of the episodes except the original pilot. But it’s unfortunate in some ways that the style has been interpolated into the Holmes story. Since, of course, this approach was previously done by Guy Ritchie in the two very entertaining movies featuring Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law. And for me, that’s a shame. Since although the styles are markedly different – here we have a lot of Paddington-style cardboard animations – the “feel” of the films is the same. As such, it doesn’t feel as novel as it should do.
Why couldn’t she have been someone else’s sister? Houdini perhaps? Or Oscar Wilde?
“Before we do the cut, we really need to wash your hair”. Linthorn (Burn Gorman) gets a tad rough with Enola. (Source: Netflix).
Is a sequel on the cards?
As two hours of entertaining escapism, Enola Holmes worked well for me. Brown is eminently watchable, and given the Netflix response to the movie, a sequel would be – I expect – on the cards.
But, please Netflix, in a week where both Cineworld and Odeon cinema chains have made strong noises about shutting up shop, please release this stuff to the big screen first…. the industry seriously needs a blood transfusion if Bond is not going to deliver the goods.
There’s one MAJOR negative I haven’t yet mentioned…. I now have that bloody ear-worm from OMD’s “Enola Gay” embedded in my brain. That’s me haunted for the next week.
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0Zf9sXlHk.
NOTE: MILD SPOILERS IN THIS THREAD
Disagree. What a disappointment. Yes, Millie is great, but she is let down by the story. If you want to see Millie at her best, watch Stranger Things (which is awesome). P.S. Why is Mycroft evil in this version?
P.P.S. Why the hell did Enola’s mum leave her? And more to the point, why on earth does she think this would be good for her 16-year old daughter??
Millie is a rising star for sure. And agree the screenplay (at least the story) could have been stronger. There are surely easier ways to achieve the “outcome” than murder… er…. kidnap? I didn’t see Mycroft as particularly evil… just enforcing the norms of the day, which I would suggest are woefully misrepresented in most other modern films! In some ways it’s a nice counterpoint to the emancipation story. And re mother’s departure, if you have Bonham Carter as your mum, what do you expect! I was reminded of the story Richard Branson tells of being let out of his… Read more »