Chip Kaufmann’s Pick:

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

This film was brought to mind by the recent release of the film Mr. Holmes (see my review this issue) about an elderly Sherlock Holmes. Thirty years ago producer Steven Spielberg and director Barry Levinson concocted this fanciful tale about how Holmes and Watson met in boarding school and first began to solve crimes.

The story borrows heavily from Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. After becoming friends Holmes and Watson set out to solve a recent series of murders and uncover a secret society that has roots in Ancient Egypt. The movie also explains Holmes’ attitude toward women and introduces him to a future nemesis.

As one would expect from Spielberg, the production values are lavish (perhaps too much so) and the technical aspects of the film are quite impressive. The music score by Bruce Broughton is in the full blown John Williams tradition. The screenplay by Chris Columbus of Home Alone and Harry Potter fame is very much in the spirit of Conan Doyle.

The performances by a cast of relative unknowns are of the highest caliber. Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox are a perfect young Holmes and Watson while Sophie Ward (daughter of actor Simon Ward) is both lovely and intelligent in the mold of Hermione Granger (I’m sure a young J.K. Rowling was influenced by this film). Anthony Higgins as a sympathetic school instructor also scores high marks.

Young Sherlock Holmes isn’t a great film and it has no pretensions of being one. It is first and foremost high class entertainment, slickly done, that sets out to keep the viewer engaged and it succeeds admirably. Fans of Holmes and Harry Potter will have a field day and a good time is guaranteed for all. Incidentally the movie Sherlock Holmes seen in Mr. Holmes is Nicholas Rowe 30 years later.

Michelle Keenan’s Pick:

Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)

Out this month on DVD is Thomas Vinterburg’s (The Hunt), an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. For a costume drama that received little promotion at the time of its release it had a surprisingly long run in WNC. If you didn’t happen to catch it but you enjoy a good costume dram, don’t tarry. Treat yourself to this little gem.

The photography is sumptuous, the acting pitch perfect and the narrative is streamlined with respect to the source material, and due respect to running time. It not only surpassed expectations, but will no doubt be on my top ten list at year end. This came a pleasant surprise to me as did not recall particularly liking the book in high school. In fact I was quite aggravated by the story’s central character. Adding to my general aggravation was the 1967 film adaptation starring Julie Christie. What some considered epic, I considered bloated.

Vinterburg’s distillation is beautifully streamlined. Far From the Madding Crowd tells the story of Bathsheba Everdine (Carey Mulligan), a strong-willed, independent young woman in Victorian England, and her relationship with three suitors; the stoic yet quietly charismatic sheep farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthais Schoenaert, Bullhead), the mild-mannered gentleman Mr. Boldwood (Michael Sheen), and the dashing but rakish Sergeant Troy (Tom Sturridge).

Orphaned as a young girl and raised by an aunt, Bathsheba is educated but not of person of means. When an inheritance jettisons her position to a member of the landed gentry, she becomes an oddity for the age – a single woman and business owner, running a productive farm.

Her new-found financial independence also gives her the ability to thwart marriage proposals. While she’s not eager to marry, she does not toy with the affections of her suitors. She is honest, candid and kind. However, her fierce independence does not mean she possesses emotional intelligence. This is an attribute that comes with time, and lessons learned via poor choices and bad judgment calls. While romance may be at the heart of Far From the Madding Crowd, the story is made all the richer with layers of societal mores, prevailing attitudes, and personal growth.

I was unconvinced that Mulligan was the best choice for the role as Bathsheba, but she absolutely shines. It may be her best performance to date. Sheen gives a heartbreakingly delicate performance as the as the melancholy Mr. Boldwood. Sturridge is solid as the sword wielding Sergeant Troy. But it is Matthais Schoenaert who damn near steals the show as Farmer Oak. The Belgian actor’s English accent has been criticized by some, but (for me) it matters not.

Schoenaert inhabits his character with a strength and grace that is positively arresting. You hang on his every word (spare though they may be). He and Mulligan have good chemistry, which serves the film’s narrative to great effect.

Far From the Madding Crowd’s target audience is obviously the Merchant Ivory costume drama type; a demographic that will no doubt be pleased with the results. It may, however, interest younger filmgoers to know that Bathsheba Everdine was the inspiration for Suzanne Collins’ character, Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy. Perhaps they’ll be motivated to explore the story that helped influence a beloved heroine for their generation. I myself will be revisiting the film when it arrives on DVD August 4.

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence.