Mystery Movie Review - Enola Holmes 2

I reviewed the first movie in this Netflix movie franchise (click here).  While Sherlock pureists won't like this for the few liberties taken to fit a younger sister into the Holmes canon, this is still a great Sherlock-adjacent mystery/adventure.  Originally based on the books by author Nancy Springer with 6 books in the series thus far at this writing.

What it's about:

"Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and opens her own agency -- only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isn't as easy as it seems. Resigned to accepting the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister. But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world -- from London's sinister factories and colorful music halls, to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself. As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends -- and Sherlock himself -- to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again!" IMDB

Cast:

Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes

Henry Cavill (Superman) as Sherlock Holmes

Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown as Princess Margaret, The King's Speach, Harry Potter as Bellatrix Lestrange) as Eudoria Holmes -Enola's mother

Louis Partridge as Tewkesbury

David Thewlis (Prof Lupin in Harry Potter, Wonder Woman)

Susan Wokoma

Rotten Tomatoes and critics reviews:

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

"These Enola Holmes films are just great, striking an excellent balance of action, witty humor and a dark edge." Tim Cogshell, FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

"The plot hitches up its skirts and races along from the very first scene and the style and tone very much echo the original with Enola’s occasional cheeky fourth wall breaking..."  Paul Mount, Starburst

"Enola Holmes 2 triumphantly builds on the first film with added layers of charm, action, empowerment, and even a bit of romance." Kristen Maldonado, Pop Culture Planet

"While much of writer Jack Thorne’s screenplay copies tropes from the previous film, the additional Sherlock Holmes lore that is expanded in this film, and the return of the characters we love, make this adventure well worth taking." 

Josh Flanders, Chicago Reader

"Even though it’s a sequel, set in a familiar world with characters who have appeared on screen in countless iterations, Enola Holmes 2 still manages to feel fresh."  Kimber Myers, Crooked Marquee

My Thoughts:

Pure entertainment and a fresh character in Enola. Millie Bobby Brown provides us with a determined, smart, and capable young woman with just enough comedic touches and vulnerable moments to make her endearing. This second outing is a challenge for a movie to try to replicate the magic of the successful first movie.  But, this second Enola may be even better than the first with so many twists and non-stop action (you might need a nap after watching it!)  I love this second movie, I recommend for a fun movie with plenty of action.

Movie Trailor:

https://youtu.be/KKXNmYoPkx0

Musings - Locked Room Mysteries

Locked-room murders are located in a confined space where no one can enter or leave without being seen.  Making it an impossible murder.  It can be more than a single room, but also trains, planes, boats, elevators, cars, isolated island, trapped at a beach resort or ski resort, and so many others.  This is popular because it is not only a "whodunit" but a "howdunit".  The solutions are often clever and rely on questioning all assumptions.

The first locked room mystery was the1841 Edgar Allen Poe story Murders in the Rue Morgue where fictional detective August Dupin investigates two murders in a locked room on the fourth floor of a house.  In 1907 French author Gaston Laroux published The Mystery of the Yellow Room and he is often credited with the first locked-room murder novel.  The Mystery of the Yellow Room is certainly given more critical aclaim than Poe's Murder in the Rue Morgue and gets mentioned with praise in John Dickson Carr's novel by his detective as well as the incomperable Agatha Christie has Hercules Poirot likewise praise the novel.  

Agatha Christie wrote the most locked-room mysteries and provided us with perhaps the most famous example in And Then There Were None were ten people are stranded on an island and begin to be killed off one-by-one.  

The 1980's television series Remington Steele had one episode, In the Steele of the Night, where a murder took place on an elevator between floors and nobody else in the elevator.

Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes solve a traditional locked-room murder in The Speckled Band.  Author John Dickson Carr was also considered the master of locked-room mysteries.  Ruth Ware has written two notable locked-room mysteries, The Woman in Cabin 10 and One by One.  

Are you a fan of the locked-room murder mystery?  What is your favorite?  What locked-room mystery have you read recently?  Please share in the comments.

Movie Review - Enola Holmes

Movie Blurb: "When Enola Holmes—Sherlock’s teen sister—discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother Sherlock and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord. Starring Millie Bobby Brown,  Henry Cavill (Superman), and Helena Bonham-Carter (Harry Potter and  King's Speech)."

What's it About?:  Enola Homes is based on the first book in the young-adult fiction series by Nancy Springer. The story is about the teenage sister of the already-famous Sherlock Holmes, who travels to London to find her missing mother but ends up on a thrilling adventure, pairing up with a runaway lord as they attempt to solve a mystery that threatens the entire country.  

Enola's mother, and therefore Sherlock's mother, raised her in seclusion to be smart and capable of defending herself.  It becomes clear that the Holmes matriarch had something planned or was hiding from somebody.  This adds to the overall mystery.

A Change Of Plans:  The movie was originally planned to be release by Warner Bros. Pictures in movie theaters, but then Covid hit.  The distribution rights for the film were then picked up by Netflix and the release was solely on the paid subscription site on September 23, 2020. 

Reviews:  It received overall positive reviews from critics (91% Rotten Tomatoes and praised Brown's performance). It was one of the most-watched original Netflix films with an estimated 76 million households watching the film in the first four weeks of release.  

Peter Debruge of Variety called the film an "entertaining franchise starter" and praised Brown's performance and found the film "more tasteful in its high-energy storytelling than Guy Ritchie's recent Sherlock Holmes.

Legal Troubles: However, the Conan Doyle Estate filed a lawsuit against Netflix over the film.  The estate claims the movie violates copyright by depicting Sherlock Holmes as having emotions.  It seems that the few stories in the Sherlock canon that were written with Sherlock displaying any emotions (in 1923 and 1927) haven't reached the 100 year copywrite expiration.  Henry Cavill said that his portrayal of Sherlock was "a lot more emotional to begin with, so we pared it back, and we said, 'alright, let's not make it too emotional'."  My thoughts on the lawsuit is that an actor does have some artistic license to portray a character and make it his.  That is what acting is all about.

My thoughts:

I love the idea of Sherlock having a sister and Enola seems perfect.  She is unexpected, smart but is still honing her deductive skills, impetuous, wily, and yet still a touch naïve and trusting.  I adore Henry Cavill's portrayal of Sherlock and how he would feel towards a younger sister.  I grant you the movie is more of an intrigue tale than a sleuthing story, but I also think it needed to wow audiences to ensure a follow up movie.  The good news is that there will be a second movie and it should start filming this fall.

Overall, it is an entertaining movie with excellent acting and the story keeps moving.  I enjoyed this far more than the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock franchise - by far!  I loved it and highly recommend.  If you haven't seen it yet, treat yourself.

Movie trailer: https://youtu.be/y0f2xmjjUyI

Review - The Hollow of Fear

I have been a fan of this new series that re-imagines the Sherlock mythos since the debut, A Study in Scarlet Women (click here) followed by the second book, A Conspiracy in Belgravia (click here).  Charlotte is presented with the highest stakes yet that challenge her considerable intellect as the murder strikes too close to her personal world.  

Author: Sherry Thomas

Copyright: October 2018 (Berkley) 336 pgs

Series: 3rd in Lady Sherlock Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild with innuendo and adult topics

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy, Historical suspense

Main Characters: Charlotte Holmes, disgraced upper class woman who creates the Sherlock Holmes identity

Setting: 1886 Stern Hollow England, Lord Ingram's Estate

Obtained Through: Library Find

From the book cover: "Under the cover of "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don't. 

Moriarty's shadow looms large. First, Charlotte's half brother disappears. Then, Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte's close friend Lord Ingram, turns up dead on his estate. And all signs point to Lord Ingram as the murderer.

With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to seek out the truth. But uncovering the truth could mean getting too close to Lord Ingram--and a number of malevolent forces..."

Charlotte Holmes is blond, pretty, very feminine, too fond of sweets, and far too intelligent for the time period. She considers how much dessert to eat based on how many chins she has at the moment.  Her sublimated feelings for Lord Ingram are tested as she must come to his rescue and keep him from a death sentence for a murder he didn't commit.  Her disguise is both brilliant and hilarious at times.

Lord Ingram Ashburton, a long time friend who accepts Charlotte for who she is, has been set up but good for murder.  His feelings for her plus any personal issues around his strained marriage may unintentionally get aired as she is undercover in his household.  Mrs. John Watson, a retired stage actress who has become her unique and talented sidekick aids as usual.  Inspector Robert Treadles even comes out from London with his superior to investigate and his loyalties and prejudices alike are tested. Mrs Watson's niece, Miss Redmayne, joins the team for a cameo performance.  Charlotte's sister, Olivia, is even in the thick of story as she ends up at a neighboring estate that has a problem causing all the guests to relocate to Ingram's estate.  Olivia's character is developed more than before and the reader becomes more invested in her and the rarely heard of third sister Bernadine.

Stern Hollow England, Lord Ingram's Estate, is a beautiful setting now tainted by murder.  The setting hints that all is not as the surface appearance makes you believe. Excellent use of the setting.

The plot has many twists and deceptions upon deceptions. Because of this and the character development, it is near impossible to put down.  I am a slow reader and read it in about 36 hours.  Once you get to the killer reveal, you are left with your mouth open and stunned.  Yes, stunned.  Excellent final twist.  The wrap up leaves you aching for the next installment.  

The attraction between Lord Ingram and Charlotte gets new complications in this novel. The writing style is superb and contains a sophisticated handling of the plot to prevent revealing too much too soon. I highly recommend this novel.

Rating: Near Perfect - Couldn't Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.