You Know His Methods, Watson

[dotinthesky]

I remember how Guy Ritchie's second film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels brought him popularity when it was released, and the follow up Snatch didn't do too bad either. At least I remember everyone in Brasil (apart from me) liking them. Then he met Madonna and got married. Everything after that - Swept Away, Revolver, etc - was panned and ignored by the public. Then he got divorced from Madonna... and came up with Sherlock Holmes, which is getting bums on seats and some awards on the back of Robert Downey Junior. Was Madonna a curse to Guy's career? It's elementary, my dear reader.

Madonna is to films what Morrissey is to up-and-coming bands. It's famously known that any young band that gets Morrissey's seal of approval finds itself sunk after a year or two (some, like Suede, managed to outlast the curse, but just...) Now just imagine if you are a film maker and you marry Madonna! That's like a believer in David Icke's Reptoid Hypothesis suddenly finding himself marrying into the Royal Family.

Sherlock Holmes isn't a too shabby film; it's a perfect, and somewhat traditional, rolicking adventure involving a pair of detectives fighting to stop an evil genius. Think cop buddy films. Think 007 as well as the (now badly dated) 80s adventure The Young Sherlock Holmes. To me, Downey Junior is the reason for watching it: he brings his usual touch of camp to the dialogue that is just a pleasure; he's also a great physical actor not afraid to show off his diminutive frame (unlike Tom Cruise). Jude Law isn't too bad either but, between Downey Junior and the great Mark Strong playing the evil Lord Blackwood, he's left stranded in the background. The cinematography is just gorgeous, even if there's some confusion as to where things are located in London, and I also loved some of the gypsy-like percussion and strings in Hans Zimmer's soundtrack.

It has put me in the mood for reading the original Sherlock Holmes stories (which I remember very well being completely different from the film) as well as watching more Downey Junior films. I never thought I'd say this... but I'm looking forward to Guy Ritchie making a sequel out of this!

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Madonna was good in three films:

1) A league of their own. A small role in which she played a tart, so little acting required and her leaden presence didn't overload the film.

2) Desperately Seeking Susan. Despite the character being in the title, another small enough role in which she played a cheap and sociopathic tart. No acting required, merely a need to pose around looking iconic.

3) Evita. AS there's no dialoguiie she couldn;t mess it up with abd delivery, but acting through musical performance is within her skillset. And again getting to stand around looking iconic, and playing a highly ambitious sociopathic tart.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

I agree. She was especially great in A League of Their Own.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

So perhaps the Madonna curse fell into place just after Evita? Maybe someone in Argentina did some black magic on her.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Not if we consider the existence of Who's That Girl, Shanghai Surprise and Body of Evidence.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

For me, it's made me want to watch some of his older stuff. Have just added Chaplin to my Sofa Cinema list!

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

He's also really good in "Restoration" as are both David Thewlis and Sam Neill (as King Charles II, complete with spaniels).

OK so Meg Ryan is absolutely bloody appalling in it, not just overacting but sporting the most nightmareish "begorrahbegorrah" accent, but you can't have everything.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

I really liked this film. I am excited about this franchise and really proud of Guy Ritchie. Nothing like your biggest worldwide success to put a break-up behind you and kick sand in the face of the overly self-important religion-hopping aging poptart who left you in the lurch.

Also, I have such love-hate for Robert Downey Jr. since he is just the High School Drama Club president sort of Actor that has annoyed me all my life, but I can't help still sort of loving him and being attracted to him and watching almost everything he does. I am with this Holmes to the bitter end, when Law and Downey do some corny Matthau-Lemmon style reunion in 30 years time.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Since they are not sticking religiously to the books, they can run this thing for as long as they want. As long as they don't do a "Batman and Robin" on it.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

How funny, midway through the film I thought to myself "I guess the next one will be 'Holmes and Watson'"!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Like minds, etc. ;-)

[standardfeature.livejournal.com]

Madonna is a curse on everyones career. When they got married the first thing I thought was "Oh God, there goes Guy's career." She's some strange career succubus.