"SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS" (2011) Review

"SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS" (2011) Review

Following the success of his 2009 movie, "SHERLOCK HOLMES", Guy Ritchie returned to helm a sequel about 19th century detective Sherlock Holmes' battle with his famous arch nemesis, Professor James Moriarty. Both Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their roles of Holmes and Dr. John Watson.

Loosely adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's 1893 short story called, "The Final Problem", "SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS" picks up sometime after the end of the 2009 movie. Thanks to Irene Adler's disclosure of the master criminal, Sherlock Holmes has been investigating Moriarty's activities. The latter brings him to the attention of Irene, who is still working as an agent for the professor. He follows Irene to an auction, where she delivers a package to a Dr. Hoffmanstahl as payment for a letter he was to deliver to Moriarty. The package holds not only money, but a bomb that would have killed Hoffmanstahl, if Holmes had not intervened. Unfortunately, Hoffmanstahl is assassinated upon leaving the auction house. And when Irene meets with Professor Moriarty to explain the events, he poisons her, deeming her compromised by her love for Holmes.

Holmes reveals to his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, that Moriarty might be connected to a series of murders, terrorist attacks and business acquisitions. During Watson's bachelor party, Holmes meets with the Gypsy fortune-teller Simza, the intended recipient of the letter he had taken from Adler. It was sent by Simza's brother Rene, who has been working for Moriarty. Holmes defeats an assassin who had been sent to kill her. Later, Holmes meets with Moriarty after Watson's wedding to Mary Morstan. Moriarty informs Holmes that he murdered Adler and will kill Watson and Mary if Holmes' interference continues. After Holmes help Watson and Mary fight off attack by Moriarty's men aboard a train during their honeymoon, the two men travel to Paris to find Simza. Their journey to Paris, Germany and Switzerland lead them to uncover a plot by Moriarty to instigate a world war and profit from it. This plot will be set off by an assassination at a peace conference in Switzerland.

Although the movie was a hit at the box office, it received mixed reviews from the critics. A good number of them and moviegoers claimed that although it was entertaining, it was not as good as the first movie. In my review of "SHERLOCK HOLMES", I made it clear that I enjoyed it very much. And I still do. But after watching "SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS", I realized that the villain's plot featured in the first movie struck me as a little . . . illogical. Using the illusion of sorcery to assume control of the British Empire? James Moriarty's plot to assume control of the arms market in Europe and instigate a world war for profit strikes me as a lot more logical. And James Moriarty made a scarier villain than Lord Blackwood.

Another advantage that this sequel has over the first film, was the change of location in the second half - from Paris to Germany and later, Switzerland. I loved it. The color, squalor and grandeur that production designer Sarah Greenwood, cinematographer Philippe Rousselot and the visual effects team created for Victorian London in "SHERLOCK HOLMES", were not only re-created for the same setting in this new movie, but for also late 19th century Paris, Germany and Switzerland. My only quibble about the movie's German setting is that Kieran and Michele Mulroney's script failed to inform moviegoers the name of the German town where Holmes, Watson and Simza found themselves.

One outstanding sequence featured a gunfight between Holmes, Watson and Mary and Moriarty's men, disguised as British Army troops. Not only did I find it very exciting, I especially enjoyed that last shot of a half-destroyed train racing forward, with Holmes and Watson staring ahead. But the real outstanding sequence featured the heroes' flight from Moriarty's German arsenal through heavy woods. Yes, Rousselot used slow motion photography during this sequence. A good number of people did complain about it. But you know what? Not only did it fail to bother me, I actually enjoyed it. And watching this sequence made me realize that I would love to see a war movie directed by Ritchie.

As in the first movie, the cast was outstanding. Rachel McAdams returned to give a beguiling, yet brief performance as the doomed Irene Adler. As much as I love this movie, I am PISSED OFF that Ritchie had her character killed. Paul Anderson was very effective as Moriarty's henchman, villainous marksman Colonel Sebastian Moran. By the way, this same character was used by late author George MacDonald Fraser in two of his books, the 1971 novel "Flash For Freedom!" and the 1999 novella "Flashman and the Tiger". Geraldine James made an amusingly brief appearance as Holmes' beleaguered landlady, Mrs. Hudson. Stephen Fry gave a hilarious performance as Holmes' equally brilliant and arrogant older brother, Mycroft. His scenes with Kelly Reilly especially had me in stitches. I was happy to see that Reilly had more to do in this movie, first as one of Moriarty's intended victims, and later as an assistant to Mycroft, as they help Holmes and Watson stop the master criminal. I am a little mystified that Eddie Marsan maanged to receive such a high billing as Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade in the end credits by only speaking one line.

Noomie Rapace was passionate in her portrayal of the Gypsy Simza, who is determined to prevent her brother from makingt the mistake of getting caught up in Moriarty's plot. Jared Harris made a subtle and scary villain in his portrayal of Professor James Moriarty. At first, he did not seem that threatening - almost mild mannered. I supposed this was due to Ritchie and the Mulroneys' decision to give the character a position in society as a reputable scholar within Europe's diplomatic community. Bit by bit, Harris peeled back Moriarty's greed and penchant for sadism.

I am trying to find the words about Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law's portrayals of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. I really am. But what can I say? I know . . . they were perfect. They really were. I am not claiming that they were the best to ever portray the two characters. Frankly, I cannot name any one screen team as the best to portray Holmes and Watson. Some might claim Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Others might claim Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke, or the recent television pairing of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. I refuse to claim that Downey Jr. and Law were better than the other three teams. But I do not believe any of them were better than Downey Jr. and Law. What was their best scene together? Hmmm . . . I find I cannot name one particular scene. Every time they were together, they were magic.

Do I have any complaints about the movie? Well, I did not care for Irene Adler's death, considering the character was a favorite of mine. I found the fight scene between Holmes and Irene's bodyguards a bit confusing and contrived. I wish that Ritchie and the Mulrooney had clarified the name of the German town where Moriarty's arsenal was located. And I finally wish that after the mental strategies of their upcoming fight on one of the balconies at Reichenbach Castle, Holmes and Moriarty's actual fight had lasted a lot longer before the detective pulled his surprise move.

I believe I have said all I could about "SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS". Even though I had a few complaints, I ended up enjoying the movie anyway. Hell, I loved it. The movie became my favorite 2011 movie. Although I had slight doubts, once again, Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law managed to create magic for another Sherlock Holmes adventure.

"GETTYSBURG" (1993) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "GETTYSBURG", Ronald Maxwell's 1993 adaptation of Michael Shaara's 1974 novel, "The Killer Angels":



"GETTYSBURG" (1993) Photo Gallery

Top Five Favorite "THE GOOD WIFE" Season One Episodes

Here is a list of my top five favorite episodes from Season One (2009-2010) of CBS's "THE GOOD WIFE", which stars Julianna Margulies:



TOP FIVE FAVORITE "THE GOOD WIFE" SEASON ONE EPISODES



1. (1.09) "Threesome" - Kevin Conway first appears as the firm's senior partner, Jonas Stern, who is defended by Alicia after he is arrested. Alicia also has to deal with Amber Madison, the prostitute who had slept with Peter, after the latter appears on a talk show.





2. (1.22) "Hybristophilia" - Dylan Baker makes his second appearance as Colin Sweeney, Alicia's wealthy client who is discovered by her, handcuffed to a dead woman.





3. (1.04) "Fixed" - Alicia suspects jury tampering has occurred in a class action suit against a drug company. In a second story line, Peter prepares for his appeal and Alicia is asked to testify on his behalf.­





4. (1.13) "Bad" - Dylan Baker made his first appearance as Colin Sweeney, a wealthy, immoral client of Alicia's; whose innocence she questions in the death of his wife.





5. (1.02) "Stripped" - Alicia and Will represent a stripper who had been raped at a bachelor party by the groom, a man from a wealthy Chicago family. Also, Alicia confronts Peter about his indiscretions and the kids find doctored photos of Peter’s indiscretions, but hide them from her.­

"The Power of One" [PG-13] - 7/20

"THE POWER OF ONE"

PART VII

While Cole busied himself with putting the finishing touches to the Lamb Kidneys Madeira that he had prepared, Andre entered the penthouse's kitchen. "Is everything ready?" the latter asked.

"Yeah," Cole replied. He picked up the platter of lamb kidneys and carried it over to the dining table. Andre placed a dish of Artichokes Bernaise on the table, next to the kidneys. "I only hope this doesn't get cold, before the ladies arrive."

Andre shook his head in disbelief. "Man, how in the hell did you find the time to prepare all of this?"

"Left the office, early." Cole's eyes closely examined the table's settings. He spotted one of the knives out of place and corrected the mistake. "Don't worry about Cecile. I had dropped her off at Macy's downtown for some shopping. Olivia should have picked her up, by now."

Andre shot back, "I didn't ask."

"Yet." Cole glanced at his friend. "So, how was your day?"

The houngan's mouth opened momentarily. Then he shut it. "Oh, what the hell!" he finally said. "I've already told Olivia and her grandmother."

Cole frowned. "Told them what?"

A brief pause followed, before Andre declared with a smile, "I plan to ask Cecile to marry me."

After Cecile's revelation of her plans to dump Andre, Cole realized that his friend's news came as a great surprise. The half-daemon stared at his friend with a stunned expression. "Say that . . . Are you serious? You really plan to marry Cecile?"

"Well, if she accepts my proposal." Andre sighed. "I know. You're a bit surprised. To be honest, I've been thinking of marrying her ever since Bruce and Barbara's wedding. But . . . okay, maybe I was a little afraid over how she would react. You know Cecile. She tends to keep her feelings to herself, sometimes."

Cole murmured, "No kidding."

Andre stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

The other man continued, "Anyway, I wasn't sure if Cecile might be interested in marriage. She always seemed so independent, sometimes. You know - 'me against the world'." Andre frowned. "God, I hope I'm wrong."

Cole replied before he could think otherwise, "Don't worry. You're not."

Once more, Andre stared at the half-daemon. Hard. "Now, what in the hell did you mean by that?"

Realizing that he had nearly broke Cecile's confidence, Cole shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just . . . Never mind."

"No, you were about to say something about Cecile. What?"

Cole muttered a silent oath. For once in his life, he had failed to keep his big mouth shut. Perhaps he was growing soft in his increasing age. He took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know how to tell you this. But . . . Cecile plans to break up with you."

"What?" Disbelief shone in Andre's eyes.

"She plans to break up with you," Cole repeated. "Cecile's tired of being a girlfriend. She told me that she wants . . . more. Something better. She then told me that what she really wanted was . . ." The doorbell rang. Cole turned away. "Huh, looks like they're here." He walked over to the door.

Andre cried out, "Hey! What exactly does she want?"

But Cole barely heard his friend's words. Opening the door, he found Olivia and Cecile standing in the hallway - dressed for dinner. "Ladies," he politely greeted. "Dinner is ready."

Both women nodded mutely and entered the penthouse. Judging from their expressions, neither seemed to be in a positive mood. Cecile wore a sullen expression. And Olivia looked as if someone had stunned her with a cattle prod. Cole shot a quick glance at Andre and noticed that the latter did not look any happier. The half-daemon sighed. It promised to be a long and difficult night.

-----------

Daley closed the book on her kitchen table, with an air of satisfaction. Then she held up the amulet that hung around her neck. She had no idea that the object she now possessed, held so much power. The amulet had been created by a dominion spirit named Caspiel. According to the book she had just finished reading, Caspiel's amulet blocked the magical and psychic abilities of all beings - aside from fellow dominion spirits. Caspiel had also created a dagger that could kill any being - magical or otherwise with a mere stab wound. That is . . . any being aside from a dominion spirit or deity. Apparently, Caspiel had lost track of both the amulet and the dagger, a long time ago. Daley wondered if he still existed.

The amulet did present one problem. Olivia McNeill had spotted it. And seemed very curious, when Daley tried her level best to make sure that she did not have a chance to examine. The sorceress realized that she had to do something about that. Killing the witch seemed out of the question. At least for the moment. However, replacing the amulet with another that bore a strong resemblance seems like a possible solution. Not only would Daley be able to fake out the curious witch, she could hide the genuine amulet in a pocket.

A quick glance at the calendar on the kitchen wall told Daley that the half-moon would arrive on the day after tomorrow. She had everything needed to perform the ritual - except for one item. A strand or two of Wyatt Halliwell's hair from his hairbrush should do the trick.

Once she manages to acquire the infant's powers, one last task was needed to complete the ritual. Namely the baby's death. Daley winced inwardly at the idea of killing a nine month-old baby. But it had to be done. With Wyatt still alive, the danger of someone reversing the ritual would remain constant. Especially since the baby's mother happened to be acquainted with a Vodoun priest and priestess. The moment she finally possess the infant's powers, Daley would have to kill Wyatt. The only question remained was . . . how.

------------

Cole woke up the following morning with great reluctance. He would prefer to remain in bed. Especially after last night's near disastrous dinner. But he had a job to deal with. And there was the conversation that he and Andre needed to finish.

Hardly a soul had exchanged a word, last night. Except to praise Cole's cooking. Or comment about some recent incident - like Cecile's business deal with the McNeills or the latest demonic attack upon Wyatt Halliwell. Olivia had brought up the subject of Wyatt's new nanny, but one glare from Cecile had ended the topic. Yet, not once did anyone discuss the cause of the tension that had sprung up between the two couples. With emotions seemingly at the breaking point, no one dared.

Once Olivia and Cecile had left, Cole had intended to finish his conversation with Andre. Only, the houngan decided that he needed a breath of fresh air and left for a walk. By the time he had returned, Cole was fast asleep.

After the half-daemon took his morning shower and dressed for work, he went into one of the guest bedrooms to talk with Andre. Only the houngan was nowhere to be found. Either the latter had failed to return from his walk. Or Andre had left early to avoid another conversation. Cole heaved a frustrated sigh and continued to finish preparing for work. After gathering his trench coat and suitcase, he beamed to the floor below the penthouse and rang the doorbell to Olivia's apartment.

The redhead immediately opened the door. "Hi," she greeted quietly.

"Hi." Cole flashed a brief smile before exchanging a light kiss with Olivia. "Is Cecile ready?"

Olivia's expression became strained. "She will be in a few minutes." Then she stepped aside, and allowed Cole to enter the apartment. Once she closed the door, she added, "Uh . . . I realize that it seemed a bit tense at dinner, yesterday. And the reason is that Cecile had told me some weird ass news. It seems she plans to break . . ."

". . . break up with Andre," Cole grimly finished. Olivia's green eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, she told me the day before yesterday."

"What? You mean to say that she told you first?"

Cole sighed. "Olivia, I had noticed that she had been acting weird, so I dragged it out of her." He paused. "And I just told Andre, yesterday."

Shaking her head, Olivia commented, "No wonder he seemed subdued, last night. So much for his plans for a wedding."

"Oh, so he also told you about that?" Cole heaved another sigh. "Hmmm. Well, I guess it won't happen, after all. Just as well, I guess."

Olivia stared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Oh God! "What I mean is . . ." Cole broke off, as Cecile entered the living room.

The New Orleans woman eyed the couple suspiciously. "What's going on with you two?" she demanded.

"Nothing." Cole returned her gaze with an innocent expression. He wondered if the Vodoun priestess knew that he and Olivia had been discussing about her and Andre. "Are you ready?"

Cecile murmured in a morose voice, "Yeah. Let's go." Before she reached the door, she stopped abruptly and glanced around. "By the way," she said with a frown, "where's Andre?"

"He wasn't in his room, when I woke up," Cole answered. "I guess he decided to head for Olivia's shop a little early."

Olivia added, "It's possible. He has a key."

Cecile sniffed. "Hmmm. Well, let's go." She started toward the door. Cole followed. "See you, Livy."

As he followed Cecile into the hallway, Cole overheard Olivia's voice. "I'll call around lunch." But Cecile was already halfway down the corridor.

----------

A quick glance at the radio clock on her night table told Phoebe that it was thirty-seven minutes past eight, this morning. And that she was running late. She bit back a frustrated sigh and continued to dress. Since it seemed obvious that she would not make it to the office on time, she might as well not bother to rush.

Once she finished dressing, the middle Charmed One picked up her purse and briefcase, and left her bedroom. She marched along the hallway, when she heard humming from one of the bedrooms. From Wyatt's nursery. Phoebe decided that a quick good-bye kiss to her nephew would not hurt. She peeked inside the room and found Wyatt fully awake and playing with a red ball inside his crib. The new nanny sat in a nearby chair, fiddling with Wyatt's hairbrush.

"Good morning!" Phoebe cheerfully greeted.

Ms. Thompson - or Donna, as she preferred to be called - glanced up with a gasp on her lips. "Oh! Uh . . . good morning. Um . . . don't you usually leave a little earlier?"

"I'm running a bit late, this morning." Phoebe strode into the nursery. "That's a nice tune you were humming. I've never heard it, before."

Donna's shoulders sagged with relief. Curious. "Oh that," she replied. "It's just an old tune that my mama used to sing to me. I think it goes back to the time of slavery."

"Oh . . . uh, how . . ." Nearly at a loss for words, Phoebe finished lamely, "how historic. Huh. Oh well. I . . . I just wanted to say good-bye to Wyatt." She approached the crib and lifted her nephew from the crib and into her arms. Then she rocked him for a few seconds, before planting a light kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you later, young man," she said in a baby voice. Phoebe returned Wyatt to inside his crib and turned to Donna. "I guess I'll be seeing you later."

The nanny responded with a polite nod. Phoebe headed for the door. For some unexplainable reason, she paused and glanced behind her. And saw Donna remove a strand of hair from Wyatt's brush and place it on . . . something. A handkerchief? A piece of paper? Suspicion welled within the Charmed One. What did Donna want with . . .?

"Phoebe!" Piper's voice cried from downstairs. "Let's go! You're already ten minutes late!"

Donna glanced up. Phoebe shot the nanny a quick smile and disappeared into the hallway. The Charmed One found her older sister in the foyer, donning a suede jacket. "Well, it's about time!" Piper grumbled. "Next time, learn to set your clock before you go to bed. What the hell happened to you, this morning?"

A breathless Phoebe reached for her coat. "It's nothing. I . . ." Memories of Donna's actions continued to tug at her thoughts. "Piper, are you sure that you did the right thing in hiring Donna?"

Piper frowned at the younger woman. "What? Did you have a premonition or something?"

"No, I . . ." Phoebe hesitated, before she proceeded to tell her sister what she had witnessed just a few minutes ago.

A mixture of disbelief and scorn filled Piper's dark eyes. "C'mon Phoebe! You've got to be kidding! You're suspicious of Donna, because she was cleaning Wyatt's hairbrush?"

"I think she was placing his hair in a handkerchief, or a napkin or something," Phoebe indignantly shot back. "Don't you find that strange?" She donned her coat.

"No. But I do thank her for being neat," Piper sarcastically replied. "Phoebe, has it ever occurred to you that she was preventing Wyatt's hair from falling on the floor?"

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but could not find an argument to Piper's suggestion. "I guess not."

"Okay honey," Piper said, patting Phoebe's shoulder. "You've had your shot at being Nancy Drew for the day. It's time for you to be 'Dear Phoebe'. Let's get to work."

A sigh left Phoebe's mouth, as she followed her older sister out of the door.

-----------

The moment that Phoebe Halliwell's figure disappeared from the doorway, Daley heaved a heartfelt sigh of relief. Talk about close call! For a moment, she feared that the amulet no longer worked on the seer.

She overheard the front door slam shut. The sorceress smiled and resumed her task. After removing the last strand of hair from Wyatt's brush, she placed it on the handkerchief in her lap. Then she folded the piece of cloth and placed it, inside her purse.

Daley's smile stretched wider. Mission accomplished.


END OF PART VII

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY", the new adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the movie stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley: 


"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

"LOST" (2004-2010): Favorite Character Centric Episodes - Part III

Below is Part III of a list of my favorite episodes featuring "LOST" characters:



"LOST" (2004-2010): FAVORITE CHARACTER CENTRIC EPISODES - Part III


Claire Littleton



1. (1.10) "Raised By Another" - Claire endures a series of bad dreams of someone attacking her, which leads to Hurley checking the plane's passenger list. Flashbacks reveals Claire's discovery of her pregnancy and a psychic urging her not to hand over the baby for adoption.




2. (2.15) "Maternity Leave" - When Aaron becomes sick, Claire, Kate and Danielle Rousseau travel to where Claire was held captive, an abandoned Dharma medical station, in the hope of finding a cure. Flashbacks reveal her memories of being a captive of the Others.





John Locke



1. (3.13) "The Man From Tallahassee" - Locke, Sayid, and Kate encounter the Others' homes for the first time and find Jack relatively happy amongst them. Flashbacks reveal how an encounter with his father left Locke paralyzed.




2. (5.07) "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" - This episode featured Locke's efforts to reunite the Oceanic Six and return them to the island.




3. (1.04) "Walkabout" - Locke leads an expedition to hunt boars, which leads to his first encounter with the Smoke Monster. Flashbacks reveal that he was in a wheelchair before Oceanic 815's crash.




4. (1.19) "Ex Deus Machina" - While searching for a means to open the hatch, Locke discovers that he is losing sensation in his legs. And both he and Boone find a Beechcraft 18 teetering on the edge of a cliff. Flashbacks reveal Locke's first meetings with his parents.





Charlie Pace



1. (3.21) "Greatest Hits" - Desmond Hume has another vision of Charlie's death, but this time his death ultimately will result in Claire's rescue. Meanwhile, the survivors discover that an attack by the others is even more imminent than originally expected.




2. (1.15) "Homecoming" - Claire is back among the survivors, but still has no memory beyond the plane flight. Ethan confronts Charlie, threatening to kill the other castaways one by one until he gets Claire back, leading the former rock star to take action. In his flashbacks, Charlie tries to get drug money by stealing from a rich girl.





Hugo "Hurley" Reyes



1. (4.01) "The Beginning of the End" - Upon learning that Penny Widmore did not send the freighter to find Desmond, the survivors of Oceanic 815 split into two groups led by Jack and Locke. Hurley deals with being one of the "Oceanic Six" survivors in the flashforwards.




2. (1.18) "Numbers" - Hurley finds that some of Rousseau's documents contain the repeated numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42; the same numbers that he had used to win a lottery jackpot. Hurley sets off on his own to find Rousseau.





Jack Shephard



1. (3.22-3.23) "Through the Looking Glass" - Jack's plans to kill a group of Others bent on kidnapping some of the castaway women backfire. The episode also featured scenes of Jack spiraling in drugs and alcohol during his off-island life.




2. (6.14) "The Candidate" - Sawyer and Jack hatch a plan to divert the Man in Black's attention and leave the island without him on Widmore's submarine, but disastrous consequences await them. In the flash sideways, Jack investigates the cause of Locke's paralysis and offers treatment.




3. (1.11) "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" - Jack, Kate, Locke and Boone engaged in a search for Claire and Charlie, who had been kidnapped by Other spy Ethan Rom.




4. (2.11) "The Hunting Party" - Jack leads an expedition to search for Michael, who has left to find the kidnapped Walt. Flashbacks revealed the last days of Jack's marriage.