‘Enola Holmes’: Film Review
Taking a new twist on the original tale, Enola Holmes brings us a fun and family friendly version of what is normally a dark and intense story.
If you’re anything like me, then you love any Sherlock Holmes adaptation; for example, the Robert Downey Jr movie duology and the Benedict Cumberbatch tv show are both fantastic crime thrillers.
There’s a lot of good things about Enola Holmes, it has very different themes compared to the other aforementioned adaptations. It’s funny, charming and delightful. The writing is brilliant, and the director Harry Bradbeer really makes the story come alive.
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I don’t think the movie would have been as exciting and fresh without Millie Bobby Brown who’s just perfect in the role of Enola. Dazzling and captivating, she is endlessly watchable and her effortless performance makes the movie feel so natural.
The addition of incredible actors like Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter was wonderful, both of these actors never fail to amaze and perform their roles with great conviction and sincerity.
The story opens with Enola as a precious intelligent young person who is raced off the grid by her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter). She bucks at conventional gender roles and popular trends expected of her as a woman in that time because of the way she was raised, thus becoming essentially a modern heroine in Victorian England.
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The game’s afoot when Enola’s mother mysteriously disappears, leaving Enola modest clues and income for her to find her. So, Enola takes her life into her own hands and escapes from the clutches of her brothers and the very traditional finishing school they have locked her in.
While she is out in the world, searching for her mother, Enola stumbles upon Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) and finds herself unwillingly sucked into the drama of his life. At first, it bothered her greatly, but as time passes, she becomes increasingly fascinated by him and the mystery of who is trying to kill him. So begins Enola’s own story that could rival her older brother’s claim to fame.
The creativity of having Enola consistently breaking the fourth wall is excellent and was definitely a fun tool to communicate Enola’s intelligence, humour and playfulness. It works very well to lay out the analytical thought process that is critical to any story with a Holmes in it.
This is a story about change that is fitting for our time more than ever. It has a beautiful charm to it with how much of an influence her mother is on her and how she challenges those who wish to keep her down. Additionally, her character and Tewkesbury’s really match well and emphasise the uniqueness of young people and their ability to change the world.
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Although I love a good feminist movie, sometimes they can overly emphasise the “I don’t need a man” theme. Here, you see an intelligent girl, logical, but also free to follow her heart, a strong young woman who knows herself better than anyone else. It offers a message to pursue your own path, to make your own choices and become who you are meant to be. That makes a pretty powerful message in my opinion.
I thought the art direction and costume design was absolutely remarkable as they give perfect reflection of the old British era. The cinematography in this movie makes every shot beautiful, with vibrant colours and gorgeous scenery.
If you’re a Sherlock purist, then try to keep your expectations of the beloved characters aside and don’t expect it to be a full-fledged serious crime drama. At the end of the day, it’s harmless fun. But it sure offers you a good time and Millie Bobby Brown is a huge reason for that.
I found this film to be full of action and humour that kept me interested from start to finish. To be completely honest, I was actually made to watch this movie about four times by various family members on the weekend it came out, and I didn’t get sick of it.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys comedy, mystery and adventure.
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