Review by Kathleen Costa 
It is post WWII. Long retired tohis Sussex farmhouse and suffering from the onset of ‘senility,’93 year-old Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) is greeted by his housekeeper Mrs.Munro (Laura Linney) and her son, Roger (Milo Parker). He has returned from Hiroshima with a questionable treatment using a prickly ashmixture to stave off his mental and physical decline. Dr. Watson is long goneand with a failing memory, he is compelled to pen his last investigation, TheCase of the Dove Grey Glove, before his memory will not allow it. A closerelationship unfolds between Holmes and young Roger often soliciting an opinionabout the case as a mentor would with an apprentice along with sharing the responsibilities for caring for hisapiary. Dr. Watson may be absent, but Roger appears to fill that void ascompanion and caregiver. Image Source Miramax
With troublesome symptoms of senility,Holmes flashes back to his final case and sets out to pen his version of theinvestigation. He recalls, thirty years long gone, a husband Thomas Kelmot(Patrick Kennedy), distraught over the changes he observes in his wife Anne(Hattie Morahan), who is struggling in the wake of two devastatingmiscarriages. The husband is very uneasy with her behavior after she takes aninterest in the glass harmonica…did he hear her call out the names of herdeparted children? As Holmes follows her, he sees evidence of her darkintentions. Approaching her and divulging his conclusions, she asks that theyshare in the strain of their loneliness. His reaction suggesting she return toher husband has devastating results leading to his self-imposed exile.
Seeking a treatment for his mentaldecline, Holmes flashes back to his travels to Japan where he is greeted by Mr.Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada) who confesses he and his mother are fans of hislegendary personae and is eager to find the prickly ash he is sure willsuccessfully manage his symptoms. Mr. Umezaki and his mother are surprised thatmany of the characteristics they were interested in from Watson’s stories hadbeen “created by his imaginative license.” He indicates, “Deerstalker? I neverwore one,” and “I prefer a cigar.” Showing Holmes a letter, Mr. Umezakiexplains that his father went to England many years ago and sadly never returnedhaving indicated in a ‘Dear John’ style letter he sought Holmes’s counsel andadvice. Holmes says he has no recollection of his father saying that he mayhave “wanted a new life.” They part, the young man crushed by Holmes’s words.
Although honesty is the ’bestpolicy,’ Holmes curmudgeon-style can be a brutal pill to swallow, sometimeswith unforeseen consequences, and when young Roger mirrors this style Holmes looksdeeper into his own behavior and that of those around him. He concludes hisstory, has a revelation about Watson’s motives for some of his literaryembellishments, and tries to settle feelings with a truth about Mr. Umezaki’sfather. Life is uncertain for Holmes, but he seems secure in the idea that heis not alone.
This film was the perfect end to alustrous life. Ian McKellen was the epitome of the iconic figure, and MiloParker, as Roger, emulated well Watson’s caring companionship and delight in learningfrom Holmes. The added focus on Holmes’s ‘bees,’ prickly ash, and royal jellyled me to seek out more information wondering if there is a natural therapy formy own occasional lapses in memory. I teared up when Holmes created his own‘circle of stones’ similar to that which he observed in Japan, and Roger goes off to teach his mother about thebees.
As a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ fan,this movie earned a 5/5 pots of honey and royal jelly!
Be a Fan!www.mrholmesfilm.com