Saturday, October 22, 2005
The 'Masterpiece Theater' season opener reflects the detective's drug use.
By HAL BOEDEKER
ORLANDO SENTINEL
The world's most famous detective receives a riveting makeover in PBS' "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking." Rupert Everett embodies Holmes with the appropriate mix of chilly glamour and haughty intelligence.
But Everett also stamps the role with sadness, suggesting the genius is losing his edge from drug use. Dr. Watson reaches out to "save a dear friend from killing himself with narcotics and boredom."
The two-hour film, premiering Sunday at 9 p.m. on "Masterpiece Theatre," is an original screenplay that shrewdly builds on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation. It surpasses a "Masterpiece Theatre" version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" two years ago
How could that be? That mystery is easily solved.
Allan Cubitt adapted "Baskervilles" and wrote the new film. Ian Hart appears as Watson in both productions. This time around, however, both deliver first-rate work.
Credit must go to Everett, who replaces Richard Roxburgh as Holmes. Everett bolsters his colleagues by making the detective every bit as intriguing as the mystery.
Cubitt highlights the contemporary angles of this story, set in 1902 London. Holmes still amazes in the "CSI" era, even if his approach to evidence and psychology are elementary. Watson's fiancee, Mrs. Vandeleur (Helen McCrory), is an American psychoanalyst who points Holmes to the latest findings on perversions.
Falling short
Not all of Cubitt's devices work. He lets Holmes and Watson do impersonations. Holmes, usually the master of disguise, is no match for Watson at mimicry. The tone wobbles. Some bits are better suited to "CSI": a glimpse of a decaying corpse, a how-the-killer-works sequence.
"Silk Stocking" is another serial-killer story, and that could be a turnoff. This time around, a killer is stalking young women and leaving a stocking in each victim's throat.
No matter how well-worn the setup, Cubitt's main plot twist is surprising, frightening and well-acted. Director Simon Cellan Jones vividly creates a foggy atmosphere and stages a chilling sequence in a cemetery.
Ultimately, this mystery becomes a powerful anti-drug story. Holmes acts so cruelly that he astounds friends. He works in confounding ways, setting a dangerous trap and appearing in a young woman's bedroom unannounced at night.
You might think the script takes too many liberties with a classic figure, but Holmes' addiction gives Cubitt the freedom to experiment. Everett skillfully balances confusion with brilliance.
"There is nothing more stimulating than the case where everything turns against you," Holmes says.
The sleuth might be off his game a bit, but this franchise is resilient and timeless. "Silk Stocking" is an engrossing opener for the 35th season of "Masterpiece Theatre." Good show!