Enola Holmes was a fun watch. I have my quibbles, but they are more than offset by the enjoyable bits.
Millie Bobby Brown plays Enola Holmes, the movie’s namesake. She’s the very younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. The movie is based on the first book in The Enola Holmes Mysteries series by Nancy Springer.
When Enola’s mother Eudoria Holmes disappears of course Enola must go looking. Fortunately, she’s well trained for the task. Enola’s mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, has a dim view of Victorian norms and trained her daughter well in scholastic and physical education. Enola does, however, have much to learn about Victorian society.
Millie Bobby Brown was a great choice for Enola Holmes. Her energy and sensibility around the character carried me along. The writing and directing played to her strengths. There are some delightful moments where Enola breaks the fourth wall, as well as fun graphics accompanying some of the voice-overs. Not everyone is a fan of these, I’m a sucker for them when they’re well done.
Every heroine needs a great villain to shine. Enola Holmes has three! The first and second are Victorian societal norms in general, and Victorian societal norms personified in Mycroft Holmes. The patriarchy was never so smug and self-assured. The third is Burn Gorman as the henchman Linthorn. His character is a pure trope, but the malice of Gorman’s Linthorn brought a sense of genuine danger, ramping up the tension.
Henry Cavill‘s Sherlock Holmes is a scene-stealer. Fortunately, his presence is sprinkled in the movie keeping the focus on Enola. Rather than play mentor, his Sherlock provides the foreshadowing of Enola’s success and an eventual counter-point to Mycroft’s fusty ways.
The quibbles? Too much story momentum is lost switching between story-lines. The story dragged in places. And Fiona Shaw as headmistress Miss Harrison was completely wasted. The writing did not do her justice.
There’s more than enough fun to offset the quibbles. And the quibbles are mine, yours might be different! So go find out, I think you’ll enjoy the journey.
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