This is a very intriguing adaptation of Sherlock Holmes as a drug addicted has-been whose best friend Dr. Watson convinces his good friend Holmes that there is someone who can bring Holmes back to the man and sleuth he once was. Dr. Watson convinces Holmes that the man who can save his best friend is the renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Sigmund Freud. If this were the films only plot it may have been enough of a story to satisfy an audience. However there is more to this film and to the viewers pleasure we have a crime that has occurred while Sherlock is under the care of Dr. Freud which means that these three problem solvers, Holmes (Nicol Williamson), Watson (Robert Duvall) and now the famous Dr. Freud (Alan Arkin) are connected at the hip to each other as they try and solve who kidnapped one of Dr. Freud's other patients, a woman named Lola Deveraux under his care who also suffered from an addiction to cocaine and who has appeared to have relapsed.
Once Holmes is on the case he quickly assesses that the beautiful redhead Lola Deveraux (Vanessa Redgrave) did not relapse onto a dependency on to cocaine but was forced to take the drug under duress. As in any good mystery we the audience want to know asap who the bad guy(s) are and Miss Deveraux is able to provide Sherlock and his two partners with a description of a short man with pot marks on his face. This suspect appears to be following the detectives and a chase ensues in which the suspect is captured and identified as a guy named Lowenstein (Joel Grey). With some strong arm tactics Lowenstein spills the beans who kidnapped Miss Deverauz and why they did it in the first place.
The chase continues through the countryside and the vehicle of choice for transportation of the kidnapped victim is a private train, so Holmes, Watson and Dr. Freud decide to hijack a second train and the chase in on baby. The last 30 minutes of the film were the best as the two trains were shown in many different angles continuing through the countryside and the cinematography was awe inspiring. Kudos to the director Herbert Ross (known also for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Play It Again Sam, The Turning Point, The Goodbye Girl, Steel Magnolias and many other Oscar nominated films) for his great use of the camera lens that allows the viewer some panoramic views of the countryside as if we were on the train with the sleuths.
The ending provides some closure for Sherlock Holmes himself with the assistance of Dr. Freud and the audience is left with a happy ending. This is a 1970's film that holds up pretty well even some 40 years later.
I give this film a solid 7 out of 10 rating.
Once Holmes is on the case he quickly assesses that the beautiful redhead Lola Deveraux (Vanessa Redgrave) did not relapse onto a dependency on to cocaine but was forced to take the drug under duress. As in any good mystery we the audience want to know asap who the bad guy(s) are and Miss Deveraux is able to provide Sherlock and his two partners with a description of a short man with pot marks on his face. This suspect appears to be following the detectives and a chase ensues in which the suspect is captured and identified as a guy named Lowenstein (Joel Grey). With some strong arm tactics Lowenstein spills the beans who kidnapped Miss Deverauz and why they did it in the first place.
The chase continues through the countryside and the vehicle of choice for transportation of the kidnapped victim is a private train, so Holmes, Watson and Dr. Freud decide to hijack a second train and the chase in on baby. The last 30 minutes of the film were the best as the two trains were shown in many different angles continuing through the countryside and the cinematography was awe inspiring. Kudos to the director Herbert Ross (known also for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Play It Again Sam, The Turning Point, The Goodbye Girl, Steel Magnolias and many other Oscar nominated films) for his great use of the camera lens that allows the viewer some panoramic views of the countryside as if we were on the train with the sleuths.
The ending provides some closure for Sherlock Holmes himself with the assistance of Dr. Freud and the audience is left with a happy ending. This is a 1970's film that holds up pretty well even some 40 years later.
I give this film a solid 7 out of 10 rating.