Out of all of the underrated movies that Barry Levinson has made, and there’s been lots of them, The Young Sherlock Holmes might just be his most unsung, as it’s an affectionate love letter to the classic character while going to great lengths to inject its own distinct personality into the proceedings, with a smart and playful script by Chris Columbus that’s much darker than I initially remembered it being. The cast was excellent, with Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox making for a great team as Holmes and Watson, while Sophie Ward, Anthony Higgins, Freddie Jones, Susan Fleetwood, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths rounded out the classy and authentic ensemble. The film looks absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous widescreen lensing by Stephen Goldblatt, who stressed smoke and shadows, and evocative art direction and costumes which bolstered the Amblin production. While not a massive box-office hit, I’d like to hope that this movie has found a healthy life on video, and I think it’s totally worthy of the Blu-ray treatment.
Podcasting Them Softly 