Neil Fox on film: Sherlock Holmes in the spotlight

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

First of the big Christmas releases is the follow-up to Guy Ritchie’s smash hit reboot of the legendary detective mystery character.

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A film I have to admit, I enjoyed, despite my utter disdain for Ritchie as a filmmaker. With a fun, entertaining script he can deliver.

The inevitable follow-up is more of the same, but focuses on the shadowy figure that loomed large over the first movie and in Holmes land in general, the figure of Moriarty.

​All the key figures and actors return, which is welcome, and the new additions are fine, with Stephen Fry excelling as Holmes’ brother, Mycroft.

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The story sees Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) discover a plot of global terror and destruction masterminded by Moriarty and heads off round the world with Watson (Jude Law) in tow to put a stop to him.

As it’s a sequel, the action is bigger and wider and more expansive and for the most part it’s as fun as the first, thanks to the chemistry of the leads and the thankfully minimal instances of sequelitis.

Again, it has helped that Ritchie hasn’t written it and that in Jared Harris he has cast a truly superb and Machiavellian Moriarty.

Meet Me In St Louis

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Christmas may be a time for nostalgia and repeats but sometimes it throws up a gem amongst the dross. One such gem is this remastered and reissued musical directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland.

Full of fabulous musical moments such as The Trolley Song and, of course, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, it is a glorious technicolor tale of a close family used to small town ways facing the upheaval and uncertainty of a move to the big city.

Impeccable filmmaking, a great movie for Christmas and playing in a big city near you from Friday.

Me? I’ll be seeing it for the umpteenth time at the BFI in London over the festive period.

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