Enola Holmes Movie Review - Run Enola Run

Millie Bobby Brown brings Enola to life in this not-so-bad detective-thriller that thankfully has more hits than misses.

Probably 30 minutes into the film, and I realized Enola Holmes to be similar to those Disney films and remakes: The visuals are appealing, and the emotions are just enough to cue tears on point. Further into the film and a Disney movie did strike into my head. It came out to be Artemis Fowl. And the scene, in Enola Holmes, that implanted this seemingly preposterous idea in my brain was...well, do you recall Dom's "death" scene in Artemis Fowl? If yes, then my condolences with you. Anyway, Enola Holmes features a similar "death" moment along with the dialogue in the end, which informs us about the path chosen by the protagonist. Thought it would be nice to put out my "great" observation. Don't bother much with this comparison because Enola Holmes is far superior to the Disney cash-grabber(s). This, however, doesn't equate this film with being the best. Pity, as an interesting turn, could have been taken to tell the same story. Much like Scoob!, the route taken to explore this origin story remains okayish as other exciting ideas jump out the window.

Enola, when reversed, spells alone. Played charmingly by Millie Bobby Brown, her childhood is spent learning chess, jujutsu and reading every book in Ferndell Hall, courtesy of her mother Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter). Eudoria wants her daughter to be free from bookish knowledge and stereotypical society. The mutual love for word games extends to cryptic messages. The father is out of the picture and the older siblings out on their paths. The house is occupied by Eudoria and Enola (and a maid.) The name is insisted upon because according to her mother, "You'll do very well on your own, Enola." All is fun and games until one day, on her sixteenth birthday, Eudoria goes missing. Enter Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and the famous Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill). The former becomes her legal guardian, and you do not want to come under his wings if flight is what you desire. Sherlock is assigned the task of finding their mother. Since the title of the film speaks otherwise we know who will use their grey cells shall we say more quickly?

The trailer and the premise hint at this mystery-solving adventure. Enola Holmes, though, is not exactly about finding a missing someone but about finding oneself. The adventure part remains. Enola runs away after Mycroft decides to send her off to a boarding school. He wants her to be like a "normal" woman (see Mulan). That and also because she figures out some clues about the whereabouts of her mother. Since the brothers are not exactly working at a fast pace, she starts her own investigations. In the words of Thanos, "Fine. I will do it myself."

On the train, she comes across Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), the Marquess of Basilwether. An awkward romantic track is set in motion. Praise be to the performances that keep this development watchable. Thank goodness the Tewkesbury kid knows a thing or two about flowers as they spend the night in a forest. I forgot to mention that Viscount is running away from his family. A near-death experience has taught him to live every moment. His motto: YOLO. But a man in a brown bowler hat, Linthorn (Burn Gorman), wants him dead. And his employer is...that's for you to find out. I admit this aspect felt less intriguing than the one behind Eudoria's disappearance. When the mysteries behind both Eudoria and Viscount are revealed, the former comes off more fascinating, and I wish it was held by a satisfying conclusion. It's not that the latter is bad. It's just meh.

The special effects, production value and costumes are well-crafted and constructed. London looks gorgeous (except for a terrible shot of a train passing on a bridge close to the camera.) Cinematographer Giles Nuttgens' creates pretty frames to look at. When Enola walks with Viscount's grandmother, she says, "It is lovely here." Indeed it is. The low-angle, wide-shot makes it majestic.

The winner, of course, is Millie Bobby Brown. She walks away with the cake. Few actors look so sweet, adorable and relatable when breaking the fourth wall. Brown is one of them. When she talks to us, the camera becomes invisible, and it feels like we are present in the moment as she narrates or recalls the various incidents to us. Even her stare is so friendly and inviting. Watch her giving a mischievous wink before getting out of the bucket and striking a shot on the opponents head. She may have learned martial arts, but the enemies are older and more muscular than her. But they lack the wit and intelligence of Enola, and she uses both her physical and mental strength to win a fight. Director Harry Bradbeer does a fine job in fleshing out a sixteen-year-old Enola. His experience in working on Fleabag (one of my favourite show) may have helped him here. Millie Bobby Brown makes Enola Holmes, and there is no other argument around it. She keeps up and delivers even when the material, in some places, fails. Henry Cavill is fine as Sherlock giving a balanced take on a popular character. Oh, the smile which breaks on his stern face is a sight to behold. As Mycroft, Sam Claflin is okay, and so is Louis Partridge. Helena Bonham Carter is in a wonderful form. She doesn't let the limited screen time be a hurdle in her path.

Enola Holmes opens with Enola cycling through an empty landscape. It closes with her cycling through a crowd. We will have to wait and see if she works alone like Sherlock or finds a mate like Watson. Mate if you notice can be rearranged to form team. Perhaps, I should not indulge in word games.

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