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I admire Robert Downey Jr. and positively love Jude Law, but I’m not entirely sure about this new update to Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if Robert Downey Jr. is right for the role (but hey, his wife is the producer), and I’m not sure if Sherlock Holmes should be more “action-oriented”, or reinvented for modern audiences’ sensibilities. I’m also annoyed that once again the leading lady/love interest is 13 years younger than her male counterpart. (I suppose I should be grateful she’s actually 30, rather than 21.) Here’s a clip from Entertainment Tonight featuring the movie’s three stars:

(If you can’t see the vid, go here .)

Downey can certainly be charming, intelligent, and quick-witted, so he may well turn out to be a wonderful Sherlock. I can actually see him having a delightful chemistry with Law, who is more than capable of bringing either serious drama or quirky humor to the role. I’m intrigued by Downey’s assertion that they’re bringing out Doyle’s actual intentions for the character, rather than reinventing him out of thin air. Certainly our visions of Holmes have been colored over the years by film and TV incarnations that may have skewed our perception of the author’s original vision.Considering the level of talent, I’m willing to gamble on the new Sherlock Holmes, and hope that it will be worthy of the hype. We’re still a long way off from enlightening trailers and reviews, as the film won’t open until Christmas of this year.

*SPOILER ALERT*  So this is the final installment of Gattaca, Jude Law and Ethan Hawke screencaps. It’s all about the pretty men, this time, and meaningful glances. Most of the screencaps take place near the end of the film, when Vincent (Hawke) is about to go on his long-awaited flight into space, leaving Jerome (Law) behind.

This is just after the scene where Jerome covers for Vincent with the policeman. In order to maintain the illusion of his character, Jerome had to pretend not to be paralyzed. In one of the film’s most moving scenes, Jerome drags himself all the way up a spiral staircase to get himself into a chair on the upper level where the main door is. When the crisis is over, Vincent carries Jerome back down to his chair.
(*Click* pics for larger versions)

It’s a strong moment between them. They’ve done a lot for one another, and they know their lives wouldn’t have been the same, or as good, if they hadn’t met. Jerome has helped Vincent realize his dream, and Vincent has taken good care of Jerome–they’ve been each other’s family.

The goodbye scene. There’s definitely a lot of emotion here, though it’s quietly expressed. One could say there is a small amount of sexual subtext, though really it’s more about love and understanding. On Jerome’s part, it’s perhaps more about affection. Earlier on, Vincent tells Jerome he needs to have people over whose company he doesn’t have to pay for. While these two do have a mutually beneficial business relationship, it develops into a friendship much stronger than a mere “arrangement”. So Jerome does have someone who will touch him without him having to pay for it–Vincent. And we can see in Jerome’s eyes how much Vincent has meant to him.

The final message from Jerome to Vincent…

That last look, a sort of conspiratorial “we got away with it”.

You have to admit, the looks are also slightly carnal. And Jerome even says, “I gave you my body”–sure, he was only talking about “genetic material”, but it has a double meaning. And there’s the lock of hair–again, a dual interpretation. It’s another layer to the story, another layer to their relationship, and it’s a strength of the film. Like I said before, writer/director Andrew Niccol knows how to take these sterile environments and wring a lot of emotion and meaning out of them. I’m excited about the prospect of another sci-fi film from his imagination.

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Ethan Hawke, Jude Law Gattaca screencaps, c1997, Columbia Pictures.

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