Year Released: 2022
Directed by: Harry Bradbeer
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Louis Partridge, Helena Bonham Carter
(PG-13, 129 min.)
Genre: Mystery and Suspense, Thriller, Drama, Action and Adventure

“You can’t control Enola Holmes. She’s a force of nature.” Edith, a fellow feminist and friend

Even more fun than the original. Enola is still a feisty feminist, but she is more human, vulnerable, and compassionate, too.

Rather than eschewing romance, the film is marinated in it, or at least dipped in it for this saucy tale. Yes, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) still calls Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) a “nincompoop,” but this time it is tinged with affection, and the young viscount has come of age in more ways than one. He is no longer in Enola’s shadow, nor does he need to be rescued as he was at least 3 times in the original.

In fact, in one of the better scenes of this sequel, he is actually her teacher as Enola tries to absorb the intricacies of ballroom dancing from him in a quick session. He is the one in charge here, and Enola proves herself a quick study, as the two glide across the floor for a brief interlude.

A beautiful scene only demeaned by the fact their “miniature ballroom,” marbled and elegant, is, in fact, a bathroom, as we find out when someone ventures in to use the facilities for something other than waltzing.

***

The case itself, derived from actual history, fits in perfectly with the Victorian period, this time focusing on a missing girl who disappears from a match making factory, invoking Hans Christian Anderson’s “Little Match Girl” tale about a dying child’s dreams and hopes. The plot is also reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ bleak portrait of cruelty in a brutish London, especially its treatment of children.

***

The writers have made a wise choice in ditching Enola’s elder brother Mycroft, since in the original he is thoroughly transformed from Sherlock Holmes’ “smarter brother” into a prissy misogynist entirely motivated by Victorian chauvinism and his own lust for power.

Sherlock himself (Henry Cavill) fares somewhat better in this film, too, although the scene where Enola has to rescue her very inebriated brother from the gutter doesn’t ring true to real Holmes’ aficionados. Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective might dress the tramp or play the drunk, but these were roles he easily discarded, often coming as a complete surprise even to his sometime roommate and biographer, Dr. Watson.

And I assume the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate, which sued Netflix for making Holmes too kind and caring as a violation of the author’s copyright, will not necessarily be too happy with this film either, as they still insist that Holmes to be aloof and detached.

Furthermore, the estate, seemingly entombed in its own institutional misanthropy, must certainly be aghast when Holmes tells Little Sis not to end up like him – alone and unloved.

Another change in this second Enola film is the mellowing character of Enola’s mother (Helena Bonham Carter), who turns up “to provide some explosives” and some advice not quite as explosive as her earlier words of wisdom:

“Paint your own picture, Enola. Don’t be thrown off by other people.”

Her advice in this second installment is almost the opposite. Yes, Enola has been strong,

…but perhaps a little lonely. With others, you can become magnificent. Find your allies, work with them, and you will become more who you are. You speak with one voice, and you will make more noise than you could ever have imagined.

An interesting side note is that Enola’s own name, read backwards, becomes alone, and in the first film that is exactly what Mama wanted for her girl. Now, not necessarily. (Perhaps the writers decided to be a little less strident in this sequel, certainly a wise decision that even the critics laud.)

Set some time aside to watch this delight that is more subtle than the first edition. Just the thing when we are in dire need in the good spirits and conviviality.

–Kathy Borich
🥁🥁🥁🥁

Trailers

Film-Loving Foodie

We have some comic relief when poor Enola finds the brother she adores intoxicated and barely ambulatory in pursuit of one very frustrating case. She actually carries him home, something they throw in for the full “Girl Power” thing, although it seems impossible that the petite Enola could actually carry big brother, especially in the personage of the robust Henry Cavill. Perhaps with the slim Basil Rathbone she might have had a chance…

This is filmdom for you, though, so Enola actually does succeed in getting Sherlock back to his digs at 221 B Baker Street. Not without some effort, at least:

“As it turns out, my brother is medievally heavy. It’s like carrying a dead horse on which sits another dead horse.”

So our appropriate recipe is for Drunken Strawberries, originally published in Different Drummer’s own Appetite for Murder: A Mystery Lover’s Cookbook describing Holmes’ final encounter with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls outside a beautiful alpine village in Switzerland.

Okay, we have left London, but in Sherlock’s inebriated state, his mind could be anywhere, and this delightful dessert fits his state in a way no other could.

Enjoy the strawberries, but avoid their condition unless you want Enola to tote you back home, too.

Drunken Strawberries (Featuring a Fruity Young Pinot Noir)

4 cups fresh, ripe strawberries
2-3 tablespoons sugar
fruity young pinot noir or beaujolais
*creme fraiche

Wash and trim 4 cups fresh, ripe strawberries. Cut into quarters. Sprinkle with sugar and toss. Set aside for about 45 minutes. Serve in large wine goblets with just enough wine to cover the fruit. Dollop with creme fraiche. for added elegance.

*Creme fraiche

Literally fresh cream, creme fraiche is a rich, heavy country cream with a tart flavor, similar to our dairy cream but richer and sweeter. The French use creme fraiche for many purposes, from thickening and enriching soups and sauces to garnishing desserts and pastries. This easy method of creating the cream enables you to produce a variety of fresh-fruit desserts in minutes. To create this simple version, combine 2/3 cup whipping cream with 1/3 cup dairy sour cream

Appetite for Murder: A Mystery Lover’s Cookbook