Product Details

• Actors: Rupert Everett, Nicholas Palliser, Neil Dudgeon, Ian Hart, Anne Carroll
• Directors: Simon Cellan Jones
• Writers: Allan Cubitt, Arthur Conan Doyle
• Producers: Allan Cubitt, Elinor Day, Gareth Neame, Greg Brenman, Kate Murrell
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Warner
• DVD Release Date: October 25, 2005
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AOEMVY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,545 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery & Suspense Masters > Sherlock Holmes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking is an excellent Sherlockian pastiche, i.e., part of a genre of original works featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most beloved character, but taking various liberties Doyle most likely would not have embraced. Rupert Everett gives a wholly original performance as Holmes--not an easy thing to do in the shadow of Jeremy Brett's definitive portrayal on Britain's Granada Television in the 1980s. Both Everett and the story capture Holmes during his most dissolute period, hooked on opiates, refusing to eat, and more often than not without the company of his friend, Dr. Watson (Ian Hart, essaying the character a second time), who had left Baker Street to pursue a private practice and marry his second wife. This is Holmes deep in the career crisis eventually resolved by his duel with Moriarty in Doyle's canon, but in The Case of the Silk Stocking the Great Detective is vexed by a murderer preying upon the daughters of London aristocrats. Elements of the killer's sexual fetishism make this a particularly grim tale that the discreet Watson would most certainly not have chronicled. The dark but imaginative tale is lightened a bit by the presence of Watson's fiancee (Helen McCrory), an American psychiatrist as aghast as she is impressed by Holmes' lack of emotional attachment to his work. --Tom Keogh

Product Description
When the murder of a penniless shopgirl is linked to the body of debutante Lady Alice Burnham, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Rupert Everett) immediately begins to piece together the clues. The murky world of the menacing London docks collides with the glamour and glitter of Edwardian high society as Holmes and Dr. Watson (Ian Hart) are reunited to solve a case that threatens to overwhelm the privilege and tranquility of aristocratic society.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Simon Cellan Jones (Director) and Elinor Day (Producer)
Biographies:Cast bios

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sheer Burlesque., October 25, 2005

By	mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking" was written by Alan Cubitt based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic "Sherlock Holmes" characters. This story finds Sherlock Holmes (Rupert Everett) semi-retired and Dr. John Watson (Ian Hart) engaged to be married to outspoken American psychiatrist Mrs. Vandeleur (Helen McCrory). When the body of an aristocratic young woman is found on the banks of the Thames, strangled, with a silk stocking stuffed in her mouth, Holmes takes the case. When another young woman of high birth is abducted, it becomes clear that a fetishistic serial murderer is preying on the daughters of high society.

The Sherlock Holmes of "The Case of the Silk Stocking" is smug, cheeky, flippant, and, frankly, unethical. He bears no resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character. All period films are to some degree burlesques of the era in which they take place, but this one is over-the-top. Rupert Everett's Holmes makes no attempt at being a Victorian or Edwardian gentleman. He acts like a spoiled pseudo-intellectual dandy home from university. Some of his actions would be outrageous even now and are certainly preposterous in a film that takes place in 1903. Alan Cubitt made no attempt at writing his characters in their own era. Ian Hart does a decent job as Dr. Watson, and he coincidentally played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a brief scene in 2004's "Finding Neverland" about author J. M. Barrie. Audiences will either be able to stomach this Sherlock Holmes, or they will not. But Jeremy Brett's interpretation of Holmes from the 1980s and 1990s is still relevant, and reruns of those episodes would be more entertaining than "The Case of the Silk Stocking".

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, January 4, 2006

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It is November of 1902, and when the body of a young prostitute is found on the banks of the Thames, only Dr. John Watson (played by Ian Hart) suspects that something is amiss. When Sherlock Holmes examines the body he quickly makes a startling announcement, the body is that of Lady Alice Burnham. Someone is stalking the debutantes of London, and Scotland Yard is out of its depth. The game is afoot, and Sherlock Holmes is hot on the chase!

OK, I must admit to being of two minds about this movie. First of all, there are some things that turned me off. First of all, both Holmes and Watson are portrayed as much less cordial and polite than they were in the original A.C. Doyle stories, prompting my wife to label Rupert Everett as "the crabby Holmes." Also, Mr. Everett does not bring much energy to the role, giving a surprisingly somnambular performance. Secondly, I found Dr. Watson's fiancé (what happened to his first wife, Mary Morstan?) far too much of a clichéd American - "Come in, Sherlock, have a whiskey!"

But, that said, I really did enjoy this movie. The subject matter goes beyond the more simple stories of the original Holmes, but does a good job of catching Sherlock's spirit. I found myself pulled into the story, and really enjoying it. I am a great fan of Jeremy Brett's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, but I must say that this is a solid, highly-enjoyable Sherlock Holmes story.

So, if you enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes story, then you will enjoy this movie. It's Sherlock Holmes, eight years after the events of The Adventure of the Empty House, and once more on the trail of a murderer. I really enjoyed this movie, and highly recommend it.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The game's afoot!, November 17, 2005

By	LonesomeDove - See all my reviews

I can't understand the criticisms of the other reviewers of this outstanding presentation. As much as I loved the BBC versions featuring Jeremy Brett, I never considered Brett "definitive" as Holmes, any more than Basil Rathbone was. In my opinion, Rupert Everett has come closer than either of these icons in portraying the icily cerebral Holmes which Conan Doyle created.

I loved the sinister, sexually-charged atmosphere presented here. I agree with the reviewer who said that Conan Doyle would not have dealt with this sort of frank material, but then, I doubt he could have gotten it published in his time if he had. The fact is, Holmes's England had an extremely dark, randy underbelly of vice and perversion, and I found the mature treatment of this facet of the culture fascinating.

As for Holmes's use of opium and cocaine, simply because Conan Doyle didn't elaborate doesn't mean we must assume Holmes never would have indulged beyond those few lines found in the stories. Between cases, Holmes resorted to his seven percent solution to alleviate the despair he felt at the feeling his life had no purpose; why should we not suppose that he could also have visited the opium dens as well?

At any rate, I am one viewer who was delighted at the authentic atmosphere, the top quality writing that was both faithful to Conan Doyle's style and yet thoroughly original, and above all to the superb acting by all involved, especially Mr. Everett.

I enthusiatically give this presentation five stars.