Genie und Schnauze (1988)

Genie und Schnauze: Directed by Thom Eberhardt. With Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Lysette Anthony. A drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective, Dr. Watson.

“WITHOUT A CLUE u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAspect ratio: 1.85:1u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSound format: Dolby Stereou003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Sherlock Holmesu0026#39; turns out to be a ham actor (Michael Caine), hired by brilliant detective Dr. John Watson (Ben Kingsley) to play a character whose adventures are dramatized by Watson and published in a popular weekly magazine. But the two men are forced to set aside their differences when Prof. Moriarty (Paul Freeman) hatches a fiendish plot to destabilize the British Empire.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAn unexpected gem. Thom Eberhardtu0026#39;s clever revision of Holmesian lore foregoes puns and sight gags for character-based comedy, and a wonderful cast of experienced British thesps plays it with just the right degree of reverence and mockery (Caine and Kingsley, in particular, make a formidable comic team). However, the script – by Gary Murphy and Larry Strawther – is entirely faithful to the spirit of Arthur Conan Doyleu0026#39;s most famous creation: Despite Holmesu0026#39; incompetence and Watsonu0026#39;s escalating outrage, the central mystery is genuinely skillful and engrossing, the clues are delightfully outlandish, and the Victorian atmosphere is conveyed with elegant simplicity, thanks to stylish art direction (by Brian Ackland-Snow) and costume design (by Judy Moorcroft). However, the writers arenu0026#39;t afraid to poke gentle fun at the established conventions, particularly Holmesu0026#39;/Watsonu0026#39;s uncanny ability to draw conclusions from even the most obscure scraps of evidence, and the climax manages to combine warm-hearted comedy and genuine thrills during a final showdown with Moriarty in an abandoned theatre. Highly recommended.”