Retro Movie Night : “The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes”

Billy Wilder’s 1970 period piece, if remade today, would be hailed as progressive. One fault I have is with the Watson portrayal, who comes off a bit buffoonish to my taste. Otherwise the film is brilliant, it’s not at all too serious, at times mildly unhinged, but the plot is fittingly wrought and the characters human. In particular, I think it did well at showing the subtle vulnerability of Holmes, like glimpsed in the Downey films.